New Zealand ramp up batting in Sri Lanka

Tom Latham went for 86 and New zealand made a successful chase of 198 off 23 overs on Tuesday for a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka,

Tom Latham top scored with 86 on Tuesday. AP Photo

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka // New Zealand’s Nathan McCullum smashed three sixes and a boundary in the last four balls of the match to snatch an astonishing four-wicket win against Sri Lanka under the Duckworth/Lewis method on Tuesday.

Tom Latham top scored with 86 in a rain-hit one-day international, the second of a three-match series that New Zealand now leads 1-0. He shared 93 runs with Luke Ronchi who made 49 after the tourists lost four wickets for 68, chasing a challenging revised target of 198 off 23 overs in response to Sri Lanka’s 138-1 in 23 overs.

The visitors recovered from losing Anton Devcich and Rob Nicol in successive balls at 2-8 – finishing on 203 for six at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium. McCullum hit 32 off nine deliveries.

Latham’s score was his maiden international half-century and came off 68 deliveries including 12 boundaries and a six. Ronchi faced 26 deliveries hit seven boundaries and a six.

Seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekara turned the match in Sri Lanka’s favor in the 21st over, snaring Latham and Ronchi before McCullum entered the pitch.

Sri Lanka was looking comfortable in the final over bowled by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath – needing to defend 20 runs – only for McCullum to defy the odds and secure victory.

Kulasekara returned his side’s best bowling figures with 4-34, while off spinner Sachithra Senanayake took 2-31.

After winning the toss, the hosts lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne (4) early for a second time in the series. Karunaratne was dismissed off the first ball of the first match, which was abandoned due to rain on Sunday.

Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (55), who struck their second straight half centuries of the series, helped Sri Lank reach 117-1 when lightning, then rain caused a five-and-a-half break.

Sangakkara faced 59 deliveries and hit nine boundaries while Dilshan also hit the same number of boundaries off 72 balls in an unusually subdued performance.

Sri Lanka fielded the same team as Sunday while New Zealand brought in Jimmy Neesham for Corey Anderson and Andrew Ellis for Mitchell McLenaghan.

Captain Kyle Mills returned the best bowling figures for New Zealand with 1-16.

The final match of the series will be played on Saturday in Dambulla.