Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand: Highlights, Scorecard, Report from Cricket World Cup

New Zealand won the opening match of the Cricket World Cup as they beat Sri Lanka by 98 runs in Christchurch.

The Black Caps were put into bat on a cold day at the Hagley Oval but made 331-6 in their 50 overs.

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Good score of New Zealand 331/6 Mc Cullum, Kane, Corey, Ronchi, all 4 were in my team, #CWCFantasy #CWC15 #NZvSL pic.twitter.com/3bqv1KaQt9

— CWC Fever (@itsnisar23) February 14, 2015"

Sri Lanka, who have been beaten in the last two finals of the event, could only muster 233 in reply as they slipped to defeat in the Pool A contest.

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Match 1.#SLvsNZ Final scoreboard of Sri Lankan Innings #NZvSL #cwc15 #CricketWorldCup #CWC2015 pic.twitter.com/zI8ZtTIgT1

— Takrao Jeet Ka (@TakraoJeetKa) February 14, 2015"

Half-centuries from Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson powered the tournament co-hosts to a formidable total.

McCullum and Marty Guptill brought up a century partnership for the opening wicket in just 82 balls with the captain dispatching 10 boundaries and a six in making 65.

His 49-ball knock was ended in the 16th over when he tried to hit Rangana Herath over the top but was caught at long-off.

Guptill fell one short of his half-century, caught behind off Suranga Lakmal, but Williamson kept the score ticking over with 57 from 65 balls.

Jeevan Mendis removed him and Ross Taylor (14) in consecutive balls, his first wicket coming after a superb catch from Dimuth Karunaratne.

Corey Anderson then come to the fore, dominating a 65-run partnership with Grant Elliott (29) and a 73-run stand with Luke Ronchi (29), as he made 75 from 46 balls which included eight boundaries and two sixes.

Nuwan Kulasekara dismissed him with the final ball of the innings, but he conceded 78 runs from eight overs while fellow new ball bowler, and Sri Lankan stalwart, Lasith Malinga went for 84 from his 10 overs.

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This is New Zealand's 7th total of over 300 runs in World Cups. Only Australia as more (14) #CWC15 #ICCWorldCup2015

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) February 14, 2015"

Sri Lanka built a solid foundation in their reply with the 100 coming up in the 19th over and only for the loss of Tillakaratne Dilshan who was caught and bowled by Daniel Vettori after a circumspect 24.

Lahiru Thirimanne had reached 65 from only 60 balls before he was undone by a beauty from Trent Boult as late movement away sent the off-stump cartwheeling.

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It was a good ball from Boult but Thiramanne missed that by a mile and the Kiwis are on top - http://t.co/WnV2AS2SDz pic.twitter.com/2b3wg9yYQh

— FOX SPORTS Cricket (@FOXCricketLive) February 14, 2015"

Six balls later their hopes were dealt a hammer blow when veteran Mahela Jayawardene, who failed to trouble the scorers, offered an outside edge to Ronchi behind the stumps off Vettori.

Sri Lanka lost their third wicket in the space of 11 balls, for the addition of just five runs, when Kumar Sangakkara (39) was trapped lbw by Boult.

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It couldn't be any more plumb lbw yet Kumar Sangakkara referred this to the third umpire. - http://t.co/WnV2AS2SDz pic.twitter.com/Z9Gdk68AKc

— FOX SPORTS Cricket (@FOXCricketLive) February 14, 2015"

The run rate continued to creep up and wickets fell along the way with Adam Milne picking up the scalps of Karunaratne (14) and Mendis, caught behind, for four in the 32nd over.

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Karunarate has hit castle knocked over by Milne and Sri Lanka are in big, big trouble - http://t.co/WnV2AS2SDz pic.twitter.com/QOmPTAtjbS

— FOX SPORTS Cricket (@FOXCricketLive) February 14, 2015"

The match was then effectively over as a contest, and although captain Angelo Mathews made 46 to limit the damage to the net run rate, they were all out in 46.1 overs.

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New Zealand win! #SLvsNZ #NZvSL pic.twitter.com/8dHZqd8J4E

— Paul Dennett (@the_summer_game) February 14, 2015"

New Zealand are back in action on Tuesday against Scotland while Sri Lanka must wait eight days before they face Afghanistan.