Date-stamped : 02 Apr95 - 10:32
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, ODI #3
At Eden Park, Auckland, 1 April 1995.

SRI LANKA DENY KIWIS CLEAN SWEEP

Sri Lanka denied New Zealand a  one-day  international  whitewash
when they beat the Kiwis by 51 runs in Auckland today.  The tour-
ists ran up 250 for six wickets -- with Asanka Gurusingha scoring
his  second  one-day  century  --  in the third and final limited
overs clash between the two countries.  New Zealand's  reply,  by
contrast, came to a juddering halt at 199 with 3.3 overs left.

Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga won the toss  and  decided  to
make first use of pitch which offered some early bounce.  His de-
cision paid good dividends with Gurusingha and Sanath  Jayasuriya
blazing  away to put on 91 for the first wicket before Jayasuriya
departed for 49 made off 63 balls.   It  fell  on  Gurusingha  to
shoulder  the  lion's  share  of the work and the opening batsman
responded with a 108 from 149 balls including 10  boundaries  and
two sixes.

The left-handed batsman brought up his 16th  one-day  50  off  92
balls,  but more importantly shared a 112-run stand for the third
wicket with his captain Ranatunga.  The Sri Lanka captain was out
for  39 at 218 but he had remained to guide Gurusingha through to
his century, which came off 143 balls.

New Zealand, already 2-0 up in the series, lost  a  disinterested
Bryan  Young with 13 on the board and then Mark Greatbatch for 43
when the total was 80.

Like Greatbatch, Nathan Astle (35) and Ken Rutherford  (30)  also
made starts but did not go on against a well planned fielding and
bowling effort.

<END> Contributed by vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu)