Black Caps v Sri Lanka: New Zealand bowlers blitz tourists in record win

The Black Caps celebrate an early wicket for Henry Shipley. Photo / photosport.nz

An understrength Black Caps side have blitzed Sri Lanka at Eden Park tonight to earn a record win and take a 1-0 lead in their ODI series.

Henry Shipley snagged 5-31 in his fourth ODI as New Zealand tore through a self-destructive opposition in seemingly benign batting conditions, skittling the tourists for 76 and completing a 198-run victory.

That total was Sri Lanka’s fifth-lowest in ODI cricket while the margin was New Zealand’s best against Sri Lanka and seventh-largest against all countries.

Coming without as many as four bowlers who will be expecting to lead the attack at this year’s World Cup — and missing also a few frontline batsmen through IPL commitments — the manner of victory was unexpected.

There was certainly no sign of what was to come as the Black Caps top order began with few issues and customarily plundered runs down the ground on Eden Park’s short boundaries. But if their own innings then sputtered slightly, eventually dismissed for 274 in the 50th over, Sri Lanka went into a full tailspin.

The tourists needed a sweep to have a chance of securing automatic qualification for this year’s World Cup, an unlikely aim given they had won only six of 23 ODIs in New Zealand since their last series victory.

Those odds lengthened when New Zealand reached 145-3 at the halfway mark after being sent in, scoring at 5.8 runs an over and appearing primed for a big total.

Chad Bowes showed flashes of quality on debut and Will Young did likewise in his first international white-ball match in seven months, both collecting quick runs.

Still with some work to secure his spot in a first-choice XI, Finn Allen initially displayed the type of restraint that suggested he wanted to stick around. He also enjoyed a little luck, with Kasun Rajitha clipping his off stump only for the bail to be unmoved.

Allen eventually increased his aggression and smashed Wanindu Hasaranga for consecutive sixes, reaching a fifth ODI half-century from 47 balls before mis-hitting another big shot.

Daryl Mitchell was thriving through the straight boundaries and, joined by Tom Latham, a steady accumulation period loomed. But the skipper never settled and waved at a wide one to fall for five from 17.

His hesitance would prove contagious. After the 24th over, New Zealand went 55 balls without hitting a boundary, adding only 20 runs. Mitchell (47 off 58) soon looked to relieve the pressure but couldn’t clear mid-on.

Glenn Phillips (39 off 42) followed the pattern of getting himself in and out, taking 16 runs from Rajitha’s 34th over before picking out a boundary rider, leaving New Zealand on 221-6 after 40 overs.

Debutant Rachin Ravindra (49 from 52) salvaged the death overs, deserving a half-century but being caught on the boundary, but the lack of a late onslaught would matter little.

Sri Lanka’s chase started in calamitous fashion as Nuwanidu Fernando ran himself out while wanting a third despite a disinterest partner. That was when Shipley took over, snaring four scalps in as many overs to reduce the tourists to 31-5 after 10.

The first wicket owed to a quality line, knocking over Pathum Nissanka’s stumps, while the second came when Kusal Mendis (0 off 16) put himself out of his own misery by picking out deep fine leg.

Then, in the 10th over, Shipley found two edges in two balls, although Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka bizarrely reviewed one that clearly came off his bat and flew to first slip.

Blair Tickner trapped Angelo Mathews in his first over and, the top six gone with 46 on the board, the record books were cracked open.

Neither Hasaranga nor Rajitha helped their side’s quest to avoid history, tamely finding fielders from the bowling of Mitchell, before Chamika Karunaratne gave Shipley a fifth and Tickner snared a second to complete the carnage.