Napier, January 8:

Sri Lanka salvaged some pride from their one-day cricket series against New Zealand with a consolation 20-run win in the final match despite a majestic maiden century by Kiwi Peter Fulton.

Fulton made a classy 112 from 131 balls, but he was let down by the lower order who manufactured a dramatic collapse while atempting to close in on Sri Lanka’s 273/6. New Zealand were dismissed in the 49th over for 253 after losing their last seven wickets for just 54 runs. Chaminda Vaas took 4-48 while captain Marvan Atapattu top-scored with 69 off 68 balls.

Fulton’s needless run-out with seven overs remaining triggered an avalanche of wickets with Vaas the chief tormentor. After playing himself in, Fulton let rip in the 13th over with three successive boundaries off Vaas. He and Nathan Astle shared a third-wicket partnership of 108 before Astle holed out to mid-on in the 22nd over for 47 and New Zealand were 121/3. Hamish Marshall joined Fulton to push the score to 199 before the wickets began to tumble.

After winning the toss, Atapattu chose to bat and his half-century was well backed up by an innings of 58 from Kumar Sangakkara.

At 208/4 in the 40th over, the stage was set for a late flourish but the Sri Lankans were stymied by a lack of boundaries. New Zealand won the series 4-1.