NELSON (NEW ZEALAND), Jan 8: Veteran Ross Taylor and rising star Henry Nicholls both smashed centuries as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 115 runs in the third one-day international in Nelson on Tuesday to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
Taylor top-scored with 137, and Nicholls was unbeaten on 124 off just 80 balls, lifting the hosts to 364 for four after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat.
It was a record ODI score at Nelson�s Saxton Oval, where the average is just 275, and Sri Lanka never looked like reaching the mammoth total.
They were all out for 249 in the 42nd over, throwing away their final four wickets without scoring a run as the series ended with a whimper.
Thisara Perera, who scored a blistering 140 in the second ODI, was again the tourists� standout performer, racing to 80 in 63 balls.
With the series already decided, Nicholls and Taylor used the dead rubber to send a message to New Zealand selectors ahead of this year�s World Cup.
It was Nicholls� maiden ODI ton and the 27-year-old will hope his strong Test form is finally transferring to the limited overs format.
Taylor�s 20th ODI century tightened the 34-year-old�s grip on the New Zealand record he already holds for one-day centuries.
�I�m getting old and hopefully I�ve got a few more left in me,� he said.
In his last 11 ODI innings Taylor has scored three centuries and six half centuries. He came to the crease with New Zealand struggling at 31 for two but combined with skipper Kane Williamson for a 116-run partnership to steady the innings.
SCORECARD
New Zealand Innings: MJ Guptill c Mendis b Malinga 2, C Munro b Malinga 21, KS Williamson c de Silva b Sandakan 55, LRPL Taylor c de Silva b Malinga 137, HM Nicholls not out 124, JDS Neesham not out 12. Extras: (b 1, lb 5, nb 1, w 6) 13. Total: (For 4 wickets in 50 overs) 364. Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-31, 3-147, 4-301. Bowling: SL Malinga 10-1-93-3, PVD Chameera 8-0-55-0, N Pradeep 9-1-77-0, NLTC Perera 2-0-8-0, PADLR Sandakan 10-0-54-1, MD Shanaka 6-0-36-0, DM de Silva 5-0-35-0.
Sri Lanka Innings: N Dickwella c Ferguson b Neesham 46, DM de Silva lbw b Southee 36, MDKJ Perera c Seifert b Ferguson 43, BKG Mendis run out (Williamson/Seifert) 0, MD Shanaka lbw b Sodhi 2, NLTC Perera c Guptill b Ferguson 80, MD Gunathilaka b Ferguson 31, PVD Chameera c Southee b Ferguson 1, SL Malinga st Seifert b Sodhi 0, PADLR Sandakan not out 0, N Pradeep b Sodhi 0. Extras: (lb 3, w 7) 10. Total: (All out in 41.4 overs) 249. Fall of wickets: 1-66, 2-107, 3-107, 4-117, 5-143, 6-244, 7-249, 8-249, 9-249, 10-249. Bowling: TG Southee 7-0-46-1, MJ Henry 8-0-62-0, LH Ferguson 8-0-40-4, JDS Neesham 5-0-34-1, KS Williamson 5-0-24-0, IS Sodhi 8.4-0-40-3. � Agencies
