New Zealand beat Sri Lanka to level series

Dunedin, Apr. 6: Fast bowler Adam Milne took 5-26 as New Zealand bowled out Sri Lanka for 141 on Wednesday and went on to win the second Twenty20 cricket international by nine wickets.

Milne became only the third New Zealander to claim a five-wicket haul in a T20 international after Tim Southee (5-18 vs. Pakistan) and Lockie Ferguson (5-21 vs. West Indies), helping the Black Caps bowl out Sri Lanka in exactly 19 overs.

Opener Tim Seifert then hit an unbeaten 79 from 43 balls as New Zealand reached 146-1 in 14.4 overs to win with 32 balls to spare, finishing off with consecutive sixes.

Milne's bag included the wickets of Kusal Perera (35) and Charith Asalanka (26,) who were half century-makers in the first T20 match between the teams on Sunday which Sri Lanka won in a Super Over. He also dimissed opener Pathum Nissanka (0) and wrapped up the innings by clean bowling Pramod Madushan and Dilshan Madushanka.

"Any time you get a five-for it's very nice and after the last game with the Super Over it's nice to come back and put in a good performance," Milne said.

Sri Lanka made 196-5 in the first match and looked on course to another high score when it reached 50-2 in the powerplay on Wednesday and 83-2 in the first 10 overs, led by Perera and Dhanjaya de Silva, who made 37 from 26 balls. The pair put on 62 for the third wicket. But after Milne removed Perera, de Silva fell to the spinner Rachin Ravindra and Sri Lanka's innings lost some of its momentum. 

South Africa-born opener Chad Bowes got the New Zealand innings off to a fast start with 31 from 15 balls, including seven fours. When he was out with the total 40, Seifert took over the assault on the Sri Lanka bowlers and New Zealand rushed to 103-1 after 10 overs.

Seifert reached his sixth T20 half-century from 30 balls with two fours and four sixes. He hit the sixth six of his innings out of the ground from the bowling of De Silva to take New Zealand to 140-1, then the seventh on the next ball to end the match.

Captain Tom Latham was 20 not out, having played the support role in an unbeaten 106-run partnership with Seifert. (AP)