Jayasuriya blitz seals win for Lanka

New Delhi: World Cup finalists Sri Lanka looked in irrepressible form as they sailed into the Super Eight stages of the ICC World Twenty20, beating New Zealand by seven wickets at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Sanath Jayasuriya continued to defy his age as he flayed the Kiwi bowlers en route to 61 from 44 balls to lead his side to the second stage, becoming the first team to advance without blemish in the competition.

New Zealand rode on a classy half-century from Ross Taylor and a belligerent knock from Jacob Oram to reach 164-7 after skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and decided to have a bat.

But Sri Lanka came out all guns blazing with opener Sanath Jayasuriya hammered six fours and three sixes as they cruised to victory with an over to spare. Jayasuriya remained the most consistent batsman in the tournament with successive half-centuries.

Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga provided the perfect start for the Lankans as they went about knocking off the required runs off the board, putting up 82 runs for the first wicket before Tharanga was dismissed for 37 in the eighth over.

Despite losing Kumar Sangakkara relatively early, the Sri Lankans didn’t look in trouble at all as Mahela Jayawardene and Jayasuriya added 50 runs for the third wicket to ease the pressure.

Jayawardene took over after Jayasuriya’s fall for 61 to ensure victory as he remained not out on 35 from a mere 18 balls.

New Zealand were jolted up front when Brendon McCullum was dismissed as Dilhara Fernando removed the wicketkeeper-batsman without making any impact for 10, while partner Lou Vincent succumbed to a mighty heave to the same bowler for 14.

But Peter Fulton and Ross Taylor strung together a useful partnership for the third wicket, scoring heavily off the likes of the second string Sri Lankan attack, particularly Gayan Wijekoon, who sprayed plenty of extras before being hit for a string of boundaries.

Wijekoon got the vital breakthrough just as the New Zealanders began to cut loose, getting rid of Fulton for a 19-ball 25, which sparked off another dismissal, that of Scott Styris, who was out trapped leg before without troubling the scorers.

The Kiwis further slumped into trouble as Craig McMillan was run out leaving them tottering at 102-5 in the 12th over.

However, a composed Ross Taylor guided the Kiwis out of trouble with 43-ball 62 before he was dismissed by Lasith Malinga in the penultimate over of the innings. Jacob Oram stepped up the Kiwi score to end with 164-7 as he slammed 32 from 19 balls.

New Zealand went into the game unchanged from their win against Kenya in their first outing.

The two teams had already qualified for the Super Eights stage of the competition after winning their opening league fixtures.

Teams:

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Chris Martin, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Lou Vincent.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardena (captain), Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga, Jehan Mubarak, Kumara Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Tilakarathne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Gayan Wijekoon.