Sports
Karunaratne four-for keeps New Zealand to 274
Finn Allen made 51 at the top of the order, Daryl Mitchell made 47 through the middle, and Rachin Ravindra a debut 49 towards the close. And through these and a number of other punchy contributions, New Zealand fought their way to 274 all out on an Eden Park pitch that offered plenty of bounce and carry.
Bowling shorter lengths that are more difficult to hit at a venue known for its small straight boundaries, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept striking, to keep the opposition in check. Chamika Karunarathne was the best of the short-of-a-length practicioners, picking up 4 for 43 from his nine overs – career-best figures in ODIs.
Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara were also effective, taking two wickets apiece, the latter frequently troubling New Zealand’s batters with his pace. The legspin of Wanindu Hasaranga, however, disappeared for 67 in 10 overs.
There were no huge partnerships in the first half of New Zealand’s innings, but there were a series of significant ones, most of them brisk. Allen gave the innings its early impetus, whipping full deliveries through midwicket, or striking them down the ground to Eden Park’s shortest boundaries. He shared a 36-run stand with debutant Chad Bowes, a 35-run stand with Will Young, who hit 26, and put on 37 alongside Mitchell.
The highlight of Allen’s innings was a three-ball sequence towards the end of his knock. Twice he deposited Hasaranga over the boundary, tonking him down the ground first, then clubbing him over deep square leg. An edged four off the bowling of Karunaratne carried him past fifty, before he ran at Karunaratne later in that 18th over, looking to clobber him to leg. The resultant leading edge flew to deep third, where it was caught athletically by Rajitha.
Mitchell’s innings was relatively staid. He hit just the one boundary in his first 22 balls, and in fact struck only five in his 58-ball stay, choosing risk-free accumulation instead, with wickets having fallen. With his dismissal in the 30th over, New Zealand were 152 for 5, and at risk of collapsing.
Ravindra and Glenn Phillips then produced the best partnership of the innings, however, putting on 66 off 59 balls, with Phillips the primary aggressor. Phillips took on the short ball, and was sometimes successful against it, hitting two sixes and three fours in his 39. But that was also his undoing – he holed out to deep square leg in the 40th over.
Ravindra didn’t have substantial support after Phillips’ dismissal, but farmed the strike and kept New Zealand moving, largely through singles and twos. Like several of his teammates, he holed out trying to lift a shortish ball over the small, straight boundary. New Zealand left their last three balls unused.
Sri Lanka caught well, and aside from Hasaranga, who struggled with his lines, and Dilshan Madushanka, who had trouble adjusting to the shorter lengths required at this venue, bowled with intensity and pep. The target remains a challenging one, however, particularly given the height and pace of New Zealand’s seamers.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 274 in 49.3 overs (Finn Allen 51, Rachin Ravindra 49, Daryl Mitchell 47, Chamika Karunaratne 4-43, Kasun Rajitha 2-38, Lahiru Kumara 2-46) vs Sri Lanka