Mumbai, October 20:

Prolific off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan ripped through New Zealand’s batting to resurrect Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy campaign with a seven-wicket win here on Friday.

Sri Lanka, who would have been knocked out of the eight-nation tournament had they lost, shot out the Black Caps for 165 and then surpassed the total in the 36th over.

Muralitharan revelled on a turning track to take 4-23, before young opener Upul Tharanga (56) and captain Mahela Jayawardene (48) put on 89 for the second wicket to build on the advantage. Both batsmen fell in four deliveries from spinner Jeetan Patel, but Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu guided Sri Lanka home.

New Zealand had only themselves to blame for the sluggish display that saw the first nine wickets fall in quick time. Nathan Astle made 42 and Daniel Vettori hit an unbeaten 46, but the rest of the batting struggled. New Zealand were reduced to 118-9 in the 39th over before the last-wicket pair of Vettori and Jeetan Patel (10) added 47 runs. Left-handed Vettori boosted the total with three consecutive boundaries off Chaminda Vaas in the 49th over which cost 19 runs.

Stephen Fleming failed to score in his 193rd one-dayer as captain, equalling the world record tally of former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was hammered for 36 runs in his first four overs when Sri Lanka began their reply. Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who struck Bond for a six over cover, made 20 when he was unlucky to be given out caught behind off Kyle Mills as television replays showed the ball had gone off the pad.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND

L Vincent b Maharoof 13

S Fleming lbw b Vaas 0

N Astle c Malinga b Murali 42

H Marshall c Dilshan b Malinga 4

S Styris c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 3

J Oram b Murali 6

B McCullum c Jayawardene b Murali 9

D Vettori not out 46

K Mills lbw b Murali 6

S Bond c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 1

J Patel c Jayawardene b Malinga 10

Extras: 25 (8lb, 7nb, 10w)

Total: 165 (49.2 overs)

FoW: 1-14, 2-37, 3-56, 4-66, 5-82, 6-87, 7-101, 8-115, 9-118

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 10-1-41-1,

Malinga 9.2-1-22-2, Maharoof 8-0-34-1,

Jayasuriya 10-0-26-2, Muralitharan 10-1-23-4, Dilshan 2-0-11-0

SRI LANKA

U Tharanga st McCullum b Patel 56

S Jayasuriya c MuCullum b Mills 20

M Jayawardene c Vettori b Patel 48

K Sangakkara not out 19

M Atapattu not out 10

Extras: 13 (1lb, 8nb, 4w)

Total: 166/3 (36 overs)

FoW: 1-50, 2-134, 3-135

New Zealand bowling: Mills 5-0-24-1,

Bond 7-0-46-2, Oram 4-0-14-0,

Vettori 10-0-45-0, Patel 9-0-32-2, Astle 1-0-4-0