KEY POINTS:
As experiments go, this one's likely to go down in history alongside the waterproof tea-towel and the chocolate teapot.
It started off so promisingly, too; New Zealand amassing 285 for eight against Sri Lanka in the opening one-dayer at McLean Park, after local favourite Ross Taylor led the
way with a polished and unbeaten 128 - his maiden ODI century.
But what was thought to be a reasonably challenging total was turned into a leisurely stroll by the Sri Lankans, courtesy of an explosive century from Sanath Jayasuriya, a record opening partnership, and some of the most inept bowling imaginable.
Faced with such dross, the 37-year-old Jayasuriya needed no second invitation to fill his boots, lashing half a dozen fours and two sixes in his first 50 (52 balls), and another four boundaries and three sixes in his second, which required only a further 26 balls.
Such was the scale of the assault that Sri Lanka were able to slam 201 runs without loss off the first 24 overs before Jayasuriya was caught on the long-on boundary for 111, at which stage the game was all but over.
The opening stand was the biggest against New Zealand by any nation, eclipsing the 199 posted by the Pakistan pairing of Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat at Rawalpindi in 2003-04 against an understrength attack.
Jayasuriya was so dominant that opening partner Upal Tharanga was completely overshadowed, despite collecting 68 at a strike-rate of 93.15.
In contrast with New Zealand, who scored just over 50 runs for each 10-over split, the Sri Lankan openers smashed 90 off the first 10 overs, 70 off the second and 80 off the third, before cruising home with seven wickets and 10 overs to spare.
The New Zealand attack, weakened by a mix of injury and experimental selections, were flayed mercilessly throughout, none more so than home-grown paceman Michael Mason, who conceded 60 off six overs, and the recalled Andre Adams - who went for 47 off five. Even when New Zealand finally made a breakthrough, ridding themselves of Jayasuriya and Tharanga off consecutive James Franklin deliveries, the scoring rate was well above eight an over, and the result still a formality.
The loss has raised some pertinent questions about the wisdom of New Zealand's so-called rotation policy, in which players such as Shane Bond and Stephen Fleming have been rested in the name of experimentation.
Taylor, who played his first two ODIs against the West Indies last summer, arrived in the middle at the fall of Brendon McCullum's wicket and managed to remain until the end; featuring in a second-wicket stand worth 151 with Nathan Astle, and third-wicket partnership of 53 with Peter Fulton.
Of Samoan descent, the 22-year-old was willed along by a 7840-strong home crowd, who cheered wildly when he brought up his 50 off 52 balls, and gave him a standing ovation when he reached his century off 115.
The Central Districts' right-hander ended with a strike-rate of 96.24, having struck six boundaries off Chaminda Vaas, a pair of sixes off fellow paceman Dilhara Fernando, and another two off Dilshan Tillakaratne.
Such were Taylor's exertions through the hottest part of the Napier day that he was cramping badly in his legs near the end of the innings, on several occasions collapsing in pain, and was later taken to hospital to be rehydrated.
The only possible black mark against his innings was the way in which he allowed the scoring rate to wane as he neared his century; the New Zealanders managing to eke out just 23 runs in the space of seven overs.
NEW ZEALAND
B. McCullum lbw b Vaas 10
N. Astle run out (Jayasuriya) 83
R. Taylor not out 128
P. Fulton c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 24
D. Vettori c Jayawardene b Vaas 5
J. Marshall lbw b Vaas 0
H. Marshall c Sangakkara b Fernando 17
J. Franklin b Malinga 2
A. Adams b Malinga3M. Gillespie not out 1
Extras (4lb, 4w, 4nb) 12
--Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 285
Fall: 1/18, 2/169, 3/222, 4/229, 5/229, 6/257, 7/262, 8/280.
Bowling: Vaas 10-0-50-3 (3nb, 1w), Malinga 10-0-66-2 (1nb), Fernando 5-0-43-1 (1w), Muralitharan 10-0-48-1 (2w), Jayasuriya 10-0-42-0, Dilshan 5-0-32-0.
SRI LANKA
W. Tharanga c McCullum b Franklin 68
S. Jayasuriya c Mason b Franklin 111
D. Jayawardene not out 34
K. Sangakkara c & b Vettori 36
M. Atapattu not out 13
Extras (3lb, 12w, 12nb) 27
--Total (for 3 wkts 40 overs)289
Fall: 1/201, 2/201, 3/271.
Bowling: Franklin 10-0-69-2 (4nb), Mason 6-0-60-0 (2w), Gillespie 9-0-64-0 (6w, 8nb), Adams 7-0-54-0 (2w), Vettori 8-0-39-1 (2w).
Result: Sri Lanka won by seven wickets
