2nd ODI: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by D/L method - Nov 12, 2013

New Zealand won by 4 wickets with 0 balls remaining by D/L method against Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI Cricket Match Played at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota on 12th November 2013. Click here for the Full Scorecard update. McCullum scored an unbeaten 32 off 9 while Latham (86) and Ronchi (49) also contributed to help NZ win by 4 wkts (D/L).

New Zealand were struggling to do well against Bangladesh and now, from a very difficult position, they have won a game. Sri Lanka would argue that they had the match in the bag with some early wickets, but Tom Latham and Luke Ronchi counter-attacked very well and steadied the ship. The pressure got the better of the latter just before his fifty and it looked like the hosts were going to hold their nerve when Kulasekara removed both him and Latham in the same over. Malinga fired the yorkers perfectly and made life difficult for Nathan McCullum in the penultimate over but Rangana Herath didn't have any answers to the power of McCullum and he couldn't defend 20 runs in the final over.

So New Zealand have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in this 3-match series with one game to go. What was going to be abandonded at one stage, turned out to be an absolute thriller courtesy some great work by the ground staff who got the ground play-fit after a 5-hour rain delay.