Rain ruins Black Caps' victory hopes

Updated November 13, 2012 07:15:06

New Zealand's hopes of posting a consolation win against Sri Lanka were shattered by rain as the fifth and final one-day international was called off after 28.3 overs in Hambantota on Monday.

Sri Lanka won the five-match series 3-0, with the first and last one-dayers abandoned due to rain.

New Zealand was strongly placed to register its first win of the series as it reduced Sri Lanka to 8 for 123, with fast bowler Tim Southee taking three wickets to put the hosts under pressure.

Southee, who finished with 3 for 18 off 5.3 disciplined overs, was brilliantly supported by seamers Andrew Ellis (2 for 22), Trent Boult (1 for 23) and Adam Milne (1 for 17) to give his team a hope of victory.

Opener Upul Tharanga (60) top-scored for Sri Lanka, cracking eight fours before being caught by wicket-keeper Bradley-John Watling off Southee in the 29th over.

He added 47 for the fifth wicket with skipper Mahela Jayawardene (24), the highest stand of the innings, after four wickets had fallen for 44 runs.

Southee did the early damage when he bowled opener Dinesh Chandimal for no score and then had Lahiru Thirimanne caught behind to reduce Sri Lanka to 2 for 33.

Thirimanne, promoted in the batting order, contributed a 15-ball 17 with three boundaries.

Boult dismissed Angelo Mathews before Milne got his maiden one-day wicket when he had Kumar Sangakkara caught behind for 5.

Sri Lanka made two changes from the side that played the last match, bringing in paceman Shaminda Eranga and debutant spinner Akila Dananjaya in place of Nuwan Kulasekara and Rangana Herath. New Zealand retained the same side.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand will now play a two-Test series starting in Galle on Saturday.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, sri-lanka, new-zealand

First posted November 13, 2012 07:15:06

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New Zealand ruins Yuvraj's comeback

Updated September 12, 2012 07:29:00

New Zealand pipped India by one run in a thrilling Twenty20 international in Chennai on Tuesday to ruin cancer survivor Yuvraj Singh's return to big-time cricket.

Brendon McCullum smashed 91 off 55 balls as the Kiwis posted 5 for 167 and then restricted the hosts to 4 for 166 despite Virat Kohli's 70 from 41 deliveries and a valiant 34 from Yuvraj.

Yuvraj, who was treated for a rare germ-cell tumour between his lungs earlier this year, bowled two wicket-less overs for 14 runs, took a catch and hit one four and two sixes.

But it was not enough to secure victory for his team as the Black Caps fought back in the final overs to pull off a brilliant win in front of 25,000 disappointed home fans.

"There are mixed emotions," a visibly moved Yuvraj said later.

"We lost a game that we should have won, but for me personally it was a big emotional moment to get on the field.

"I had tears in my eyes when we were fielding, luckily the cameras did not catch it. I think I am timing the ball well and it can only get better from here."

India was cruising at 2 for 120 in the 14th over when left-arm seamer James Franklin turned the match around by having Kohli caught in the deep.

The dismissal put the brakes on the scoring, leaving India needing 13 runs off Franklin's last over.

Franklin bowled Yuvraj with the fourth ball when six more were needed, but new batsman Rohit Sharma could manage only four runs from the last two deliveries.

India captain MS Dhoni was stranded at the non-striker's end on 22 not out.

New Zealand clinched the two-match series, a tune-up for next week's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, after the opening game was washed out in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

"This win will give us a lot of confidence going into the World T20," New Zealand captain Ross Taylor said.

"Kohli could have taken it away from us, but Franklin really needs a big pat on the back."

Yuvraj, man of the tournament in India's World Cup triumph last year, was recalled to the Twenty20 side despite not having played competitive cricket since November.

The Chennai fans gave Yuvraj a standing ovation when he was asked to bowl the seventh over of the innings by Dhoni.

Yuvraj conceded four singles in his first over of left-arm spin and then suffered a hard knock in his bowling hand while trying to take a difficult return catch off McCullum in his second.

Having given away 14 runs in his two overs, Yuvraj delighted team-mates and fans as he gleefully caught a skier at cover point to dismiss Franklin.

Further warm applause greeted his arrival at the crease to bat and Yuvraj responded by lofting Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram for sixes.

McCullum led the charge for the Black Caps with 11 boundaries and three sixes before he was bowled by left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan.

McCullum added 90 runs for the third wicket with Kane Williamson (28) after the Black Caps had lost openers Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill by the second over.

Taylor and Oram plundered 21 runs in the last two overs, which proved costly for India in the end.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, india

First posted September 12, 2012 07:29:00

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