New Zealand’s superb bowling display saw them dismantle a fragile Sri Lanka and open their World Cup campaign with a dominant 10-wicket win in Cardiff.
After being put in to bat, Sri Lanka collapsed to 136 all out in 29.2 overs, with New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson taking three wickets each.
Only captain and opener Dimuth Karunaratne resisted, carrying his bat for 52 not out.
Black Caps openers Martin Guptill (73 not out) and Colin Munro (58 not out) raced to their target in just 16.1 overs in aggressive yet composed fashion.
Kane Williamson’s side also impressed in the field in a convincing victory to begin their bid to go one better than losing to Australia in the 2015 final.
The manner of their defeat reinforces expectations that a limited Sri Lanka side will struggle in this tournament and they now face a tough match against Afghanistan on Tuesday.
