MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Jimmy Neesham made a dream return to international cricket here at the Bay Oval on Thursday, crushing Sri Lanka with bat and ball as New Zealand won the opening One-day International by 45 runs.

Neesham, recalled after 18 months in the wilderness as New Zealand look to trial all-rounder options before the World Cup, flayed the Sri Lankan bowling with an unbeaten 47 off just 13 deliveries. He then took three for 38 to share the spotlight with man-of-the-match Martin Guptill who set the New Zealand innings alight with 138 off 139 deliveries.

Kusal Perera also reac­hed three figures with 102 for Sri Lanka while Niroshan Dickwella added 76.

But in reply to New Zealand’s 371 for seven, Sri Lanka were all out for 326 with six balls remaining.

Free-scoring Sri Lankan openers Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka had been on track to chase down the target when they reached 119 off 17 overs.

But when Neesham came into the attack he had Gunathilaka caught behind for 43 and Dickwella bowled in the space of four deliveries.

Kusal Mendis and Perera smacked 52 off 50 deliveries until an Ish Sodhi googly removed Mendis for 18.

Neesham returned for his second spell to dismiss Dinesh Chandimal for 10, before more success for spinner Sodhi who had Asela Gunaratne caught in the deep for 11.

Trent Boult eventually dismissed the stubborn Perera as Sri Lanka’s last five wickets fell for 53 runs.

New Zealand had elected to bat first and after the early loss of Colin Munro, Guptill and Kane Williamson put on 163 for the second wicket.

Guptill cracked five sixes and 11 fours to celebrate his return to the New Zealand side with his 14th ODI century.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

M. Guptill c Sandakan b Perera 138C. Munro c Sandakan b Malinga 13K. Williamson b Pradeep 76R. Taylor c Prasanna b Perera 54H. Nicholls run out (Perera) 15T. Seifert c Perera b Malinga 11J. Neesham not out 47M. Henry c Perera b Pradeep 6I. Sodhi not out 0EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5, NB-4) 11TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 371FALL OF WKTS: 1-23, 2-186, 3-274, 4-294, 5-316, 6-317, 7-363BOWLING: Malinga 10-0-78-2 (4w, 2nb); Pradeep 8-0-72-2 (1nb); Perera 10-0-80-2 (1w, 1nb); Prasanna 10-0-60-0; Sandakan 10-0-64-0; Gunaratne 1-0-5-0; Gunathilaka 1-0-10-0

SRI LANKA:

N. Dickwella b Neesham 76D. Gunathilaka c Seifert b Neesham 43K. Perera c Siefert b Boult 102K. Mendis c Seifert b Sodhi 18D. Chandimal c Taylor b Neesham 10D. Gunaratne c Ferguson b Sodhi 11T. Perera c Munro b Ferguson 4S. Prasanna c Seifert b Ferguson 16L. Malinga b Henry 11L. Sandakan b Boult 6N. Pradeep not out 6EXTRAS (B-1, LB-10, W-11, NB-1) 23TOTAL (all out, 49 overs) 326FALL OF WKTS: 1-119, 2-126, 3-178, 4-211, 5-267, 6-273, 7-298, 8-303, 9-310BOWLING: Boult 10-0-65-2 (3w); Henry 10-0-87-1 (1nb); Ferguson 10-0-65-2 (1w); Sodhi 10-0-53-2 (4w); Neesham 8-0-38-3 (3w); Munro 1-0-7-0RESULT: New Zealand won by 45 runs.MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Martin GuptillUMPIRES: Chris Brown (New Zealand), Paul Wilson (Australia)TV UMPIRE: Richard Illingworth (England)MATCH REFEREE: Richie Richardson (West Indies)

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2019