#2 Jeetan Patel, 2/23
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Wellington 2006
Brief Scores: New Zealand 224/9 in 50 overs (Fulton 50, H Marshall 50; Vaas 5/39) beat Sri Lanka 203 in 46.4 overs (Mubarak 53; Bond 3/39, Patel 2/23) by 21 runs
In the third ODI of Sri Lanka's short tour to New Zealand, the hosts defended a paltry total by choking the visitors with the off-spin of Jeetan Patel. After half-centuries from Peter Fulton and Hamish Marshall helped them post 224 following the Sri Lankan pacers' repeated strikes – experienced campaigner Chaminda Vaas bagged 5/39, with two wickets for Dilhara Fernando – New Zealand substituted Fulton with Patel eight overs into Sri Lanka's chase.
Patel bowled throughout the middle overs of the innings to check the flow of runs following a steady stand of 76 for the second wicket between Jehan Mubarak and Kumar Sangakkara. The wicket of top-scorer Mubarak for 53 exposed Sri Lanka's lower order, as Russell Arnold, who missed his sweep, was also trapped by Patel. Eventually, they folded for 203, with Patel's extremely economical spell of 2/23 in ten overs giving New Zealand a 21-run win.
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