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Fluent Dilshan helps Lanka to series draw

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DAMBULLA: Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his third consecutive half-century as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 36 runs under Duckworth/Lewis in the third and final one-day international to clinch a 1-1 series draw on Saturday.

The match was delayed due to rain and initially reduced by seven overs before a further interruption during the Sri Lanka innings curtailed it to 33 overs each.

A fine opening partnership of 91 off 86 balls from Sri Lanka’s experienced batters Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan helped them post a challenging total of 211-8.

Dilshan completed his third half-century of the series scoring 53 off 50 balls, including eight fours, to take the man-of-the-series award.

Jayawardene, promoted up the order to make way for all-rounder Thisara Perera, scored a fluent run a ball 46 with eight fours.

New Zealand faced a tall order on a slow and turning pitch and found themselves in deep trouble when spinners Sachitra Senanayake and Rangana Herath reduced them to 63-6 in 19 overs.

Senanayake who opened the bowling took two top-order wickets for 14 runs to take the man-of-the-match award.

Nathan McCullum, in partnership with James Neesham, gave New Zealand some hope with an unbroken stand of 63 off 36 balls.

Yet despite that brave effort, they were still trailing under the D/L method on 126-6 after 25 overs when the umpires called off the game for bad light amid protests from the two New Zealand batsmen

Neesham was unbeaten on 42 and McCullum on 35 off 19 balls.

The first match was abandoned due to rain and New Zealand won the second by four wickets under Duckworth/Lewis.

The two teams will meet again in a two-match Twenty20 series in Pallekele on November 19 and 21. (Reuters)

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