Cricket: Kiwi duo strike in tandem

Nathan McCullum made the initial breakthrough for New Zealand last night.AFP

Two men set to play key roles this summer last night led the charge for New Zealand in the search for another ODI series victory.

During a rain-interrupted third one-day international against Sri Lanka, Nathan McCullum and Mitchell McClenaghan combined to dismiss the hosts' four frontline batsmen, staking a claim for automatic selection in the home series against the West Indies and India.

Sri Lanka's fast start in Dambulla was halted by a double-strike from McCullum before McClenaghan took two wickets in as many balls to boost the Black Caps' chances of claiming another 50-over scalp on foreign soil.

The pair reduced the home side to 110-4 and, after a second rain delay saw the match restricted to 33 overs a side, Jimmy Neesham chimed in with a brace while Kyle Mills and Andrew Ellis took a wicket each as Sri Lanka reached 211-8.

New Zealand have already enjoyed series wins in South Africa and England this year and if the world's eighth-ranked side are to continue their streak of road success in home comforts this summer, McCullum and McClenaghan are shaping as chief contributors.

Following his heroics with the bat in New Zealand's last-ball triumph in the second match against Sri Lanka, the elder McCullum showed his wares with the ball last night, finishing with 2 for 13 off four overs.

The off-spinner broke a 91-run opening stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan, getting the former caught behind before bowling Kumar Sangakkara for a two-ball duck.

With Dan Vettori continuing on the comeback trail, the former skipper's health could factor into McCullum's inclusion this summer. But, as he showed with 32 runs from nine balls in Hambantota, the Otago man is a fine exponent of finishing an innings.

"He's the type of player if he's in the XI, you feel better for it," said stand-in New Zealand captain Mills after McCullum's knock.

McClenaghan is another who may be earning that status in the shorter forms. He took 2 for 34 from seven.

After Mills won the toss and sent in the hosts, McClenaghan was too short in his first spell as Sri Lanka opened at a run-a-ball.

But his second spell showed why he is considered among the top tier of Kiwi quicks, finding the right length and some late outswing to nick out Dilshan and Angelo Mathews on consecutive deliveries.

It was a timely blow from McClenaghan, and not just in the context of the match. His indifferent performance in Hambantota followed an expensive turn in Bangladesh and the pair of senior scalps would have done the left-armer's confidence no harm.