Chaminda class puts NZ under pressure

The Kiwis struggled to 87 for four from 25 overs, having chosen to take first use of a good surface on a sunny morning. They therefore needed a major contribution from either Scott Styris (48no) or Jacob Oram to have even prospects of keeping intact their 100% tournament record.

Stephen Fleming, who had managed just 40 runs in his last six innings against Vaas (three for 17), went without score this time - lbw to some full-length swing, pushing forward defensively to the fifth ball of the match.

Ross Taylor also made a duck, in his first appearance since the group stages of this competition because of a hamstring injury. The number three nicked Vaas behind, where Kumar Sangakkara took an outstanding one-handed catch.

From four for two in the third over, opener Peter Fulton and Styris were unsurprisingly circumspect - the latter taking 20 balls before opening his account with a memorable back-foot drive for four off Vaas.

The introduction of Farveez Maharoof for Dilhara Fernando opened up a few more scoring opportunities, and New Zealand turned 18 for two from 10 overs into 52 without further loss after 16.

There was a scare for each batsman, though - Styris was way short of his ground on eight when Muttiah Muralitharan's throw from mid-on missed the stumps, and Fulton mistimed a simple catch to midwicket off Maharoof only for a no-ball to be called.

Fulton managed only another 10 runs before getting too much on a pick-up shot and holing out at deep square-leg to give Vaas his third wicket, at the start of his second spell.

By then, Styris had escaped when the ball appeared to shave the shoulder of his bat as he attempted a paddle-sweep at Vaas - and Sangakkara somehow clung on to the mere half-chance.

Murali soon got rid of Craig McMillan at the other end, via a faulty sweep into the hands of short fine-leg - leaving Styris and his new partner Oram with much work to do.