Glenn Phillips had a scintillating century and Trent Boult cruised through Sri Lanka as New Zealand took a big step towards the T20 World Cup semi-finals with a 65-point victory.
The Black Caps were in deep trouble 15-3 after losing Finn Allen, Devon Conway and Kane Williamson in the first four overs, but Phillips (104 from 64 balls) came to the rescue with his second T20I cent.
Phillips took advantage of being dropped on 12 and 45, putting on a show at the SCG on Saturday to take the leaders of Group 1 to 167-7, with fitness Daryl Mitchell (22) providing support in a fourth wicket stand from 84.
Sri Lanka were sloppy on the pitch and never looked to succeed with a chase that ended when they were knocked out for just 102 in the final.
Left arm tailor Boult won his best T20I figures of 4-13 after the excellent Tim Southee (1-12) trapped Pathum Nissanka’s front leg in the first over.
Sri Lanka were down to 8-4 and didn’t seem to reach triple figures at 65-8 before Bhanuka Rajapaksa (34) and captain Dasun Shanaka (35) showed some resistance.
Spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi both claimed 2-21 figures as New Zealand moved two points clear at the top of the group with two games to play, with Sri Lanka in fifth place.
Phillips punishes sloppy Sri Lanka
Phillips hit four sixes and found the rope 10 times in a magnificent inning, but it could have been a very different story.
Nissanka overturned a mere chance to cut the Black Caps to 29-4 when he downed Phillips early in his long range shot.
A Shanaka dive fended off a trickier opportunity to take Phillips out before he reached his half-century and he made Sri Lanka pay, raising their superb hundred from just 61 balls.
Lightning Boult strikes again
Boult has proven time and time again that he is one of the best bowlers in the world and he put on another show in Sydney.
He took Kusal Mendis behind, then beat Dhananjaya de Silva and got rid of Charith Asalanka in a devastating opening flurry before coming back to get Shanaka caught square-leg deep by Mitchell.
There were 18 balls from Boult and he only conceded once.
