HAMBANTOTA  - Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the fourth one-day international in Hambantota on Saturday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead and secure the five-match series.
Dinesh Chandimal (43), Kumar Sangakkara (42 not out) and Upul Tharanga (27) were the main scorers as Sri Lanka achieved a rain-revised target of 131 off 32 overs with more than five overs to spare. The opening match was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain.
Earlier, Jeevan Mendis took three quick wickets as Sri Lanka restricted New Zealand to 131-8. The leg-spinner finished with 3-15 off four tight overs, including two wickets off successive balls, in the day-night match reduced to 32-overs-a-side due to rain.
Brendon McCullum top-scored for New Zealand with 30. Sri Lanka got an early wicket when Kulasekara had opener Rob Nicol (11) caught by Upul Tharanga. Opener Watling could make just 15 as he was run out while skipper Ross Taylor made six before being caught behind off Perera.

scoreboard
New Zealand:
R Nicol c Tharanga b Kulasekara    11
BJ Watling run out    15
B McCullum c Chandimal b Herath    30
R Taylor c Sangakkara b Perera    6
K Williamson b Mendis     21
J Franklin lbw b Kulasekara    21
N McCullum b Mendis    0
A Ellis lbw b Mendis    0
T Southee not out    7
A Milne not out    12
EXTRAS: (lb3, w5)     8
TOTAL: (for 8 wickets; 32 overs)    131
FOW: 1-16, 2-45, 3-62, 4-73, 5-105, 6-105, 7-107, 8-116.
Bowling: Malinga 6-1-38-0, Kulasekara 5-1-17-2 (w3), Mathews 6-0-19-0, Perera 5-0-16-1, Herath 6-0-23-1 (w1), Mendis 4-0-15-3 (w1).
Sri Lanka:
WU Tharanga c Nicol b Southee     27
LD Chandimal b Boult     43
KC Sangakkara not out    42
HDRL Thirimanne c Watling b Ellis    0
AD Mathews not out     2
Extras: (lb 6, w 9, nb 2)     17
Total: (3 wkts; 26.2 overs)     131
FOW: 1-36, 2-123, 3-128
Bowling: TA Boult 7-0-32-1 (2nb, 4w), TG Southee 7-0-32-1 (1w), AF Milne     4.2-0-0-0, AM Ellis 6-0-23-1 (1w), NL McCullum 2-0-17-0 (3w),
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)