First match – Sri Lanka v New Zealand

Highlights

At Providence Stadium, Guyana April 30, 2010. New Zealand won by 2 wickets.

Toss: Sri Lanka / bat. Twenty20 Internationals debuts: Dinesh Chandimal and Chanaka Welegedara (Sri Lanka). Player of the match: Nathan McCullum

Sri Lanka 135/6 from 20 overs (Mahela Jayawardene 81, Dinesh Chandimal 29, Shane Bond 2/35)

New Zealand 139/8 from 19.5 overs (Jesse Ryder 42, Muttiah Muralithran 2/25)

First innings

Jayawardene: His innings was very special. The opening batsman scored 81 runs from 51 balls. It is his highest score in T20Is. 2 sixes and 8 fours included in his innings. The elegant and utterly classy batsman played as a terminator. Shane Bond was his big victim. He got 24 runs from Bond’s eleven balls. (Sixes – 1, Fours – 3, Twos – 1, Ones – 4, Dots – 2) Jayawardene blessed with excellent batting actions, he prefers twenty20 style. Sri Lanka scored 70 runs from fours and sixes.

Shane Bond: The rare fast-bowling option of the New Zealand, Shane Bond is the most wicket taker in the first innings of the first match of the ICC World Twenty20 2010. He bowled four overs and took two wickets for 35 runs (4-0-35-2). Economy rate is 8.75.

Six: The best six in the innings was Jayawardene smashed Bond’s ball. Bond delivered a short ball and Jayawardene pulled him away intelligently over deep square leg for a six in 1.6 overs.

Catch: Best catch of the innings was taken by Ross Taylor. Nathan McCullum bowled to Chandimal. Chandimal smashed long-on. Taylor was right at the edge of the ground, jumped at timely and catches it. An excellent catch.

Second innings

Jesse Ryder: The hard-hitting batsman lead the team with 42 runs after quick exit of Brendon McCullum. He rebuilt through a second-wicket stand of 62 with Martin Guptill. He scored 42 runs form 27 balls (sixes -2, fours – 3, twos – 5, ones- 8). Muralitharan’s flat and quick towards middle and off, Ryder tries to late-cut that behind point. But it turns out quicker than he would have liked, misses and the bails are taken out. Ryder’s innings help the team to a rash victory.

Muttiah Muralitharan: The most controversial cricketer of the modern age, Muralitharan took two wickets for 25 runs. His victims are the dangerous batsmen in the side of New Zealand, Jesse Ryder (42) and Ross Taylor (9). He bowled 7 dot balls.

Six: Nathan McCullum smashed best six of the innings on the last bowl. It gives a thrilling victory to New Zealand.

Catch: Brendon McCullum pull mistimed ball of Mathews’ fourth ball and Malinga quickly take it. He standing at midwicket ran a few paces forward and dived. Caught the ball.

All round
Nathan McCullum: The all round boy of New Zealand bowled well and field also. He bowled three overs, took one wicket for 17 runs. (3-0-17-1) His fielding was well judged. He was number nine on batting order and played timely. He led the team to an exciting victory of 2 wickets with one ball remaining at the peak. He scored 16 runs from 6 balls. (six – 1, four – 1, dots – nil) He was the Man of the Match for his all round performance.