Nathan stars on debut

Nathan McCullum proved he can hit big sixes just as well as brother Brendon as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by two wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling World Twenty20 opener here Friday.
New Zealand, needing three runs to win with two balls to spare, saw McCullum, better known as an off-spinner, loft fast bowler Lasith Malinga for six over long-off.
Man-of-the match McCullum's superb shot saw New Zealand finish on 139 for eight in reply to Sri Lanka's 135 for six.
It capped a memorable day for McCullum, whose unbeaten 16 came off six balls.
He'd earlier taken the new ball -- just as Kiwi off-spinner Dipak Patel had done at the 1992 World Cup -- and returned impressive figures of one wicket for 17 runs from his three overs.
By contrast younger brother Brendon, one of the world's most dangerous batsmen in this format, was out for nought when pulling Angelo Mathews to midwicket as New Zealand's run chase got off to the start all their fans would have feared.
Defeat for last year's losing finalists was tough on former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene who made a typically stylish 81 off 51 balls -- but this time in his debut as an opener -- including two sixes and eight fours.
Runs were hard to come by in this match, with the next best score on either side the 42 made by New Zealand opener Jesse Ryder.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in humid conditions.
But the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last year's World Twenty20 in England, and Sangakkara himself could only manage seven runs between them.
However, debutant Dinesh Chandimal helped Jayawardene revive the innings in a third-wicket stand of 59 before he was caught in the deep off Nathan McCullum with the total on 103 for three.
Jayawardene fell in the penultimate over and again Nathan McCullum was involved, taking the catch at deep mid-wicket off paceman Tim Southee.
After Brendon McCullum's exit, New Zealand rebuilt their innings through a second-wicket stand of 62 between Ryder and Martin Guptill (19).
New Zealand fell behind the run-rate after Ryder was bowled by off-spin star Muttiah Muralitharan and they needed 20 off the last two overs.
Oram was bowled off the first ball of the 19th, by Chanaka Welegedara and next ball Gareth Hopkins was run out to leave New Zealand 177 for seven with 10 balls left.
The target then became 10 off six.
SCORES IN BRIEF
SRI LANKA: 135 for 6 in 20 overs (Jayawardene 81, Chandimal 29; Bond 2-35)
NEW ZEALAND: 139 for 8 in 19.5 overs (Ryder 42, Guptil 19, Styris 17, N McCullum 16; Muralidaran 2-35)
Result: New Zealand won by two wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Nathan McCullum.