New Zealand made a flying start to their World Cup campaign as paceman Matt Henry struck three times in a 10-wicket trashing of woeful Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Henry returned figures of 3-29 and combined with fellow paceman Lockie Ferguson, who also took three wickets, to bowl out Sri Lanka for just 136 in 29.2 overs in Cardiff.
READ: ICC World Cup 2019: New Zealand thrash Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Cardiff
Martin Guptill and Colin Munro then hit unbeaten half-centuries to make short work of their modest target.
The Kiwis cruised home in 16.1 overs to register their third win in a World Cup game by 10 wickets.
Here’s a look at the ICC World Cup 2019, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Statistical highlights -
Lockie Ferguson returned with figures of 3/22.
• This is now his 4th best bowling performance in ODIs.
o Today’s match was his first ever World Cup match.
Dimuth Karunaratne was the standout performer with the bat for Sri Lanka.
• He was the only player to score a half-century in today’s match.
{{/usCountry}}• He was the only player to score a half-century in today’s match.
{{/usCountry}}o The 2nd best was Kusal Perera’s 29 (24).
• He scored an unbeaten 52* (84).
• This is now his 3rd ODI half-century.
o His first against a major team, as the previous 2 were both against Scotland.
Karunaratne remained not out and became the 12th player in ODI history to carry the bat.
o The 2nd Sri Lankan in ODIs to do so.
• The 2nd player in the World Cup to do so.
o RD Jacobs is the other one (1999)
Martin Guptill scored:
o 35th ODI fifty
o 5th vs SL in the ODIs.
o overall his 4th in the World Cup
Colin Munro:
o This was his first WC game.
o His 8th ODI fifty.
o 2nd vs Sri Lanka in ODIs.
o His first fifty in his last 7 ODI innings (including this one).
This was Sri Lanka’s joint 5th lowest total in the World Cup.
o It was also the lowest total ever at the Cardiff in ODIs.The 2nd lowest interestingly is also by SL vs NZ.
New Zealand also managed to achieve a feat which no other team had managed to do in the World Cup before.
• They became the first team to defeat Sri Lanka by a margin of 10 wickets in the World Cup.
(With agency inputs)