AUCKLAND: Henry Shipley tore through Sri Lanka’s batting line-up as New Zealand romped to a 198-run win in the first one-day international in Auckland on Saturday.
Playing just his fourth match for the Black Caps, tall seamer Shipley took 5-31 as the tourists were skittled for 76 at Eden Park, their lowest ODI score against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka’s capitulation in just 19.5 overs was their fifth-heaviest loss by runs to any ODI opponent, and New Zealand’s seventh-biggest win.
The visitors never recovered after slumping to 31-5, with only three batters reaching double figures, including top scorer Angelo Mathews (18).
It comes just two months after Sri Lanka’s world-record 317-run loss to India in Thiruvananthapuram — when they were skittled for 73.
Their batters succumbed to a series of loose shots allowing Shipley to claim New Zealand’s first five-wicket bag in the format for more than four years.
The 26-year-old worried his opponents with steep bounce and pace, prompting a series of shots to be lofted aimlessly to waiting fielders.
Daryl Mitchell took 2-12 and Matt Henry 2-20 in an innings that lasted little more than an hour and a half.
Earlier, Chamika Karunaratne claimed four wickets in a career-best bowling display for Sri Lanka as New Zealand were dismissed for 274 after being asked to bat.
Opener Finn Allen top-scored with 51 but he was one of several Black Caps guilty of not pushing on after making a start.
Allen’s 49-ball knock helped the hosts into a strong position with nearly half of their overs remaining. But they lost their way over the latter stages and were dismissed with three balls remaining.
Karunaratne took 4-43 off nine overs, with New Zealand’s batsmen mostly falling to shots that ballooned into the outfield.
All-rounder Rachin Ravindra departed late in the innings for 49 on his ODI debut while Mitchell scored 47 and Glenn Phillips 39.
Seamers Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara, who both played in Sri Lanka’s 2-0 Test series loss to New Zealand, took two wickets each.
The tourists needed a clean sweep of the three-match series to take an automatic World Cup berth.
With that no longer a possibility, they are increasingly likely to be forced to play in a qualifying tournament in June-July.
READ: Shadab backs ‘talented youngsters’ despite Afghanistan loss
