Sri Lanka have kept the intrigue alive for the unofficial eighth match of their one-day international series to take place in Christchurch on February 14 at the World Cup.
Tonight in Wellington they dismantled New Zealand to win by 34 runs in a dead rubber which meant the series finished
4-2.
New Zealand showed glimpses of batting hope in their 253. Captain Kane Williamson made 54, Luke Ronchi 47, Daniel Vettori 35, Kyle Mills 30 and Corey Anderson 29 but they were minor scores compared to Kumar Sangakkara's anchoring role of 113 off 105 balls which trumped them to guarantee a result in the visitors' favour.
The 21st ODI century from the former Sri Lankan captain ensured New Zealand tested their chasing skills.
Without a resting Brendon McCullum and struggling openers, given Martin Guptill's lack of form and Tom Latham's limited experience, a weakness was exposed.
It was the first time in 11 innings of 50 or more that Williamson had been in a losing New Zealand team.
The hosts executed a spirited effort, highlighted by the seventh-wicket partnership of 74 from 57 balls between Ronchi and Vettori which illustrated further batting depth in the World Cup build-up. Ronchi's sweet spot remains the size of frying pan while Vettori is a nurdling guru. Mills cameo was also welcome at No.9.
The visitors would have taken heart their maligned pace attack can survive sans Lasith Malinga. Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga and Dushmantha Chameera each took two wickets.
It justified stand-in captain Lahiru Thirimanne seeing a terracotta pitch and deciding to bat. The visitors reaffirmed why they're a difficult proposition even without Angelo Mathews (flu), Malinga (ankle injury) and Rangana Herath (family issue).
The top three of Thirimanne (30 off 41 balls), Tillakaratne Dilshan (81 off 98) and Sangakkara established partnerships of 71 and 104 for the first two wickets to set up the game.
Sangakkara overtook Sanath Jayasuriya as the highest ODI run scorer for Sri Lanka with 13434 at 40.95 by innings' end. Dilshan and Thirimanne set a platform only broken in the 15th over. The key feature was the scant respect the trio held for Vettori as he edged into unusual territory, going at more than a run a ball in figures of none for 52 from eight overs. It was the first time in 42 ODI bowling innings since September 2009 that Vettori had not completed his allotment of 10 overs in a full 50-over innings.
The New Zealanders, as has become custom, earned a reprieve through Tim Southee and Anderson which was complemented by a crack fielding display, particularly from Guptill and Latham within the 30m circle.
Southee, who replaced Trent Boult in the starting XI, oozed rhythm. He finished with two for 50 which included Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene caught behind.
Anderson's innate self-confidence helped in the arduous death overs. He earned three for 59 from nine to back up four for 52 in Dunedin.
The fielding resembled a circus act at times, in a 'du Soleil' rather than 'Monty Python's Flying' sense. The demonstration of acrobatics and nerve meant the hosts didn't chase in excess of 300.
Given the New Zealand's success over summer, the crowd was disappointing. Acres of yellow seats were exposed despite a tongue-in-cheek letter, including NZC logo and a McCullum signature, which went viral on social media asking workers to be excused from their duties in the interests of patriotic duty for the afternoon.
New Zealand now have a selection conundrum for the two matches against Pakistan. Ronchi can expect a rest at some point, possibly Saturday, to give Latham time with the gloves and Anderson might also have earned a refresher but they must ask whether it is worth persevering with Guptill to coax him back into form.
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