SL end NZ tour with a dismal show

The recalled Doug Bracewell and debutant Scott Kuggeleijn starred with bat and ball for New Zealand to beat Sri Lanka by 35 runs in the one-off Twenty20 match in Auckland on Friday.

It ended a dismal tour for the Sri Lankans with the drawn first Test followed by a succession of losses in the second Test, three one-dayers and the Twenty20.

New Zealand, sent into bat, recovered from 55 for five to finish on 179 for seven with Bracewell (44) and Kuggeleijn (35 not out) the key contributors.

Although the target was not daunting, and Sri Lanka easily kept up with the required run rate to be four for 118 after 12 overs.

But their last six wickets fell for the addition of only 26 more runs and the innings folded for 144 with 19 balls remaining.

SCORES IN BRIEF

NEW ZEALAND: 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Taylor 33, Bracewell 44, Kuggeleijn 35 not out; Malinga 2-24, Rajitha 3-44)

SRI LANKA: 144 all out in 16.5 overs (K Perera 23, T Perera 43; Ferguson 3-21, Sodhi 3-30)

Result: New Zealand won by 35 runs.

Player-of-the-match: Doug Bracewell.