8.00am
BLOEMFONTEIN - A brilliant Scott Styris innings of 141 wasn't enough for New Zealand as they lost to Sri Lanka by 47 runs in their World Cup cricket opener this morning (NZ time).
Chasing 273 to win, New Zealand were bowled out for 225 in the 46th over, with Styris leading the way before he was last out, caught on the deep square leg boundary.
Styris, batting at No 4, faced just 125 balls and hit three fours and six sixes -- three of them off superspinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
He had little support from his fellow batsmen, with Chris Cairns' 32 the only innings of a top-six batsman to pass double figures.
The pair put on 78 for the fourth wicket after New Zealand were 15 for three having lost Nathan Astle, Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan.
Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya scored 120, his 16th one-day international century, to set up their big total.
He and Hashan Tillakaratne put on 170 for the second wicket, with Tillakaratne unbeaten on 81.
Sri Lanka
M Atapattu c Styris b Bond 6
S Jayasuriya lbw b Astle 120
H Tillakaratne not out 81
M Jayawardene lbw b Adams 1
A De Silva c Styris b Astle 12
K Sangakkara c Adams b Astle 13
R Arnold b Bond 12
C Vaas b Adams 5
M Muralitharan not out 4
Extras (3b, 6lb, 5nb, 4w) 18
Total (for 7 wickets, 50 overs) 272
Fall: 23 (Atapattu), 193 (Jayasuriya), 196 (Jayawardene), 213 (De Silva), 240 (Sangakkara), 256 (Arnold), 263 (Vaas).
Bowling: D Tuffey 5 overs 0 maidens 36 runs 0 wickets (2nb), S Bond 10-1-44-2 (2nb, 3w), J Oram 10-0-37-0 (1nb), A Adams 9-0-58-2, C Harris 4-0-26-0, S Styris 5-0-28-0 (1w), N Astle 7-0-34-3.
New Zealand
S Fleming c Sangakkara b Gunaratne 1
N Astle run out 0
C McMillan c Sangakkara b Gunaratne 3
S Styris c Vaas b Arnold 141
C Cairns c and b De Silva 32
L Vincent c Muralitharan b Jayasuriya 1
C Harris b Muralitharan 13
J Oram st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 12
A Adams c sub (Mubarak) b Arnold 1
D Tuffey c Sangakkara b Arnold 4
S Bond not out 2
Extras (10lb, 5w) 15
Total (45.3 overs) 225
Fall: 1 (Astle), 2 (Fleming), 15 (McMillan), 93 (Cairns), 94 (Vincent), 150 (Harris), 179 (Oram), 182 (Adams), 200 (Tuffey), 225 (Styris).
Bowling: C Vaas 7-0-22-0, P Gunaratne 5-0-24-2 (1w), D Fernando 3-1-19-0, M Muralitharan 9-1-42-2, S Jayasuriya 8-0-32-1 (2w), A De Silva 5-0-29-1 (1w), R Arnold 8.3-0-47-3 (1w).
Result: Sri Lanka won by 47 runs.
Man of the match: Sanath Jayasuriya.
- NZPA
World Cup schedule
Points table
Cricket: NZ fall well short v Sri Lanka
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