That's it from us folks! The second ODI is day after and we hope you join us then. Tata!
New Zealand are looking to test players in the three-match ODI series. © Getty
POST-MATCH THOUGHTS:
Kane Williamson: A good surface, but the outfield was really random, and the wind factor were the reasons for such high scores. Two very competitive sides who played well in this match. You can take a few wickets early and put scoreboard pressure but that wasn't too be today.
Lasith Malinga: The bowlers didn't deliver many wicket-taking balls. We didn't use variations even on a batting wicket. We have to analyse that and come back stronger in the next game. We are playing on the same wicket next match also, so we have to use our variations, and we need to use our wicket-taking options. The players realise that we weren't up to the mark. I'm happy with the batting
Martin Guptill, MoM: Pretty good, happy with that outing. Certainly a good recovery in the end. I played the CPL and played in England, and in the last three months I did a lot of hardwork to come around and everything is fine with my injuries now. Everything is settled down now, I played a few games for Auckland, and I'm just trying to keep my balance as much as possible.
NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 45 RUNS
Martin Guptill and James Neesham played key roles in the host picking up 1-0 series lead. It was day that belonged to the returning duo with Guptill scoring his 14th ODI ton and Neesham chipping in with an all-round performance.
Ahead of the series, New Zealand coach Gary Stead had stressed this series is key for them to identify a template for the 2019 World Cup. The onus was also left on the players to grab the remaining slot before the all-important tournament. While Guptill was always expected to slot back at the top of the order, Neesham took giant strides to make the finishers spot his own. His innings at the end was the highlight of the New Zealand dominance.
The stage was set and Thisara Perera became the unlucky victim of Neesham's butchery. Coming in to bowl in the 49th over, Perera was hit for five consecutive sixes as the over yielded 34. Neesham ended with unbeaten 47 off 13 as New Zealand posted 371 for 7 with bulky contributions from Guptill (138), Kane Williamson (76) and Ross Taylor (54). Sri Lanka threatened for the first 20 overs - after assaults from their openers - before falling short and ending with 326 in 49 overs.
Once set a daunting target, Sri Lanka were desperate for a solid start. Both Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka had struggled in the preceding Test series but put that behind them beautifully as the collaborated to score 119 inside 18 overs. Dickwella flaunted his wide array of strokes while his partner grafted his way to 43 off 62. The real blows were landed by Neesham who took out both openers in space of seven runs to put his team right back on top. Dickwella (76 off 50) had threatened for a lot more but ended with playing on to a wide one from the allrounder.
Kusal Perera kept one end going, with an 86-ball 102, but Sri Lanka were let down by Kusal Mendis (18) and Dinesh Chandimal (10). With 172 needed off the last 20 overs, the match was still within the grasp of the visitors. However, late order wickets meant the game slipped away from them even before Kusal Perera could completely open up. He did keep the boat sailing with an 82-ball ton but lack of support to him did cost Sri Lanka the series lead after an highly impressive performance.
New Zealand's total was carefully built on the big partnerships they got throughout the innings. They opted to bat but lost Colin Munro early. Williamson and Guptill scored 163 for the second wicket at the brisk pace to take the team past 180 in the 31st over. The New Zealand captain fell when he guided a delivery back onto his poles before Guptill completed his ton in the 34th. He was eventually dismissed in the 43rd over but the baton had been passed to Taylor by then. Taylor smashed a 34-ball half-century but fell three balls later.
At one stage, Sri Lanka made a staggering comeback getting New Zealand to slip from 294 for 3 to 317 for 6. But their hopes were eventually crushed by Neesham's perfectly timed assault.
THAT'S THAT? Surely? Kusal Perera falls as Sri Lanka cross 300. He's gone for 86-ball 102 and Boult has struck a massive blow.
CENTURY NO. 5: Kusal Perera is the one keeping the Sri Lanka boat afloat. He has smashed a century off 82 balls and kept one end going when Chandimal, Mendis and Thisara have disappointed.
Sri Lanka 287 for 6
106 needed off the last 10 overs. All hopes pinned on Kusal Perera who has kept the innings going and is on 87 at the moment ...
WICKET: Kusal Perera gets his half-century but Chandimal can't get going. He falls for 10.
Sri Lanka 211 for 4
200 up for Sri Lanka in the 30th over. They now need 170 in the last 20 overs.
THREE DOWN: Sodhi gets Mendis and New Zealand are back on top. Googly and it takes the inside edge, thuds into the pads and gives the 'keeper enough chance to complete the catch.
Sri Lanka 178 for 3
25 overs done - Sri Lanka 170 for 2 ...
DICKWELLA FALLS: Full and wide, he chased that one with hand hands and plays on. He'll be disappointed but we always feared this. He's thrown it away.
Sri Lanka 138 for 2 in 21 overs
WICKET: Gunathilaka will be very disappointed with that. Back of length ball and flicked to the 'keeper. Neesham strikes and the century stand comes to an end. Kusal Perera walks out to bat.
Sri Lanka 119 for 1
100 UP: Dickwella has raced to a half-century off 34 deliveries. Ferguson has troubled Gunathilaka just a bit but his partner is looking at ease and looking good for a lot more. All Dickwella needs to do is not throw it away.
Sri Lanka 101 for no loss in 15 overs
END OF POWERPLAY: Perfect start for Sri Lanka here. They needed to score at more than seven runs per over and they've got 70 in 10 without losing a wicket. Dickwella gave them a fast start but Gunathilaka too is chipping in.
Henry 4-0-35-0 at the momemt ...
Sri Lanka won't die wondering. They are putting the pressure back on the hosts. Dickwella, as expected, is doing the fast scoring while Gunathilaka is looking to settle down.
Sri Lanka 50 for no loss in 7 overs
Sri Lanka off to a flying start. 30 runs already in the first 3.1 overs.
The New Zealand players are out there to defend the total, Gunathilaka and Dickwella to open for Sri Lanka. Let's see how the visitors respond after the assault on them ...
END OF INNINGS - NEW ZEALAND 371 for 7
Martin Guptill's 14th ODI ton, half-centuries from Williamson and Taylor and a 13-ball 47 from Jimmy Neesham has helped New Zealand post a massive score as Sri Lanka struggled in good batting conditions.
Guptill had last played an ODI in March last year against England at home before New Zealand cricket went into hibernation. When it was time to hit the park again, in the tour to UAE against Pakistan, he was sidelined due to a calf injury. Returning to the side after a long lay-off, the opener had acknowledged he felt rusty entering the series but was quick to point out he's prepared. Given the opportunity to make first use of good batting conditions, he walked out and slammed 138 off 139 to reestablish the fact that he's the one who will be opener in the 2019 World Cup for New Zealand.
The ominous signs were there from very early on in the innings. In the sixth over of the innings, he whipped a Thisara Perera delivery on the off-stump to midwicket. The timing was such that it flew off the bat and just short of the boundary. Colin Munro looked promising during his stay and gave Guptill the cushion to ease into his innings. Even before the New Zealand total had touched 20, Munro had smashed a boundary and a six to put the pressure back on Sri Lanka.
However, he was undone by a Malinga slower ball in the fifth over. Malinga had been firing deliveries into the left-hander, and swung it back in, to keep things tight. Munro was expecting another one on the stumps but ended up playing way too early to the off-cutter floated just outside off. The ball landed with the point fielder to give the visitors the much-needed early break. The Guptill-Kane Williamson stand from there on turned out to be the catalyst for the massive total. They scored 163 for the second wicket to lay a perfect launchpad for a late assault.
Williamson too started steady but it wasn't long before he was set. There were a few outside edges but the ball soon started finding the middle of the bat. Guptill by then was set and such was the fluency of his innings that he raced to his half-century without the belligerence that's usually associated with him. Williamson too got to his half-century - 34th in the format - before he was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep. Trying to guide the ball fine, the New Zealand captain ended up playing it to his poles to fall after a 74-ball knock.
Guptill got to his ton in the 34th over when he smashed a Seekuge Prasanna delivery to deep point and then saw Taylor smash a half-century off just 35 balls. The former fell first as Sri Lanka pulled this back just a touch with quick wickets. Trying to tuck a back of length delivery to the on side, Guptill ended with the leading edge being caught at point. Taylor smoked one to long-off while Henry Nicholls was run out.
Jimmy Neesham (47 off 13), also returning to the side, too had his fair share of fun especially in the 49th over. Perera took the blows as he saw the all-rounder smashed five consecutive sixes and picked up 34 runs from the 49th over. The late flurry of wickets ensured Sri Lanka stay in the game but Neesham turned the tide to pin the visitors on the mat once again.
34 runs from the 49th over. Neesham having some fun out there.
Perera to Neesham - 6, 6, 6, 6, 2nb, 6 so far ...
BANG: Ross Taylor too having fun out there. He's slammed a half-century off 34 balls to hurt Sri Lanka
OUT: Back of length and he wanted to play that to the on side. Leading edge lands at point. His 139-ball comes to an end.
New Zealand 277 for 3 in 43
CENTURY NO. 14: What a return to international cricket. He had been sidelined because of a calf injury and had last played in March last year for New Zealand. Comes back, smashes a ton and shows the team he'll be the one opening the innings at the World Cup. This innings has been so fluent that Sri Lanka wouldn't even have realised that he's nearing a ton.
WICKET: Big wicket this for Sri Lanka. Tried to play it fine and wanted to guide that delivery. The slight movement did him there. Bowled. Pradeep gets his first.
New Zealand 189 for 2
50 for Williamson ... his 34th in ODIs.
20 OVERS DONE: Another set of 10 overs are done and by now Guptill has bagged a fifty on return, Williamson is set and New Zealand are past 100. Easy conditions to bat on and it's crcuial these two build from here before launching a late assault. Sri Lanka already looking on the backfoot.
New Zealand 117 for 1
Powerplay done - NZ 58 for 1 ...
WICKET: Malinga strikes and Munro falls. He's been firing it in and the opener was expecting another full ball at the stumps. This time Malinga floated a slower ball just outside off and Munro was way too early into the shot. Lobbed a catch towards point. But what a poor effort from Sandakan. He was lazy and took it too easy. What should have been a simple catch was referred to the third umpire. It seemed the ball burst through his fingers and touched the ground. The on-field soft signal was out and it stayed with that.
New Zealand 24 for 1
EARLY SIGNS: There is some swing and Malinga found it in the very first over. Munro is looking to stay positive and has already blasted a boundary and a six. Guptill, back in the squad, is looking to ease into his innings. Sri Lanka need wickets in the first ten overs before the ball stops swinging. This looks a good track to bat on.
New Zealand 15 for no loss in three.
Alright then folks, Munro and Guptill out to open. Sri Lanka players out there as well. Expecting some fireworks? Stay tuned as the action begins ...
TOSS - New Zealand opt to bat
Teams
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tim Seifert(w), James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson
Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella(w), Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga(c), Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan
New Zealand and Sri Lanka enter the three-match ODI series with completely different aims. With the World Cup just five months away, Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, stressed they'll be trying to find the perfect approach, alter their plans and allow some of the players to make a claim for a spot in the squad for the mega tournament. The visitors, on the other hand, will aim to pick up the pieces, weave something out of it and hope they haven't been knocked too far behind.
Sri Lanka's last ODI series win came in January last year in Bangladesh in a tri-series involving the hosts and Zimbabwe. Since then, they lost to South Africa at home, struggled in Asia Cup and then to England at home to end a disastrous year. And the hopes, once again,are pinned on Lasith Malinga. Axed from the side not too long ago for being unfit, he'll return to lead the side and hopefully inspire them to rise above the mediocrity they've showcased in the limited-overs format.
Unfortunately for Malinga, there are no quick fixes in sight, but his main aim will be to build consistency. Sri Lanka impressed in patches in the preceding Test series, but faltered. He's stressed he wants to "find the best in Sri Lanka" and the onus has been put on the players to prove their worth. Malinga, and the players, know enough opportunities were provided and the time to rebuild is over. There could be a shift in approach as well. "We need to consolidate our first 10 overs, how we're going to address the conditions, how we build a good partnership - then we have time to accelerate at the end of the innings," the captain said, making clear that the top order needs to take more responsibility and need to go away from the slam-bang approach.
New Zealand may be taking the visitors lightly, but see this series as a golden opportunity to experiment before the big-ticket series against India. The fact that they feel comfortable resting Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme and give an opportunity to others shows they are fairly confident of the ability of the replacements coming in. Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham return to the side after a long lay-off and will be keen to show they are still the front-runners to make it to the World Cup squad.
Stead would ideally want to identify the perfect template in this series before trying to replicate it against India. New Zealand have got three ODIs to find that before a more mightier challenge lands on their soil.