New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 74 runs in World T20 warm up match

Mumbai,11 March। Colin Munro and Corey Anderson struck quickfire half-centuries as New Zealand registered a convincing 74-run victory against Sri Lanka in the warm up match of the World Twenty20 cricket tournament at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.

Munro (67) and Anderson (60 retired out) powered New Zealand to a mammoth total of 226/4 in 20 overs.

In reply, Lankan batsmen failed to impress as they could manage only 152/7 in 20 overs. Adam Milne (3-26) and Ish Sodhi (2-19) were the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand.

Chasing a challenging target of 227, Lanka got off to a disappointing start losing experienced batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) in the second over itself off the bowling off Corey Anderson.

His opening partner and skipper Dinesh Chandimal (8) too did not last long as he was cleaned bowled by pacer Adam Milne in the fifth over to have Lanka struggling at 19/2.

But Lahiru Thirimanne (41) and Chamara Kapugedera (38) held on for the third wicket to help team cross 80-run mark.

But with the dismissal of both the batsmen, Lanka lacked quality in the middle order as wickets fell at regular intervals to have them short off the New Zealand total.

Earlier on opting to bat, New Zealand openers Martin Guptill (41) and Kane Williamson (10) got off to a modest start. But seamer Suranga Lakmal brought the first breakthrough for the side dismissing skipper Williamson in the fourth over.

After striking six fours and one six in his 25-ball innings, Guptill fell to seamer Dasun Shanaka in eighth over to have team at 67/2 in 7.3 overs.

From there on it was entirely incoming batsman Munro's show as he hit seven huge sixes in his 34-ball knock to take team's score past 100 in the tenth over itself.

The left-handed batsman Munro was well supported in the other end by Anderson. The duo struck 92-run partnership for the third wicket to take side past 140 in 13th over.

But in the 15th over of the innings, Shanaka got the dangerous batsman Munro caught to have the Kiwis at 159/3 in 14.2 overs.

Next up, Anderson took the initiative ahead to hit five sixes and four fours alongside Grant Elliott (36 not out) to help team past the 200-run mark.

For Lanka, Shanaka (2-48) was the pick of the bowlers.

Brief scores: New Zealand 226/4 in 20 overs (Colin Munro 67, Corey Anderson 60 retired out; Dasun Shanaka 2-48) vs Sri Lanka 152/7 in 20 overs (Lahiru Thirimanne 41; Adam Milne 3-26, Ish Sodhi 2-19)

Agency