Cricket: New Zealand hand victory to Sri Lanka

New Zealand 193 & 114 Sri Lanka 323 Sri Lanka win by an innings and 16 runs

NEW ZEALAND lost five wickets for 20 runs in the first hour of play as Sri Lanka szwept to victory in the second Test yesterday.

The match was over in the 43rd minute of the fifth day's play when first slip Sanath Jayasuriya held on to a simple catch from the last batsman, Shyane O'Conner, who went for nought off Muttiah Muralitheran.

New Zealand resumed from an overnight 94 for 5 and hit trouble in the very first over when the left arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilleke had Chris Cairns caught close-in by Hashan Tillekaratne for his overnight score of 16. The New Zealand innings then caved in without resistance, all out for 114.

After taking a first innings lead of 130 runs, Sri Lanka had taken five quick wickets on Saturday to leave New Zealand on 94 for 5 with Adam Parore and Cairns struggling at the crease on 25 and 16 respectively.

Yesterday's victory levelled the three-match series at 1-1 after Sri Lanka lost the first Test by 167 runs last week. The deciding game begins in the capital, Colombo, on Wednesday.