WELLINGTON: Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten 113 and then returned to break the world record for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in One-day Internationals as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 34 runs in the seventh and final match here on Thursday.

Sangakkara’s 21st one-day hundred anchored Sri Lanka to 287 for six after the visitors opted to bat first on winning the toss at the Westpac Stadium.

New Zealand, who won the series 4-2, never recovered from losing early wickets in their chase and were all out for 253 in the 46th over. But the Blacks Caps had won the seven-match series before coming into the final game.

The hosts were reduced to 42-3 in the 12th over and barring a 74-run stand between Luke Ronchi (47) and Daniel Vettori (35) for the seventh wicket, Sri Lanka always looked in control.

Kane Williamson top-scored for New Zealand with 54 while Kyle Mills hit a 17-ball 30 towards the end.

The 37-year-old Sangakkara, who is expected to retire from international cricket after the World Cup, passed Adam Gilchrist as the most successful wicket-keeper when he caught Corey Anderson off the bowling of Shaminda Eranga.

He later added another catch to the tally when he pouched Tim Southee off Thisara Perera, taking his career total to 474 dismissals with 378 catches and 96 stumpings in the 50-over format when he played as a wicket-keeper.

Australia’s Gilchrist achieved 472 dismissals in 287 one-day matches.

“The entire team has been working very hard. The hard work has paid off with some good performances out in the middle,” man-of-the-match Sangakkara said at the presentation. “I just try to do the basics as well as I can.”

Earlier, Tillakaratne Dilshan (81) and Lahiru Thirimanne (30) gave Sri Lanka a good start, adding 71 for the opening wicket before the latter fell leg before to Anderson.

Sangakkara walked out at number three and then added 104 for the second wicket before Dilshan was out caught by wicket-keeper Ronchi off paceman Southee.

The impressive knock off 105 deliveries moved Sangakkara to within 11 runs of Australian Ricky Ponting as the second most prolific batsman in ODI history.

He has now amassed 13,693 runs, with Ponting totalling 13,704 although both are well adrift of Indian master Sachin Tendulkar who scored 18,426.

Sri Lanka lost a few quick wickets but Sangakkara held the innings together and brought up his century with a crisp pull shot off Mitchell McClenaghan. The stylish left-hander hit 14 boundaries in his knock.

Anderson finished with three wickets for 59 runs for New Zealand.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

H.D.R.L. Thirimanne lbw b Anderson 30 T.M. Dilshan c Ronchi b Southee 81 K.C. Sangakkara not out 113 D.P.M.D. Jayawardene c Ronchi b Southee 14 S. Prasanna lbw b Mills 1 L.D. Chandimal c Ronchi b Anderson 5 N.L.T.C. Perera c Mills b Anderson 20 K.M.D.N. Kulasekara not out 12

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-9) 11

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 287

FALL OF WKTS: 1-71, 2-175, 3-203, 4-209, 5-231, 6-253.

DID NOT BAT: F.D.M. Karunaratne, R.M.S. Eranga, P.V.D. Chameera.

BOWLING: Mills 8-1-42-1 (2w); Southee 10-0-50-2 (1w); McClenaghan 9-0-47-0; Vettori 8-0-52-0 (1w); Anderson 9-0-59-3 (2w); Elliott 4-0-24-0 (2w); Williamson 2-0-11-0.

NEW ZEALAND:

M.J. Guptill lbw b Kulasekara 0 T.W.M. Latham b Eranga 6 K.S. Williamson c Jayawardene b Dilshan 54 L.R.P.L. Taylor b Chameera 11 G.D. Elliott c Chandimal b Chameera 24 C.J. Anderson c Sangakkara b Eranga 29 L. Ronchi b Kulasekara 47 D.L. Vettori b Prasanna 35 K.D. Mills run out 30 T.G. Southee c Sangakkara b Perera 1 M.J. McClenaghan not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-6) 11

TOTAL (all out, 45.2 overs) 253

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-11, 3-42, 4-101, 5-121, 6-141, 7-215, 8-218, 9-225.

BOWLING: Kulasekara 9-0-55-2 (3w); Eranga 9-1-34-2 (1w); Prasanna 9.2-0-30-1 (1w); Chameera 8-0-60-2; Perera 5-0-42-1 (1w); Dilshan 5-0-27-1.

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 34 runs; New Zealand win seven-match series 4-2.

UMPIRES: C.K. Gaffaney (New Zealand) and R.J. Tucker (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: M.A. Gough (England).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kumar Sangakkara.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Kane Williamson.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play