New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2000-01
At Napier, January 31 (day/night)
15-Apr-2002
At Napier, January 31 (day/night). Sri Lanka won by 61 runs. Toss: Sri Lanka.
New Zealand welcomed back slow left-armer Vettori, but it was Muralitharan's off-spin which settled the result. Risking first use of a pitch of unknown quality, Sri Lanka were helped to a quick start when Penn, perhaps suffering stage-fright, sprayed four wides in his second over, which cost 19. But the scoring-rate slowed in mid-innings against Harris and Vettori, with the latter conceding a mere 21 and removing three top-order wickets. Only a 65-ball fifty from Arnold lifted Sri Lanka to 213. Upashantha then claimed New Zealand's first four wickets by the 14th over. Harris played a stoic hand, unbeaten for two hours, but Muralitharan completely mystified the lower order. He took five of the remaining six wickets - the other was a run-out - to wrap up the innings.
New Zealand welcomed back slow left-armer Vettori, but it was Muralitharan's off-spin which settled the result. Risking first use of a pitch of unknown quality, Sri Lanka were helped to a quick start when Penn, perhaps suffering stage-fright, sprayed four wides in his second over, which cost 19. But the scoring-rate slowed in mid-innings against Harris and Vettori, with the latter conceding a mere 21 and removing three top-order wickets. Only a 65-ball fifty from Arnold lifted Sri Lanka to 213. Upashantha then claimed New Zealand's first four wickets by the 14th over. Harris played a stoic hand, unbeaten for two hours, but Muralitharan completely mystified the lower order. He took five of the remaining six wickets - the other was a run-out - to wrap up the innings.
Man of the Match: M. Muralitharan.