Kiwis hold nerve in a tense victory :
Nathan McCullum proved he can hit big sixes just as well as brother Brendon as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by two wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling World Twenty20 opener here Friday.
New Zealand, needing three runs to win with two balls to spare, saw McCullum, better known as an off-spinner, loft fast bowler Lasith Malinga for six over long-off.Man-of-the match McCullum's superb shot saw New Zealand finish on 139 for eight in reply to Sri Lanka's 135 for sixIt capped a memorable day for McCullum, whose unbeaten 16 came off six balls.
He'd earlier taken the new ball - just as Kiwi off-spinner Dipak Patel had done at the 1992 World Cup - and returned impressive figures of one wicket for 17 runs from his three overs.
Earlier Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in humid conditions.But the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last year's World Twenty20 in England, and Sangakkara himself could only manage seven runs between them.
Mahela Jayawardene made a typically stylish 81 off 51 balls - but this time in his debut as an opener - including two sixes and eight fours.
West Indies rout Ireland :
Darren Sammy produced an awesome all-round display to lead the West Indies to a thumping 70-run victory over Ireland on Friday as the hosts got off to a strong start in the ICC World Twenty20.
Sammy's 30 off 17 balls supplied an important late surge to lead the West Indies to 138-9 off 20 overs after they won the toss and batted first at Guyana National Stadium.
In reply, Ireland was skittled for just 68, with the dynamic Sammy claiming one stunning second slip scorcher among four catches, as well as taking 3-8 with his medium pace.
Ravi Rampaul grabbed 3-17 to start the Ireland collapse.
The West Indies began shakily against the modest threat of Ireland, reduced to 83-5 after 13 overs.
Ramnaresh Sarwan hit a run-a-ball 24 and the top five batsmen all crossed double figures but Ireland kept a tight rein.
Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, the youngest player in the tournament at 17, claimed 3-16.
Gary Wilson, with a laborious 17 off 34 deliveries, was the only Irish batsman to reach double figures as the West Indies throttled the associate team. Ireland only scored 49 runs off the bat, with extras being the top scorer thanks to an errant West Indies attack.
Sammy fittingly ended the match with the scalp of Dockrell.
The home team's next match is against England on Monday at the same venue.
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