- Read Vic Marks’ match report from Christchurch here
- Hosts get their campaign off to flying start, posting 331-6 in 50 overs
Well, as close to the perfect game from New Zealand. They probably would have preferred one of their set batsmen to go on and notch a three figure score, but they’ll be satisfied that they start the World Cup with a professional performance.
Sri Lanka have issues, not least in the bowling department, where Malinga looks a pale shadow of his former self. Have Sri Lanka made an error in keeping him on this tour? He’ll no doubt bowl himself into form - there are more than enough games - but 10 overs, 0 for 84, is a huge worry.
Herath’s through this shot early and he can only find Milne at cover.
New Zealand win by 98 runs!
46th over: Sri Lanka 232-9 (Herath 13, Lakmal 7)
Valiant efforts from Lakmal and Herath but gloriously in vain. It’s only really for run-rates’ sake that the pair are offering some resistance.
45th over: Sri Lanka 227-9 (Herath 12, Lakmal 4)
Ewww, nasty blow as Milne hits Herath straight on the forehead of his helmet. Almost right on the badge, just above the peak. There is some concern, but Herath seems fine and assures the New Zealand fielders that there is nothing to worry about.
44th over: Sri Lanka 224-9 (Herath 10, Lakmal 3)
Herath with a boundary through point, as Southee sticks to over the wicket and can’t get one to move back into the leftie.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 219-9 (Herath 6, Lakmal 2)
Lakmal is a dying breed - a useless No.11. Milne needs to bowl straight but he’s persisting on just wide and Lakmal’s swinging for the fences (and missing). He then surprises everyone with a smart cover drive for one.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 218-9 (Herath 6, Lakmal 1)
Mathews goes and is followed soon after by Malinga.
Routine, really - Southee puts it on a fourth stump line, Malinga dabs it and Ronchi does the catching.
Well, that’s all from here. Mathews tries to go big but he only serves to launch the ball high and not very far, as Vettori runs in and takes the catch.
41st over: Sri Lanka 216-7 (Mathews 46, Herath 5)
Anderson struggles with a couple of wides and then Herath hits one of his cross-seamers over point for four.
40th over: Sri Lanka 209-7 (Mathews 44, Herath 1)
Mathews goes over the top of the off side for four. He gives himself room again but can only find the fielder at mid-off, before scampering a single. Southee nips one across Herath, that he is played and missed.
39th over: Sri Lanka 201-7 (Mathews 39, Herath 0)
Kulasekara goes and Mathews responds with a sharp cut behind point for four. It’s all over bar the shouting, unless Mathews can evoke the spirit of Melbourne 2010.
A wild slash skies in the air over cover and Elliot, running in from the rope, takes a smart catch. Anderson gets his man.
38th over: Sri Lanka 195-6 (Mathews 33, Kulasekara 10)
Southee makes a return and Kulasekara’s trying to slash him away through point. Mathews then flails him awkwardly McCullum at mid off, who does brilliantly to chase the ball down and reel it in from the rope. Short ball next up and Mathews crashes that for four to the legside boundary.
37th over: Sri Lanka 187-6 (Mathews 26, Kulasekara 9)
Over 10 an over needed from here as Corey Anderson, the difference maker, is handed the ball. And he should have a wicket. Kulasekera edges an off-cutter from around the wicket, which should be a routine catch to Taylor’s left. But he snatches at it. There’s nearly a run out chance the ball after, but Mathews dives back.
36th over: Sri Lanka 183-5 (Mathews 23, Kulasekera 7)
Mathews trying desperately to conjure something, but his forays are being curtailed by Milne, not least when the Sri Lankan tried to get outside leg stump and ended up getting one at his toes. An edge to third man raises a sigh, which quickly dissipates. Mathews gives himself room but can only find cover for a scampered single.
35th over: Sri Lanka 179-6 (Mathews 22, Kulasekera 6)
Vettori with his 10th over on the spin. It’s been a bit of a masterclass, really; varying his pace based on the batsmen and beating the outside edge on a few occasions. Just two runs off that and he finishes with 2 for 34.
34th over: Sri Lanka 177-6 (Mathews 21, Kulasekera 6)
Milne looks to have Kulasekera caught behind. But Erasmus has doubts as to whether it’s a clean catch taken by Ronchi and asks for a review. It looks like the ball bounces off his fingers rather than the turf, as he reaches down for the ball, but there’s enough doubt for Erasmus to give it not out. Glorious on-drive from Kulasekera finishes the over and takes us to a drinks break.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 170-6 (Mathews 20, Kulasekera 1)
Mathews calls for the batting power play, as Nuwan Kulasekera joins him at the crease. A handful of straighteners and dippers keeps him honest. Vettori metronomic.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 168-6 (Mathews 19)
Asking rate is over nine an over and Sri Lanka need a lot more than the odd smart single. Karunaratne goes and he’s replaced by another leftie in Jeevan Mendis, who too is cut in half. Luckily for him, the ball was wide of off stump. Milne the oversteps and gives Sri Lanka their first free hit of the innings. Mendis gives himself room and slaps over mid-wicket for four. The next ball, Milne bumps Mendis and it looks like there’s something on it through to the keeper. Erasmus says no, they review, then he says “out”.
Mendis gets a thin edge through to the keeper. It’s given not out first, before being overturned on review, thanks to Snicko.
Milne absolute does the left-hander for pace. Little movement from around the wicket, but enough on the angle to take out off stump, through bat and bad.
31st over: Sri Lanka 161-4 (Karunaratne 13, Mathews 18)
Vettori into his eight over, all on the bounce. His second ball of the over drops short and Mathews is on it straight away, crunching it through midwicket for four.
30th over: Sri Lanka 155-4 (Karunaratne 12, Mathews 13)
Adam Milne replaces Boult and hurries Karunaratne into his first real shot of aggression. He doesn’t get anything more than an under-edge on his swivel pull, for one, before Mathews returns the strike to him. He’s more convincing for the fifth ball, with a timed push through mid-wicket for two.
29th over: Sri Lanka 151-4 (Karunaratne 9, Mathews 12)
Lovely delivery from Vettori, gripping and turning past Mathews outside edge, who was committed on the front foot. The Sri Lanka captain can’t get him away and has to dot out the over. Good control from the old timer.
28th over: Sri Lanka 150-4 (Karunaratne 8, Mathews 12)
Karunaratne deals in singles comfortably while Mathews is given a working over for his troubles. He does well to keep out two fine, inswinging yorkers.
27th over: Sri Lanka 147-4 (Karunaratne 6, Mathews 11)
Five runs here - four singles and a wide - as Sri Lanka look to start again. Interesting to see how the partnership grows. For all Karunaratne’s strengths, he is no hitter, and his team need boundaries.
26th over: Sri Lanka 142-4 (Karunaratne 4, Mathews 9)
Tidy over from Boult; around the wicket to the right-handed Mathews and over the wicket to the other-handed Karunaratne. Six runs off the over, as the required rate approaches eight.
25th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Karunaratne 1, Mathews 6)
Chance for Vettori to sneak a few dots in, especially now that the ball is older and not coming onto the bat as well as it was. He drops his last ball short but gets away with conceding just two as the point boundary rider cleans up.
24th over: Sri Lanka 133-4 (Karunaratne 0, Mathews, 4)
Classy response from Sangakkara as he punches lovingly down the ground for four. But his attempt to force the pace sees him charge into a Boult yorker, meeting it on the full with his pad and he’s sent on his way, after a brief interlude for a review. Mathews to the crease and he nicks his first ball. But there’s no second slip and it runs away for four.
Sanga goes to charge Boult, but the ball is very full and hits him on the full, in front of middle and off stump. It’s reviewed, but it’s dead.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 125-3 (Sangakkara 35, Karunaratne 0)
Thirimanne undone by 14cm of swing according to the ball-tracking widget. Soon, Jayawardene’s done by a greater amount of negligence, as he just to dab away a ball that he should have left well alone.
Tame dismissal that’s flipped this one. Jayawardene just hangs his bat out in a loose push, edging through to Ronchi.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 124 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardene 0)
Boult’s third over of this spell sees him changing up the pace - starting quick and then trying to cut one at Thirimanne’s toes. It’s dealt with well before Sangakkara chops down for another single to third man. Positive running sees a smart two taken, as Thirimanne cuts behind point. But he’s on his way soon after, as Boult takes out his off stump. Emphatically.
A gorgeous yorker, which checks into Thirimanne, takes out his off stump. Big, big wicket.
21st over: Sri Lanka 119-1 (Thirimanne 62, Sangakkara 32)
Kane Williamson is into the attack, looking to turn the ball away from the lefties. He was called for chucking last year and was then cleared in early December. The control isn’t quite there and the batsmen bring up their fifty partnership in 47 balls.
20th over: Sri Lanka 112-1 (Thirimanne 58, Sangakkara 29)
Sangakkara joins Thirimanne in taking the aerial route down the ground, walking at Boult and just clearing a diving McCullum at mid off, for four. The pair then settle for some singles for the rest of the over. Good batting.
19th over: Sri Lanka 103-1 (Thirimanne 56, Sangakkara 22)
Elliot starts with a slower ball that Thirimanne pushes into the offside for a single. The over is finished with a slower ball, but this time Thirimanne picks it early and hits through the line of the ball, back over the bowler’s head, for four.
Sangakkara now the 2nd in the all time run makers in ODI cricket. Keep going @KumarSanga2
18th over: Sri Lanka 97-1 (Thirimanne 51, Sangakkara 21)
Boult back into the attack, presumably for a brisk two over spell. Not a good start, though, as he strays onto Sangakkara’s pads and, well, you know the rest. Better, next up, and this one looks like it might have shaped in a touch, through the air. A couple of singles and a direct hit (safe) finish off the over.
17th over: Sri Lanka 91-1 (Thirimanne 50, Sangakkara 16)
Grant Elliot now with the ball. Think this is a good move; some wicket to wicket stuff to rebuild some pressure and get the ball stopping in the pitch. And yep, there it is - Thirimanne goes hard at a ball that isn’t there and just manages to get it over the head of McCullum. The skipper, at a short-ish cover, might have jumped too early. A single brings up Thirimanne’s 50 off 45 balls.
16th over: Sri Lanka 86-1 (Thirimanne 48, Sangakkara 13)
Couple of singles and then, my word, a sumptuous cover drive from Sanga. Typical really; back knee to the floor, bat finishing over his right shoulder. A glorious four followed by a deft one, around the corner, as Milne drifts onto the pads. A skewed edge allows Sanga to finish with a single.
15th over: Sri Lanka 74-1 (Thirimanne 46, Sangakkara 3)
Good control from Vettori, here. While Sri Lanka are taking the odd single, Vettori is making them work for it. The last ball sees Sangakkara shuffle out and to his left, before working a ball to midwicket for the final one of the over.
14th over: Sri Lanka 69-1 (Thirimanne 44, Sangakkara 0)
Milne searching for something here. Not quite sure what as he sends one wide down the legside, allowing Sangakkara a sighter. The next one is a better length and line but is left comfortably. A bit of “will they, won’t they” sees Sangakkara almost stranded in the middle of the pitch, as he’s sent back by Thirimanne. Luckily, the throw from Guptill was off.
13th over: Sri Lanka 67-1 (Thirimanne43 , Sangakkara 0)
Bit of indecision leaves Thirimanne scampering to the non-strikers end, but Milne’s throw is off target. More variations in length for Vettori, as the batsmen look to take singles off every ball. It’s this tactic that leads to the breakthrough, as Dilshan tries to turn a ball too early and can only dink the ball back for a simple return catch.
12th over: Sri Lanka 64-0 (Thirimanne 41, Dilshan 23)
Milne’s looking for the stumps, but Dilshan clamps down, wrists and all, to get the ball into the legside for a single. Lovely shapes from Thirimanne, as he uses Milne’s extra pace to punch aerially over cover four four. Milne goes short and Thirimanne does even better - helping the ball high over third man for another four. Dilshan finishes the over with a two into midwicket.
11th over: Sri Lanka 52-0 (Thirimanne 32, Dilshan 20)
Change of tact now as Vettori comes into the attack. Dilshan and Thirimanne knock the ball around for singles off every ball, bringing up the fifty in 64 balls in the process. Smart stuff from these two and a good platform in pursuit of New Zealand’s 331.
10th over: Sri Lanka 46-0 (Thirimanne 29, Dilshan 17)
Here we are then! Adam Milne, the Shane Bond clone, is brought into the attack and has Dilshan hopping to stay on top of a ball that takes his outside edge and bounces 40 yards away, just in front of the fielder at third man. Thirimanne manages to squirt a full ball into the leg-side for a single, before Dilshan forces the ball into the legside for two.
9th over: Sri Lanka 42-0 (Thirimanne 28, Dilshan 14)
If you ever receive a distressed call from a fielder stuck up a mountain, just send Dilshan. He’s found another three in this over, though manages to scamper a single as the third can only parry his drive in the air. A waft from Thirimanne is followed by class, as he guides a nice shot behind point for another four.
8th over: Sri Lanka 37-0 (Thirimanne 24, Dilshan 13)
Glorious, this; Thirimanne gives himself room and flails Boult, inside-out, through cover for four. Boult over-corrects and Thirimanne reads it, hanging on the back foot and playing him behind square on the legside for another four.
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-0 (Thirimanne 16, Dilshan 13)
Dilshan finds yet another fielder and, just when it looks like New Zealand were building towards a self-inflicted Sri Lankan mistake, Southee releases the pressure with a bit of a naff short-ball that Dilshan can roll his wrists on for four through square leg. A muffled shout a few balls later as Southee gets one through Dilshan for what looks to be an inside edge. Erasmus says no and McCullum decides against the review. Snicko says it was all pocket.
6th over: Sri Lanka 24-0 (Thirimanne 15, Dilshan 9)
Bit aerial from Thirimanne and there are a few shouts of “Catch it!”. I couldn’t figure out how I’d phonetically relay those cries in text. “Ketch et!” could have worked, I suppose. Better from Thirimanne, as he hits through the line of the ball for FOUR down the ground and then immediately gets off strike with a dab to third man. That’s cricket, is that. Boult, around the wicket to Dilshan, moves one into the right hander, before it pitches and seams away, past his outside edge and off stump. Done.
5th over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Thirimanne 8, Dilshan 9)
“Your reference to Inbetweener’s Jay gave me an indelible image of a bowler wearing a snorkel,” writes Ian Copestake. The less context given to that reference, the better.
4th over: Sri Lanka 15-0 (Thirimanne 7, Dilshan 8)
Thirimanne times the first ball of the over, well, into the offside for a single. Boult tries to cramp Dilshan for room and, at the first sign of width, Dilshan edges safely to third man for a single. Thirimanne then waves a bumper over his head.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Thirimanne 6, Dilshan 7)
Difficult to comment on the skies of Christchurch from the depths of Ealing, but it seems drier and less overcast than earlier, which would explain the lack of movement. Southee resorts to using his crease, before trying to stick one up Dilshan’s nose. He does him for pace, and responds with a fuller ball that cuts an expansive Dilshan in half.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Thirimanne 6, Dilshan 7)
Here he is. Trent Boult. One of the finest bowlers in the world. And Thirimanne greets him with a back-foot drive through cover-point, which Guptill fails to bring back into play without disturbing the boundary sponge (FOUR). No sign of swing as of yet for the Jay from the Inbetweeners lookalike. Dilshan gets the strike and throws his hands at a wide ball, under-edging it between the keeper and his stumps for a jammy four. Nicks the strike with the last ball.
1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Thirimanne 1, Dilshan 4)
Southee’s opening up, with the left-handed Thirimanne facing up first. Some pretty solid drives - one checked - are then followed by a looser punch that squirts short of slip for the first run. Dilshan flicks his first ball from middle and leg to the legside for a couple.
And we’re back underway...
A few basic errors from Sri Lankans today. I include myself in that.
Toyed with the idea of taking a nap and waking up for the final 10 overs of the opening innings, thus freshening myself up for the chase, before moving into Australia v England. Foolishly, I’ve spent the last 6 hours rooted to my sofa, watching Sky’s World Cup preview (very good, actually) and then the entirety of the first innings.
And that’s the New Zealand over, and an intriguing start to the tournament it’s been. A brutal start from McCullum, a brutal conclusion by Anderson, and Malinga bowling pretty poorly (in the main) and also quite well (for a bit). Vish Ehantharajah will take you through Sri Lanka’s response – all emails to vithushan.ehantharajah.casual@theguardian.com, please. Bye!
50th over: New Zealand 331-6 (Ronchi 29)
Kulasekara takes the final over, and he starts it with a bouncer that Anderson hooks to fine leg for four. A few moments later Ronchi is given a bit of width and capitalises, going down on one knee to push past point for four. But the innings ends with a sigh from the crowd as Anderson falls at the last.
Anderson sends the final ball of the innings to cover, where Lakmal parries it into the air, and then catches it as it comes back down.
49th over: New Zealand 319-5 (Anderson 70, Ronchi 22)
Ronchi, anticipating a yorker, charges Malinga, only to find that it wouldn’t have been a yorker if he hadn’t charged so far down the pitch that it became one. He digs it out for a single. An Anderson single brings Ronchi back on strike, and this time there is a proper yorker. Great stuff. And then Anderson finds a way round the one-sided field – there are only two men on the off side – practically sprinting leftwards to flick the ball over his right shoulder and away to the fine leg boundary.
48th over: New Zealand 309-5 (Anderson 62, Ronchi 20)
Kulasekara is back, and Anderson slams the ball low and fast – very fast – down the ground for four to bring up his half-century, and celebrates by hitting the next one high and fast down the ground for six.
This is now the @BLACKCAPS' highest #CWC score against a Test playing nation. #NZvSL#Statchat#CWC15
47th over: New Zealand 294-5 (Anderson 49, Ronchi 18)
Anderson inside-edges Malinga’s first delivery, again safely. If New Zealand haven’t exactly been lucky with these edges today – only one has really got anywhere near the stumps – they certainly haven’t been unlucky either. Later, Malinga produces a gorgeous slow yorker, just to prove he’s not been replaced by a less-talented replicant, and then another, which would have done for Ronchi if only. Ronchi only gets a single from the free hit, which is another fine yorker.
Malinga, in his best over of the match by a very long way, outfoxes Ronchi with a slower delivery, but replays show he landed his front foot very fractionally long, and the batsman is beckoned back to his crease for a free hit!
46th over: New Zealand 287-5 (Anderson 46, Ronchi 15)
Lakmal bowls, and Anderson neatly dissects the bowler, mid-follow-through, and the umpire Llong, sending both diving away from the ball in the name of self-preservation as the ball hurtles past them on its way to the boundary. Then the second ball goes for four too, diverted past point. Then the third ball goes straight up in the air and returns to earth straight to Mendis, who has time to follow the ball, set himself and position his hands, for some reason, about one and a half balls’ widths apart. The ball falls between them. It’s an inexplicable fluff, an absolute horror, the batsmen run three and Ronchi flicks the next off his hip, fine for four. Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.
45th over: New Zealand 270-5 (Anderson 35, Ronchi 9)
Malinga returns, and he continues to look surprisingly poor. Ronchi glances a poor second delivery off his hip and to the boundary, and then lifts the fourth behind point for four more. Add a sprinkling of singles and it’s a 10-run over. Given that one of Malinga’s overs today went for 24, it could be worse.
44th over: New Zealand 258-5 (Anderson 27, Ronchi 0)
Lakmal’s penultimate over. Anderson lofts the ball over the close fielders and away through the covers for four, and comes very close to another boundary off the last, which is fielded inches from the rope. In between, Elliott is sent packing, giving Ronchi an opportunity to flex his muscles on a global stage.
Lakmal bowls a full toss, and Elliott tries to launch it over mid-wicket and instead launches it directly to midwicket, where Thirimanne barely have to move as the ball arrows into his hands.
43rd over: New Zealand 252-4 (Anderson 27, Elliott 28)
Kulasekara returns, and his first delivery is hoiked through the covers for four by Elliott, swatting across the line. A single and a pair later, New Zealand’s total is tickled beyond 250, with a decent total very much in sight.
42nd over: New Zealand 242-4 (Anderson 26, Elliott 20)
Malinga continues, and for all that he’s looked some way from his peak today he’s got plenty of time to play himself back into form in this tournament. He doesn’t always get his length right here, but the line’s decent enough, he varies his pace well and restricts the batsmen to singles. Four of them, to be precise.
41st over: New Zealand 238-4 (Anderson 23, Elliott 18)
Into the final 10 overs we roar, and Lakmal’s over starts promisingly enough for Sri Lanka, allowing the batsmen no more than a dribble of ones and twos, before Anderson, on one knee, pummels the penultimate delivery through cover for four.
40th over: New Zealand 229-4 (Anderson 18, Elliott 15)
Radar very much on – in that there are no horrible wides. There are four singles off the over, and there would have been a boundary had Anderson hammered the penultimate delivery anywhere but straight to the guy at mid-on.
39th over: New Zealand 225-4 (Anderson 15, Elliott 12)
Lakmal bowls, and Anderson bottom-edges the ball a couple of inches wide of the stumps and away for four. Add a few singles, and that’s an eight-run over. Now, has Malinga located his radar?
38th over: New Zealand 217-4 (Anderson 10, Elliott 11)
Malinga bowls. And bowls. And bowls. There are three singles in the over, and three wides. Meanwhile, my email is playing up – if you’ve sent me something in the last hour or so, can you please have another go. I’ve not been ignoring you – I can see that you’ve emailed, but there’s not content.
37th over: New Zealand 210-4 (Anderson 8, Elliott 9)
Dropped! Dilshan bowls his last, Elliott hits big over long on, but it’s too close to a fielder and … it’s totally misjudged and goers for six! Chandimal just dived too fast, too soon, and the ball flew between his hands and his face. A few moments earlier Anderson had edged the ball away for four. Turns out that the guy in the crowd who took that catch, because he was wearing a sponsor’s T-shirt and caught it one-handed, earned an immediate NZ$100,000, or about £48,500. That’s a very nice day out indeed.
36th over: New Zealand 197-4 (Anderson 1, Elliott 3)
Herath, Lakmal and Mendis have brought Sri Lanka right back into this, after Malinga’s first four overs went at 10.5 apiece, and Kulasekara’s first five for 8.2. Herath’s latest over goes for just one, as two fresh batsmen give themselves a little time to play themselves in. Just a little, mind.
35th over: New Zealand 196-4 (Anderson 1, Elliott 2)
Dilshan’s over brings three singles, and its completion heralds a whirling umpire-arm, and a powerplay.
34th over: New Zealand 193-4 (Anderson 0, Elliott 0)
Anderson survives the hat-trick ball, but that’s very nicely done by Mendis. Incidentally, Taylor had been caught before he was stumped – snicko shows a very slight nick.
Not perfect wicketkeeping from Sangakkara, who fumbles the ball, catches it between arm and chest, regathers and then takes off the bails. A clean catch would have given the batsman no chance at all and saved the TV umpire quite a bit of bother, but even after the fumble the bails are off just in time.
He could be caught behind, he could be stumped, either way, he looks in trouble!
What a catch! What a super catch! Williamson goes down on one knee and smites the ball towards the long-on boundary, only for Karunaratne, running to his right, to take a super diving catch, and as soon as Williamson find his form he finds a fielder!
33rd over: New Zealand 192-2 (Williamson 57, Taylor 13)
Williamson calms himself a little, takes a couple here, a single there, doesn’t go for anything big. Then, off Dilshan’s final delivery, he scores an accidental boundary, trying to work the ball through midwicket and calling for two, only to find he’d hit it too sweetly and he had four. Meanwhile, it looks like there’ll be no flogging:
A smart man with a Tui t-shirt has taken an amazing catch in the crowd and won up to a million bucks! Incredible #nzvsl#cwc15 ^CE
32nd over: New Zealand 183-2 (Williamson 50, Taylor 12)
Hello Kane Williamson, and welcome to the party! Kulasekara’s second delivery goes over midwicket for four, and the third goes down the ground for six, where it’s caught one-handed by a sturdy orange-clad supporter, whose celebrations – with several nearby fans joining in enthusiastically – are quite the sight. He’s promptly led away by a steward, suggesting that catching the ball results either in public flogging or some kind of tasty reward. In the space of five deliveries Williamson goes from 37 from 54 balls to considerably more impressive 50 from 59.
31st over: New Zealand 170-2 (Williamson 37, Taylor 12)
Dilshan returns, and restricts the batsmen to four runs. We’re in an interesting place here, with New Zealand with enough talent and enough wickets in hand still to be aiming for a tasty score, but they need to locate the accelerator pedal sometime soonish.
30th over: New Zealand 166-2 (Williamson 34, Taylor 11)
Williamson hits the ball, quite hard, in the direction he intended, and is rewarded with four runs.
I know it's a WORLD cup but the dj can should play the odd Kiwi tune - how about the Fourymula's "Nature" one of the great pop songs
29th over: New Zealand 158-2 (Williamson 28, Taylor 9)
Kulasekara returns, and Williamson is dropped! The batsmen have traded a few singles when Williamson tries to power the final delivery over cover. But it goes a bit low and the fielder, stretching, gets his fingers to the ball but can’t hold it. It would have taken a phenomenal effort, or a very tall fielder, to take that, but still, close.
28th over: New Zealand 153-2 (Williamson 25, Taylor 7)
Mathews returns, and after Taylor had taken a few balls to work a single Williamson takes a good step forward and tries to hoist the ball down the ground. But he misses it entirely, continuing to look very much ill at ease.
27th over: New Zealand 150-2 (Williamson 24, Taylor 5)
The good news for New Zealand is that they have 150 runs. The bad news is that their third 50 has taken them as long as the first two combined, and that their brilliant start is swiftly fading from memory.
@Simon_Burnton I am going to bed soon, but I'd be surprised if when I wake up Sri Lanka hasn't won this opening contest
26th over: New Zealand 149-2 (Williamson 23, Taylor 5)
Herath bowls, and the scoreboard continues to tick slowly upwards. Meanwhile, is it possible to look at this tweet from the ICC without noticing the empty seat right there in the foreground? And also the other empty seats? I’m being picky, obviously – these are exciting times, and that is a pretty full ground – but still, there’s a spare seat, right there.
Not a spare seat in the house in Christchurch as #cwc15 gets going with a bang! #NZvSLhttp://t.co/bln2b1lNLCpic.twitter.com/qw0PFJKMS0
25th over: New Zealand 145-2 (Williamson 20, Taylor 4)
Some of you may be wondering what’s currently atop the New Zealand hit parade (I’ll admit that many of you aren’t, but some of you may be, that’s my point). Well, Uptown Funk is, obviously, but this is the top home-produced track in the charts. I don’t like it. In other news, we’re now halfway through the innings and thus a 196th of the way through the World Cup.
24th over: New Zealand 142-2 (Williamson 19, Taylor 2)
Herath returns, and Williamson hoiks the ball high over midwicket, perfectly safely, for four.
23rd over: New Zealand 137-2 (Williamson 15, Taylor 1)
Lakmal’s bowling splendidly well, though Guptill struck his first delivery for a fine and indeed final boundary, and he’s not far off tempting the still-tentative Williamson into something inadvisable with his final delivery.
And now Guptill’s gone, a run from a half-century! Sangakkara takes it in full flight, horizontal to the ground and three feet in the air, suddenly looking alien-wowingly good once more.
22nd over: New Zealand 132-1 (Guptill 43, Williamson 13)
The first 10 overs went for 77, and the 12 since for 55. Sri Lanka are tiptoeing back into this game.
21st over: New Zealand 128-1 (Guptill 43, Williamson 13)
Williamson has made a nervous start and still hasn’t settled, and the poor deliveries are no longer being relentlessly punished. One, wide and full, is worked to third man but too close to a fielder, and yields just a single. It’s the only run of the over.
20th over: New Zealand 127-1 (Guptill 43, Williamson 12)
Herath hits Guptill’s pads, and Nigel Llong’s shaken head prompts a lengthy discussion among the Sri Lankans, who eventually decide not to review the decision. Quite right too, the ball was on its way over middle stump. Every other delivery goes for one.
19th over: New Zealand 122-1 (Guptill 41, Williamson 9)
Guptill slaps Lakmal’s first delivery square with considerable force, but finds a fielder. Later, Williamson goes after a wide one and inside-edges, safely, wrong-footing Sangakkara and earning himself a four.
18th over: New Zealand 114-1 (Guptill 38, Williamson 2)
Herath, reliable as ever, keeps the batsmen honest. They take a single each.
17th over: New Zealand 112-1 (Guptill 37, Williamson 1)
Dropped! Lakmal’s first delivery of the day, and Williamson’s too, finds the batsman’s edge and flies low to Sangakkara, momentarily into the glove and then out again. The aliens are not impressed. Williamson eventually gets a single off the last.
16th over: New Zealand 111-1 (Guptill 37, Williamson 0)
A bad moment for superstitious people worldwide. Or good, depending on how you look at it.
The captain’s innings is over! McCullum hits down the ground again but he doesn’t get enough on it and Mendis takes the catch a foot from the rope.
15th over: New Zealand 110-0 (Guptill 37, McCullum 65)
Dilshan bowls, and other than the moment McCullum crunches the ball through the covers and runs three, it’s a pretty quiet over.
14th over: New Zealand 104-0 (Guptill 36, McCullum 60)
Guptill drives Herath through the covers to take New Zealand’s tally into triple figures. I think it’s fair to say that Sri Lanka have found the bowling conditions less helpful than they had anticipated when they won the toss.
13th over: New Zealand 97-0 (Guptill 31, McCullum 60)
The batsmen help themselves to a boundary each from Mathews’ over, Guptill’s his first since over five. “If those aliens seem like the sort that would be impressed by meaty clouts, I might send McCullum,” writes Marie Meyer. Well if they get to answer some kind of online-dating-style questionnaire, that might indeed change the people we choose to match them up with. I always think those man-mountain rugby union forwards are quite impressive.
12th over: New Zealand 87-0 (Guptill 26, McCullum 55)
Herath’s first ball goes for a couple, but his second goes into McCullum’s pad, provoking an extremely enthusiastic but nonetheless unsuccessful appeal, the ball being on its way down leg side. Much the same happens off the next delivery, only the appeal is less enthusiastic. So McCullum hits through square for a couple, bringing up his 50, and then thwacks the next with great viciousness down the ground for four.
Just a few hours till the @cricketworldcup starts, so tell me, who's going to win it? https://t.co/1wTMvQWJ4B
11th over: New Zealand 78-0 (Guptill 26, McCullum 46)
A better, tighter over from Mathews, denying the batsmen space and conceding just the one run.
10th over: New Zealand 77-0 (Guptill 26, McCullum 45)
Herath slows things down in a very literal sense, and a becalmed New Zealand get three singles.
9th over: New Zealand 74-0 (Guptill 25, McCullum 43)
Just the one boundary from Mathews’ second over, a pretty poor delivery appropriately dismissed by his opposite number. A great start for New Zealand, and Mister Fell is now going to get his wish.
@Simon_Burnton Herath time. Test the machismo of McCullum during the PP
8th over: New Zealand 68-0 (Guptill 24, McCullum 38)
Malinga’s first delivery to McCullum is another slower one, but it arrives at the batman at hip height, and he dismisses it to fine leg for four. The next delivery is a no ball, and sent through midwicket. The third is straight and harmless, and McCullum slams it down the ground for the tournament’s first six. The fourth isn’t much better, but the Kiwi captain mistimes this one and it doesn’t go very far. The fifth is an improvement, but the last two also go to the rope, the last a clip off his ankles through midwicket, all timing. McCullum has 38 off 21.
7th over: New Zealand 45-0 (Guptill 24, McCullum 15)
Mathews decides to make a change, and that that change should be him. He succeeds in putting the brakes on India’s freewheeling run-cart, and a McCullum single is the best it gets for them. “As a worldly, wise and insightful journalist may I ask some advice?” asks Phil Withall. Of course. “How am I supposed to watch two cricket matches, follow three A league matches, hopefully pop out and watch an FFA cup preliminary round match and still appear to be a loving, romantic husband this valentines day?” A good question, but here’s a better one: How else can your beloved show herself to be a loving, romantic wife this Valentine’s Day except by regularly bringing you refreshments while you gorge contentedly on sport?
NZ 38-0 after 5 overs. In 2011 opening match, India were 38-0 after 5 overs. They went on to win it. NZ have done their homework. #inthebag
6th over: New Zealand 44-0 (Guptill 24, McCullum 15)
This is a pitch full o’runs. There’s been little sign of the ball moving in any unpredictable manner, and despite the drizzle the ball’s moving fast through the outfield. So Malinga digs into his big bag of tricks and unleashes a looping slower delivery (presumably not intended to be quite so loopy) that totally befuddles McCullum and would have brought the World Cup’s first wicket had it only looped an inch or so to the left before thwacking the batsman in the thigh.
5th over: New Zealand 38-0 (Guptill 20, McCullum 14)
Phwoar. Guptill gets consecutive boundaries, tickling one to fine leg and pushing the next past point, before working the last through midwicket for three. His hogging of the strike thus continues – he’s 23-8 up on balls faced.
4th over: New Zealand 25-0 (Guptill 9, McCullum 13)
A good over from Malinga, which had brought no more than a couple of singles, ends badly when he’s spotted overstepping, giving Guptill a free hit (replays show the decision was extremely harsh). Malinga slams in a fine yorker, but Guptill gets it away and runs a couple.
3rd over: New Zealand 20-0 (Guptill 6, McCullum 12)
After Guptil takes four deliveries to work a single, McCullum tickles his first just past the chap at short third man and off for another boundary, earning him the right to block the last. He’s faced five deliveries, and Guptill 13.
@Simon_Burnton Sport is worth one slot of ten and who today excels at sport like Sanga? And then the moral courage, the looks, the longevity
2nd over: New Zealand 15-0 (Guptill 5, McCullum 8)
Malinga’s first delivery is tucked off his pads by Guptill for a couple, and the same batsman works the fourth ball along the floor through midwicket, though its progress is blocked a yard or two before the rope. That brings McCullum back on strike and his second delivery, like his first, is sent through the covers for four. Malinga ends his over with a slower delivery that foxes McCullum and ends the New Zealand captain’s 100% balls-to-boundaries conversion rate.
1st over: New Zealand 6-0 (Guptill 0, McCullum 4)
The World Cup has begun! Kulasekara takes the ball. And Guptill, playing his 100th ODI, watches the first couple of deliveries before the first score comes from the third – a wide. A leg bye later, McCullum faces his first delivery and slams it through the covers for four.
We're away. Kulasekara pings one down way outside off stump. Guptill leaves it. There's drizzle about. Hope this tournament improves.
The players are out (again)! This is actually happening*.
* hopefully.
Crikey, that’s bold. He’s great, obviously, but are there truly only nine superior human beings (or less) in all humanity? Obviously Graham Taylor is one of them, but who else?
If aliens landed and called for ten representatives of human beings to judge our species' potential, Sanga would be picked @Simon_Burnton
The drizzle has departed, so they’re going to have another go in a couple of minutes.
They’ve come on, sung their anthems, and gone off again. It’s not raining very hard, so hopefully the delay will be brief. There are a lot of woolly jumpers, padded coats, thermal hats and the like among the crowd. Even a few blankets in evidence.
The teams are out! This is actually happening (after some anthems and stuff).
This is better, particularly as Sri Lanka have a 10-9 win/loss record in New Zealand overall. In Dunedin they’ve lost three of three:
#NZvSL#Statchat: Sri Lanka have played 6 ODIs in #Christchurch, recording just one win. #CWC15
The Sri Lanka team in full:
SL XI: Mathews*,Thirimanne, Dilshan, Sanga, Jayawardene, Karunaratne, Mendis, Kulasekara, Lakmal, Malinga, Herath #cwc15#LionsRoar#NZvSL
Good stat, this. At least on first reading …
Good news @BLACKCAPS fans, the team winning the toss has never won an ODI at #HagleyOval. #NZvSL#CWC15#Statchat
Paul Allott reports that “there’s a little bit of drizzle around” and that it’s “absolutely freezing”. It’s about 12C currently, which isn’t much more than in London, where it’s 8C but it’s also 10pm and winter.
“I’m ever so slightly over excited about all this,” enthuses Steven Pye. “Weeks and weeks of waking up to find England rebuilding at 154-5; being slightly grouchy during daylight hours because I’m tired and England’s rebuilding from 154-5 inevitably ends at an under par 223-9; hours of trying to explain to my eight-year-old that in the distant past England used to be good at one day cricket.”
The advantage of football’s total dominance of British childhoods is that it’ll make our kids genuinely impressed if England get a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
I suppose that was a good toss for the neutral – with New Zealand heavily fancied against an out-of-sorts Sri Lanka, and conditions perfect for bowling this morning, there was a little carnage potential had it gone the other way. Here’s the New Zealand team:
.@BLACKCAPS: B McCullum (c), Anderson, Boult, Elliott, Guptill, Milne, Ronchi (wk), Southee, Taylor, Vettori, Williamson #cwc15 ^RI
Dilshan “is alright” and “will play”. “You’ll never get used to this kind of weather but it’s not an excuse.”
Brendon McCullum says he would also have chosen to bowl. “The guys are just excited about getting into the World Cup. It starts today. We’ve got to make sure we executed our game plan. If we do that, we’ll be hard to beat.”
Angelo Mathews says:
It’s nice to have played some cricket in New Zealand, where the World Cup is. We’re happy to be here, excited and ready to go.
Dilshan has been caught on camera having his ankle strapped, and then limping off.
The fans are arriving, and I’m expecting a coin to be tossed any minute now.
Hello world!
Two words leap out, from all the pre-match guff about this opening game of the 2015 World Cup, and they are these: light rain. For that is what is forecast in Christchurch this morning (it’ll brighten over the afternoon). Whether any rain will actually fall, how much of it, and when all remains to be seen. It certainly looks pretty overcast if this photo is anything to go by:
Today's pitch for the opening game of the World Cup. Would you bowl or bat? #nzvsl ^CE pic.twitter.com/rhXqjDU6BG
Simon will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a look at Geoff Lemon’s blog on the five players to watch out for this World Cup, featuring Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara …
Elegant and assured, Sri Lanka’s left-handed master may be of an age where retirement is constantly discussed, but the word should be left in the dictionary. Sangakkara’s late 30s find him in the richest form of his life. His Test run from the start of 2014 to now includes a triple century, two doubles and a single, while his one-day games have yielded five more hundreds while keeping wicket. The venues have ranged from Dhaka to Lord’s to Wellington, and Sri Lanka’s past two months have been spent acclimatising in New Zealand, where they’ll play several World Cup matches.
His quiet nature means that Sangakkara is often overlooked, even though his Test record as a specialist batsman is streets ahead of supposed betters like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. He’s seen it all, on track to bringing up his 400th ODI appearance during the Cup. He can control any situation and bat any length of time. More than that, he has a point to prove after losing the last two World Cup finals. Sangakkara wants this badly. Stay tuned.
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