Colin Munro was only too happy to play a supporting role to Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill in New Zealand’s thrilling Twenty20 victory over Sri Lanka.
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Trent Boult came up huge for New Zealand as he took 3 wickets, including that of Siriwardana, in just 4 overs while allowing 21 runs.
In reply, Danushka Gunathilaka made 46 and Milinda Siriwardana 42 to help Sri Lanka keep things close into the final over.
The pair gave New Zealand a flying start, taking only 28 balls to reach 50 before Nuwan Kulasekara and Jeffrey Vandersay put the brakes on the scoring spree.
Black Caps opener Guptill hit a huge six into the crowd at Mt Maunganui.
Guptill, who plundered 331 runs in the recent One Day International series, scored 58, with Kane Williamson notching 53 as New Zealand posted a hefty 182 for four.
Siriwardana hit 42 off 31 deliveries while hitting two fours and two sixes while Perera smashed 28 off 19 deliveries with three fours and a six.
Williamson had called for a quick single only for Kapugedera to throw down the stumps, with Guptill well short of the crease.
Captain Williamson, who scored 53 off 42, described Guptill’s form as “unbelievable”.
He was stifled slightly but his innings, which featured four sixes, still gives him 389 runs from his past six limited-overs innings against Sri Lanka, at a strike rate of nearly 150.
Trent Boult picked up the wickets of Dilshan and Jayasuriya while Matt Henry dismissed Chandimal.
Gunathilaka perished when he tried to turn leg-spinner Ish Sodhi into the on side and got a leading edge to backward point after making a threatening 46 off only 29 balls, with three fours and two sixes. That left them requiring 13 runs off the final over, but Grant Elliot held them at bay. Sri Lanka needed 45 from 30 deliveries at that stage.
Chasing the total, Sri Lanka went on losing wickets in regular intervals.
Boult was awarded the man of the match.
After conceding three runs in the first two deliveries, Elliott dismissed Kulasekara in the third delivery and the very next delivery Kapugedara (17) was run out looking for a nonexistent second run.
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The most successful of the Sri Lanka bowlers was Nuwan Kulasekara who took two wickets.
