Kiwis tame Lankan Tigers, win by 11 runs

New Zealand survived a stunning performance by Muttiah Muralitharan, who took five for nine, to score an 11-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Sharjah Cup on Tuesday.

Muralitharan had helped restrict New Zealand to 218 for eight, but the winners produced a disciplined peformance to bowl out Sri Lanka for 207 in 49.1 overs.

Seamer Scott Styris (3-42) and Nathan Astle (2-16) shared five wickets to set up the victory for a team handicapped by the absence of top players like Chris Cairns and Daniel Vettori.

On Monday, in the opening game of the tournament, Muralitharan took 3-27 as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 41 runs.

Sri Lanka, facing a modest target on Tuesday, made an edgy start, losing Sanath Jayasuriya for one in the third over, caught at gully off Daryl Tuffy.

The paceman could have removed Marvan Atapattu for a duck in the same over but wicketkeeper Chris Nevin put down a diving one-handed catch. Nevin again dropped him at 47 and 58 as the opener went on to make 61.

With Kumar Sangakkara (23), Atapattu was involved in a 49-run stand for the second wicket and then prospered in a 69-run partnership with Mahela Jaywardene, who made 38.

But Sri Lanka still needed 72 in the last 10 overs and a nagging line and length frustrated their efforts.

Requiring 12 off the last over with last pair Nuwan Zoysa and Charitha Buddhika at the crease, Sri Lanka still had hope but Jacob Oram ran out Buddhika.

Oram had been a mainstay of the New Zealand innings with an unbeaten 46 from 33 balls. Opener Nevin hit 45.

New Zealand meet Pakistan in the next match on Thursday.

Mail Cricket Editor