‘MASTER BLASTER’ does it again

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 15 (Reuters) -

Lasith Malinga runs out New Zealand's batsman Craig McMillan.-AFP

Sanath Jayasuriya made his second half-century in two days as Sri Lanka eased to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in their Twenty20 World Cup match in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Jayasuriya, who scored 88 off 44 balls against Kenya on Friday at the same venue, needed the same number of deliveries on Saturday to score 61 as Sri Lanka cruised to 168 for three in 18.5 overs.

The left-hander's top-class innings included six fours and three sixes and he set Sri Lanka on the road to victory with a first-wicket stand of 82 off 46 balls with Upul Tharanga (37).

Sri Lanka's momentum slowed when spinner Daniel Vettori removed Tharanga and medium-pacer Scott Styris dismissed Kumar Sangakkara (14), both caught in the deep, but captain Mahela Jayawardena provided the finishing touches with his 35 not out off 18 deliveries.

Sanath Jayasuriya plays a shot during their ICC World Twenty20 cricket match against New Zealand in Johannesburg yesterday. REUTERS

Vettori (4-0-23-2) and Styris (3-0-16-1) were the pick of the Kiwi bowlers, while Shane Bond had a nightmare afternoon as he conceded 45 runs in his four overs and conspired to drop Jayasuriya twice in successive deliveries when he had 38 and 40.
Earlier, Ross Taylor's half-century enabled New Zealand to post a competitive total.

Taylor scored 62 off 43 balls, with three fours and three sixes, as New Zealand scored 164 for seven in their 20 overs.
Taylor came to the crease after New Zealand, electing to bat first, had lost two early wickets and he immediately shared a 70-run stand for the third wicket with Peter Fulton (25).

The 23-year-old then added 51 off 36 balls with Jacob Oram, who finished with 33 not out off 19 balls with a pair of sixes, for the sixth wicket as the New Zealand innings ended with some destructive hitting.

Apart from those two partnerships, wickets fell regularly through the innings, with two of them falling to paceman Dilhara Fernando, while Jayasuriya also bowled tightly, taking one for 25 in four overs.