New Zealand seal T20 series 2-0..........!!!!

New Zealand 170 for 4 (Ryder 52, McCullum 49) beat Sri Lanka (Sangakkara 69, Jayawardene 41, Bond 3-18, Nathan McCullum 2-18 ) by 22 runs.MoM,MoS:Jesse Ryder.

Having been beaten soundly in the Test series, New Zealand now head into the tri-series brimming with confidence after a second consecutive 20-over victory over Sri Lanka, this time by 22 runs. Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder's clinical hitting and Nathan McCullum's teasing offspin were responsible for driving New Zealand to victory and handing Sri Lanka their fourth Twenty20 loss in a row.

Brendon McCullum and Ryder were badly out of form during the Test campaign, but showed both courage and muscle during an 84-run opening stand in 62 deliveries, while Nathan McCullum gave further proof that New Zealand's limited-overs recruits have helped shape a change in fortunes. When Sri Lanka quickly slumped to 11 for 3 this game looked almost over as a contest, but Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara still had a sting to inflict, adding 67 in 43 balls. Then came the fatal blow in the 11th over, bowled by Nathan McCullum, as Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews departed to clever changes of pace. Thereafter, Sri Lanka were never in the hunt.

There were to be no fireworks this evening from Tillakaratne Dilshan, who flicked straight to deep square leg in the first over, giving Shane Bond his first international wicket since 2007. In walked Mahela Udawatte at No. 3, the one change Sri Lanka made, and back out he went after he checked his first ball from Kyle Mills and gave point a dolly. Sri Lanka's chances dimmed when Mills got Sanath Jayasuriya to miscue to midwicket in the fourth over.

Mills' third over wasn't as productive, as Jayawardene put away two full tosses and a half-volley on the pads. After the Powerplay overs Sri Lanka were 37 for 3, compared to 64 for 2 on Wednesday. Then Jayawardene and Sangakkara stepped on the gas, rattling up a 50-run stand in 6 overs. Where Jayawardene improvised to dab the ball past Brendon McCullum behind the stumps, walk across and paddle, and pull six over fine leg, all off Ian Butler, Sangakkara used his feet to come out and bisect midwicket and square leg.

By now the crowd had roared back to life and New Zealand appeared worried, but in one over the mood changed dramatically. Daniel Vettori called on Nathan McCullum, who came in for this game in place of Peter McGlashan, and within four balls he snapped Sri Lanka's spine. Jayawardene's top edge was well held by Ryder at short fine leg, and then Angelo Mathews chipped softly to midwicket. Vettori knew taking the pace off would work, and that was a sensational over from Nathan McCullum.

Nathan McCullum put down a very tough caught-and-bowled chance off Sangakkara, who reached his half-century off 40 balls. Sangakkara kept flaying but his luck ran out on 69 when he top-edged back to Oram. Bond completed the dénouement with 3 for 18.

It was only a matter of time before Brendon McCullum and Ryder found their groove in coloured clothing. Brendon McCullum got off the mark with a cramped chop to third man, but there was nothing restrained about strokes that raced to the boundaries at backward point, square leg and midwicket. Against Nuwan Kulasekara he began by pulling off his own version of the scoop trademarked by Dilshan, with some help from his helmet, getting way across and scooping the ball from outside off stump, on to Sangakkara's helmet, for four.

Lasith Malinga's second over cost 19. First Brendon McCullum steered a couple to third man by getting outside leg stump, then backed away and carved six over backward point, put a no-ball away for four with power past two off-side fielders, and finished off by slapping three through cover.

Ryder had been content allowing his partner take charge, ticking along to 10 by the time Brendon McCullum was 35. Ajantha Mendis came on for one over, the sixth, and allowed just three but Malinga Bandara was given a rude welcome by Ryder, who got down and swatted six over midwicket. He nonchalantly paddled Jayasuriya for four and Brendon McCullum slammed Dilshan for a six, his 100th boundary shot in this format.

With New Zealand's run rate 8.30, Jayasuriya struck when Brendon McCullum knocked back a return catch for 49. Ryder accelerated his game efficiently, repeating the slogged six twice off Dilshan in a 20-run 12th over in which he raised his fifty off 31 balls. Then Mendis returned to bowl the next over and immediately had Ryder beaten in the flight and popping an easy catch to extra cover.

Jayasuriya, after a break and a change of ends, came back to dismiss Ross Taylor playing across the line for 16. Martin Guptill, demoted to No. 4, jacked the run-rate back with six and a four in Kulasekara's comeback over, the 17th, which cost 17. Malinga bowled a seven-run final over in which he yorked Guptill for 32, but by getting 87 in the last ten overs New Zealand had done well.

SriLanka spoils NZ party ... wins series2-0....!!!

Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Jayawardene 92, Patel 4-78) and 311 for 5 dec (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) beat New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Muralitharan 3-71) and 397 (Vettori 140, Oram 56, Herath 5-139) by 96 runs.

MoM:M.Jayawardene.

MoM:Samaraweera.

Sri Lanka were expected to wrap up victory early on the final day, but had to wait until the 68th over of the day to seal a 2-0 sweep and cement their place at No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings. They had New Zealand six wickets down for 182 at stumps on day four, but were thoroughly frustrated by a century stand between Vettori and Oram in a cracking morning session. When Tillakaratne Dilshan snapped an excellent 124-run partnership by dismissing Oram two minutes before lunch, it seemed likely that victory was around the corner, but Vettori found an able ally in Iain O'Brien and the pair added 69 in 78 gut-wrenching minutes.

Like in the morning, Sri Lanka struck shortly before the interval and tea was pushed back by half an hour. The last wicket to fall was Vettori, excellently held at deep square leg by a tumbling Rangana Herath - who took five wickets - and New Zealand had finally been dismissed for 397, the highest fourth-innings total at the SSC. They were owned for the better part of four days, but fought back credibly on the fifth. It was not enough, for the damage was irreparable, and Sri Lanka finished deserved winners.

Saqlain appointed New Zealand's spin consultant

Saqlain Musthaq, the former Pakistan and Surrey offspinner, has been appointed as spin consultant by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the next 12 months. Saqlain's first assignment will be New Zealand's six-week tour of Sri Lanka.

"New Zealand Cricket has an agreement with Saqlain Mushtaq who will work with the Blackcaps over the next 12 months," Stephen Hill, the NZC spokesperson said. "His experience as a spin bowler is considered to be of significant assistance."

In addition to working with the spinners, Saqlain will divulge his vast knowledge of playing in the subcontinent to the New Zealand batsmen, many of whom have never played in this part of the world. "He will be working with both our bowlers and batsmen, usually for a few days at a time during the team's international series over that period," Hill said.

Saqlain initially worked with the team at a training session in Derby, during the ICC World Twenty20, helping the team in preparation for its league game against Sri Lanka.

Saqlain said he was invited by New Zealand coach Andy Moles to join the team during the tournament. "He wanted me to help the batsmen play spinners like Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] and [Ajantha] Mendis," Saqlain told Cricinfo in London, before taking off to Sri Lanka. He also had a chat with Daniel Vettori and the other spinners on spin bowling, and discussed the thought process and preparation a spinner goes through. After that NZC got in touch with his agent Eddie Tolchard to broker a long-term relationship.

Saqlain, once a prolific offspinner with 496 victims in both Test and ODI versions, played his last Test for Pakistan in 2004, and was pushed out of contention once the selectors favoured the allround skills of Shoaib Malik. Recently his decision to join the ICL forced him to quit Surrey and brought an end to his 11-year stint in the English domestic circuit.

Saqlain's foremost advice to New Zealand bowlers before the Sri Lanka tour is that bowling in the subcontinent is a "mental battle". To be on top of the opponent, Saqlain said the bowlers would need to "understand" and "control" their skills. He said the main reason he was brought on board was to help New Zealand neuter the danger posed by Murali and Mendis.

During his June visit to the team Saqlain had already pointed out the flaw most batsmen commit when facing the doosra. "I watched the [New Zealand] batsmen in the nets and told them where exactly they committed the mistake. They were not picking the ball at the point of release," Saqlain said. He told them they could still pick it in the air even if it was a bit late. If they couldn't do that, too, then they could read it off the pitch after the ball landed but that, according to Saqlain, is playing too late and makes the batsman vulnerable.

"So I bowled them some doosras and asked to watch my hand while I bowled with tennis balls to make them understand how the ball would behave if someone like Mendis bowled it."

Saqlain plans to bolster the New Zealand spin attack since he believes slow bowlers will be a dominant force on the slower and flatter pitches in Sri Lanka. "Spinners would play a prominent role … they would have a say in nearly 80% of a game," he said, adding that offering tips to the team's main spinners Vettori and Jeetan Patel regarding the doosra would not be a priority.

"My role would be to speak about how to attack the batsmen in different situations. We have to be careful as to what needs to be learned and taught."