NZ claim dramatic last-ball win

One-day international, Queenstown:
New Zealand 228-9 bt Sri Lanka 224-7 by 1 wicket
[Scorecard]

New Zealand hit a four off the last ball of the innings to secure a desperately close win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international.

With the scores level, number 11 batsman Michael Mason hit Sanath Jayasuriya for four after having failed to score off the previous five balls.

Sri Lanka reached 224-7, mainly thanks to Kumar Sangakkara's 89.

But the total proved to be just within reach as Mason's heroics took his side to 228-9, levelling the series at 1-1.

Needing just a single to win the match, Mason looked to have missed his chance after failing to make contact with a misdirected waist-high full toss outside off-stump from Jayasuriya.


But the tailender, who had team-mate James Franklin unbeaten on 45 at the non-striker's end, made amends with a lofted drive to long-on at the death.

New Zealand put the visitors in to bat after winning the toss, and made early inroads with the cheap dismissals of Jasyasuiya and Jayawardene.

But Sangakkara's superb 89 - the highest score in a one-dayer at the Queenstown Events Centre - anchored Sri Lanka's innings, and included 10 boundaries.
Sangakkara provided the lion's share of the runs in partnerships with Upul Tharanga, Marvan Atapattu and Chamara Silva before being run out to leave the score at 176-5.

Lower order batsmen Farveez Maharoof (29 not out) and Chaminda Vaas (nine not out) both made quickfire runs to bring Sri Lanka's total up to 224, with Mason taking 2-50 and Mark Gillespie 2-46.

Makeshift opener James Marshall top-scored for New Zealand with a composed 50 from 80 balls, while his fellow opener Brendon McCullum made 32 before falling lbw to Maharoof with the score on 57.

But the innings soon began to wobble, slipping from 89-1 to 141-6 as Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Marshall, Craig McMillan and Daniel Vettori all departed.

Marshall's twin brother Hamish helped to steady the ship as he made 29 from 35 balls at number seven, sharing an important partnership of 34 with Franklin.

Franklin made 45 from 46 balls to take New Zealand to the brink of victory before Mason grabbed the winning runs.

The third game of the five-match series gets under way in Christchurch on Tuesday.