Black Caps overcome horror start, defeat Sri Lanka by 35-runs in T20 match at Eden Park

Relive 1 NEWS NOW's live coverage of tonight's Twenty20 match between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland.

10.07pm: SL 144 - 17 overs - Sri Lanka bowled out and NZ win by 35-runs

WICKET! Ish Sodhi has the final say for the Black Caps, he bowls to Rajitha and he hits it skywards with Tim Seifert getting under it and making a simple catch.

10.04pm: SL 142/9 - 16.2 overs - Kumara 4, Rajitha 5

OUT! Ish Sodhi bowls to Kumara and he edges it straight to Scott Kuggeleijn. 

10.02pm: SL 138/8 - 15.5 overs - Malinga 6, Rajitha 5

WICKET! Mitchell Santner bowls a slower ball to Lasith Malinga and he hits it straight up in the air. Martin Guptill gets under it between midwicket and long-on and makes a straight forward catch.

9.55pm: SL 128/7 - 14.1 overs - Shanaka 7, Rajitha 2

OUT! Ish Sodhi bowls to Shanaka and the Black Caps players go up for a big appeal after the ball hits Shanaka's pads. Tim Southee goes for the review and third umpire rules in favour of the home team. The umpire's on-field call is over-turned and Shanaka is out via LBW.

9.49pm: SL 119/6 - 13 overs - de Silva 10, Shanaka 0

WICKET! Lockie Ferguson celebrates big after dismissing de Silva! He has cleaned him up with a full and straight yorker which was 147.4kph. Ferguson comes up with two crucial wickets to get the Black Caps back into this T20 match.

9.47pm: SL 118/5 - 12.3 overs - T Perera 43, de Silva 10

OUT! Lockie Ferguson strikes! Thisara Perera is fooled by a slower and short delivery with Doug Bracewell making a comfortable catch at long off. The Black Caps are back in it! 

9.43pm: SL 117/4 - 12 overs - T Perera 43, de Silva 9

Sri Lanka require another 63 runs with six wickets and 48 balls remaining in the match.

9.37pm: SL 106/4 - 10.4 overs - T Perera 35, de Silva 6

SIX! Sodhi bowls to Thisara Perera and he smashes it over long-off. A well controlled strike by Sri Lanka's batsman.

9.32pm: SL 94/4 - 9.5 overs - Mendis 17, T Perera 29

WICKET! New Zealand's skipper Tim Southee strikes! It is the slower ball which gets rid of Mendis. Scott Kuggeleijn makes a safe catch at mid-off to get the Black Caps back into this T20.

9.29pm: SL 92/3 - 9 overs - Mendis 16, T Perera 28

Sri Lanka are in control at the moment. Not a bad over by Ish Sodhi as the visitors only score nine runs, but the Black Caps are in need of wicket - preferably T Perera who is starting to heat up for Sri Lanka.

9.25pm: SL 83/3 - 8 overs - Mendis 15, T Perera 21

A mixed over by Mitchell Santner as Sri Lanka manage to score 10-runs in that over. You just feel that the visitors have the slight edge over the Black Caps.

Ish Sodhi is up next, bowling his first over in the T20 match for New Zealand.

9.21pm: SL 73/3 - 7 overs - Mendis 13, T Perera 13

Sri Lanka need 107 more runs to win this match, with seven wickets and 13 overs remaining. Mitchell Santner is set to bowl for the first time in the match.

9.15pm: SL 61/3 - 6 overs - Mendis 9, T Perera 5

After bowling five wides Kuggeleijn recovers, he lets in only one run in the remainder of his three deliveries in the over. 

9.09pm: SL 45/3 - 4.1 overs - Dickwella 17, Mendis 3

OUT! Doug Bracewell strikes in his first ball of the match! He dismisses Sri Lanka's danger man Niroshan Dickwella. Sri Lanka's opener hits it skyward with NZ keeper Tim Seifert calling for it and makes a great catch at backward square leg. 

9.02pm: SL 41/2 - 3.3 overs - Dickwella 17, K Perera 23

WICKET! Kuggeleijn strikes! He bowls to Kusal Perera. It is a yorker and Perera hits it straight to Doug Bracewell who makes a simple catch at mid-on.

8.58pm: SL 37/1 - 3 overs - Dickwella 17, K Perera 19

Sri Lanka are off to better start with the bat than NZ, Scott Kuggeleijn on debut has been brought into the bowling attack for the Black Caps.

8.54pm: SL 29/1 - 2 overs - Dickwella 12, K Perera 16

New Zealand are under the pump early with Sri Lanka picking up five boundaries in the first two overs. 

8.47pm: SL 11/1 - 1 over - Dickwella 11, Samarawickrama 0

WICKET! Lockie Ferguson makes a great comeback after being hit for a four and six early in the over. Ferguson bowls to Samarwickrama and he gets an inside edge with the ball going onto hit the stumps.

That delivery from Ferguson was 148.5kmph screamer.

8.36pm: Sri Lanka need 180-runs to win this one. It was a wobbly start from the Black Caps who were at one stage 55-5 midway through their innings with the bat.

Doug Bracewell and rookie Scott Kuggeleijn steadied the ship for New Zealand, with Bracewell top scoring with 44-runs and Kuggeleijn scoring 35 not out on debut.

The Black Caps scored 124-runs in the last 10 overs. 

8.33pm: NZ 179/7 - 20 overs - Kuggeleijn 35, Southee 13

SIX! A great way to finish the over by NZ debutant Scott Kuggeleijn. Rajitha bowls to Kuggeleijn, it is another slower delivery and the rookie smashes it over long-on for another maximum.

8.29pm: NZ 161/7 - 18.5 overs - Kuggeleijn 28, Southee 3

Good running between the wickets from stand in skipper Southee and Kuggeleijn who sneak in a double in that over.

8.23pm: NZ 156/7 - 18 overs - Kuggeleijn 27, Southee 0

BACK-TO-BACK SIXES! Scott Kuggeleijn on debut smashes two big sixes off Rajitha's over. A great over from the rookie.

8.21pm: NZ 143/7 - 17.3 overs - Bracewell 44, Kuggeleijn 14

WICKET!  Rajitha bowls to Doug Bracewell and de Silva gets rid of NZ's danger man with a good double handed catch just inside the boundary.

8.18pm: NZ 138/6 - 17 overs - Bracewell 38, Kuggeleijn 8

SLUG FEST ! A huge over by Doug Bracewell as he hits three sixes and one four in that over from Perera.

8.14pm: NZ 115/6 - 16 overs - Bracewell 22, Kuggeleijn 8

SIX! Sandakan bowls to Scott Kuggeleijn who is making his debut for NZ. Kuggeleijn moves down the track and hits it over deep midwicket.

8.09pm: NZ 102/6 - 15 overs - Taylor 33, Bracewell 21

WICKET! Perera bowls to Ross Taylor. Perera's delivery is a length ball outside off. Taylor swings at it wildly and edges it to Sri Lanka's keeper Dickwella who makes no mistake with the catch.

8.06pm: NZ 95/5 - 14 overs - Taylor 28, Bracewell 19

Ross Taylor and Doug Bracewell have steadied things for the home team after a disastrous start.

8.01pm: NZ 83/5 - 12.4 overs - Taylor 20, Bracewell 18

SIX! Lahiru Kumara bowls to Doug Bracewell and it is another short one on middle and leg. Bracewell pulls it fine and hits it over the fine leg fence for a maximum.

7.56pm: NZ 68/5 - 12 overs - Taylor 20, Bracewell 9

SIX! Sandakan bowls to Doug Bracewell, a length outside off delivery. Bracewell shimmies down the track and smashes it over the long-on boundary. A mucg needed boundary for the home team.

7.48pm: NZ 55/5 - 10 overs - Taylor 16, Santner 13

OUT! Sandakan delivers a slower ball to Mitchell Santner and he hits it skywards! Kusal Perera gets under it and makes a safe catch. New Zealand are in all sorts of trouble now. 

7.46pm: NZ 52/4 - 9.3 overs - Taylor 15, Santner 11

FOUR! Sandakan bowls to Ross Taylor and the NZ veteran slogs it down the ground for four.

7.44pm: NZ 47/4 - 9 overs - Taylor 11, Santner 10

The Black Caps only manage three singles in that over and both batsman look absolutely frustrated. Credit must go to Sri Lanka's skipper Lasith Malinga with his field set.

7.32pm: NZ 33/4 - 6 overs - Taylor 6, Santner 1

The Black Caps are in real trouble here as the visitors look to continue their fast start.

7.21pm: NZ 27/4 - 3.3 overs - Munro 16, Taylor 2

WICKET! Kasun Rajitha bowls to Colin Munro, it's a short of length delivery and Munro goes for the pull and he slices it towards extra cover with Shanaka making an easy catch.

7.16pm: NZ 21/3 - 2.5 overs - Munro 12, Nicholls 4

OUT! Bowled him! Malinga bowls to Nicholls and the Kiwi batsman makes the mistake of going for a drive. Nicholls gets an inside edge with the ball going onto hit the stumps.

7.14pm: NZ 18/2 - 2.3 overs - Munro 12, Nicholls 2

FOUR! Malinga bowls to Colin Munro and he flicks it past the short fine leg for a four!

7.08pm: NZ 11/2 - 1.3 over - Munro 7, Seifert 2

OUT! Kasun Rajitha bowls to Tim Seifert and he edges it straight to Lakshan Sandakan at cover. The visitors celebrate big and are amped after a spectacular start at Eden Park.  

7.06pm: NZ 9/1 - 1 over - Munro 7, Seifert 0

SIX! It's a slower delivery from Malinga to Colin Munro and Munro doesn't get the timing right, but he's got enough on it for the ball to go over long-on for a maximum.

7.05pm: NZ 2/1 - 0.4 over - Guptill 1, Munro 1

WICKET! It's a short delivery by Lasith Malinga to Martin Guptill and the Kiwi batsman hits it skyward and Kusal Mendis makes a great catch.

6.32pm: Sri Lanka have won the toss and elect to bowl first.

PRE-MATCH:

Tim Southee has been named as the Black Caps' skipper for their lone T20 match against Sri Lanka.

The visitors are still searching for their first win on their tour in New Zealand and have lost four of their last T20 matches. The Black Caps haven't had such a good track record either in the shorter format, having lost six of their last T20s.

Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have been rested for tonight's match with Jimmy Neesham ruled out due to injury for the Black Caps.

Mitchell Santner will return for New Zealand after recovering from knee surgery, he hasn't played for the Black Caps since March last year.

TEAMS:

New Zealand: 1 Colin Munro, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Doug Bracewell, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Scott Kuggeleijn, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Sri Lanka:  1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Thisara Perera, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Lasith Malinga (capt), 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Lahiru Kumara.