Preview: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match

IN THE 38th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand for the first time at a neutral venue in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

Both teams will meet each other at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Friday, March 18.
Since June 9, 1979, both teams have played 72 matches so far with each other, where the record is in favour of the Kiwis by 35-32. Four matches ended without result and one match was tied.

Playing in the sub-continent, the Lankans have won 15 matches and lost 5. Since the start of 2007, Sri Lanka have lost only two of nine matches played between them, and have not lost even a single match to New Zealand in their last three World Cup encounters.
Sri Lanka started ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against Canada with a 210 runs margin victory. In the next match they lost against Pakistan by 11 runs. Lankans won by nine wickets against Kenya and against Australia their match was washed away. In the fifth match Sri Lanka routed Zimbabwe by 139 runs.
New Zealand is in full rhythm in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 under the direction of coach John Wright. They lost only one match in the group league against Australia by seven wickets. Kiwis team won two matches by 10-wicket against Kenya and Zimbabwe. They won by 110-run and 97-run against Pakistan and Canada respectively.
Among the top 10 run getters in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, three are from Sri Lanka. Tillakaratne Dilshan (283 runs), Upul Tharanga (258 runs) and Kumar Sangakkara (252 runs), and are the sixth, seventh and eight top run getters respectively.

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has scored the most number of sixes (12) so far in the ongoing tournament.
Here are the Sri Lanka and New Zealand squads in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), Mahela Jayawardene (vice capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.
New Zealand:  Daniel Vettori (capt), Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum (wk), Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.