Christchurch: Nathan Astle shrugged off the blues that have dogged him in recent innings to score an unbeaten 90 on Tuesday, giving New Zealand a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka and an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match one-day series.
It was a welcome return to form for Astle, whose poor performances of late saw him dropped and then recalled as the supersub when regular captain Stephen Fleming took paternity leave.
Set 256 to win on an easy wicket, New Zealand started at a rollicking seven runs an over but the pace slowed following the dismissal of swashbuckling opener Lou Vincent.
In a dramatic closing stanza, New Zealand started the 46th over requiring a run-a-ball and with rain falling.
The umpires allowed play to continue. Astle scored the winning runs off the last ball of an action-packed 48th over in which Chaminda Vaas gave away three extras -- including a no-ball which bowled Astle, who then hit the next ball for six.
Astle's 90 off 125 balls included seven fours and one six. Apart from the slog at the end he looked totally in command, particularly driving through the off.
The omens looked bad for Sri Lanka from the start when Sanath Jayasuriya pulled out after falling and dislocating a shoulder in the shower, and skipper Marvan Atapattu lost the toss.
After being sent into bat, Sri Lanka scored 255 for seven with the innings anchored by a well crafted century from Upul Tharanga. He was at the crease for 37 overs and figured in a 109-run second wicket partnership with Kumar Sangakkara.
Atapattu contributed a rapid 52 off 46 balls, and although the rest of the batsmen failed to deliver he still had reason to believe his bowlers had a sound target to defend.
But Vincent had other ideas, cracking 46 off 44 balls before being dismissed in the 12th over with the score on 71.
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His powerful hitting saw first-change bowler Dilhara Fernando concede 28 runs in two overs before being taken out of the attack.
Vincent relished the Sri Lankans' inability to get movement through the air and cracked seven fours and a six before flashing at Farveez Maharoof once too often. Sangakkara took a fine one-handed catch diving to his right.
Astle then took over the senior role, but with the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan the run-rate had slowed to below the required five-an-over by the time Peter Fulton was out for 32 in the 30th over.
Hamish Marshall made 12 before falling victim to a dubious umpiring decision when Gary Baxter adjudged him lbw to Muralitharan. Television replays showed the ball had come off the gloves.
Scott Styris hit a quick 31 before he was brilliantly caught by a leaping Tillakaratne Dilshan off Farveez Maharoof. With New Zealand on five for 219 and with six overs remaining Sri Lanka still felt they had a chance.
But Chris Cairns set the tone for the closing stages when he hit Muralitharan out of the ground and then left Astle to hit the winning runs off Vaas.
Despite Astle's heroics the man-of-the-match award went to 20-year-old Tharanga, who scored his second ODI century in his first year of international cricket.
He scored freely off the front and back foot, hitting 14 boundaries before pulling at Jacob Oram and being caught on the boundary by Fulton.
The remaining two games are in Wellington on Friday and Napier on Sunday.
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