Glenn Phillips outscores Sri Lanka in New Zealand's huge win
Trent Boult claims career-best figures to leave New Zealand well placed to top Group 1
We're not out to make Phillips' century seem unearned, because of course it was. But had Pathum Nissanka held a sitter off Phillips in the seventh over, off the bowling of Wanindu Hasaranga, Phillips would have been out for 12 off 15, and New Zealand would have been 29 for 4. Phillips was also dropped for 45 off the 38th ball he faced - Dasun Shanaka unable to hold on to a tough chance running in from long off.
Sri Lanka kept taking the pace off the ball to Phillips, and in the best moments in this outstanding knock, he kept bullying the bowling over the boundary, mostly with brute strength. His successive sixes off Maheesh Theekshana in the 17th over, were especially brilliant. He first backed away to blast Theekshana high over wide long-on for six, and when the bowler pulled back the length next ball, Phillips backed away and bullied him into the sightscreen with a flat bat. All up, Phillips hit four sixes - the others coming off seam bowling - in addition to 10 fours. One of those fours was the murderous pull that got him to his second T20I century, and the second for New Zealand at a World Cup. The key partnership of the innings was Phillips' stand of 84 with Daryll Mitchell, which helped raise New Zealand from the depths. Mitchell contributed 22 off 24; Phillips 59 off 40.
Signs were not good for Sri Lanka when Southee opened with a wicket-maiden, bowling four swinging, dot balls to Nissanka, before the batter was stressed into attempting a weird leg-side heave which ended with him being trapped lbw. It got worse when Trent Boult claimed two wickets in the next over, having Kusal Mendis caught behind off the outside edge, before bowling Dhananjaya de Silva off the inside edge .In Boult's second over, Charith Asalanka sliced one to backward point, where Finn Allen took a low catch. This left Sri Lanka at 8 for 4 after four overs. Despite Bhanuka Rajapaksa's 34 from 22, they did not look like ever launching a serious recovery .
What Sri Lanka will rue most is that they let the game slip after making such a strong start. Theekshana swung one into Allen's off stump in the first over. De Silva bowled Devon Conway in the third. Kasun Rajitha had Kane Williamson caught behind in the fourth. But where New Zealand would put on an outstanding fielding performance, Sri Lanka's was awful. Beyond the dropped catches, there were fumbles in the outfield, mis-fields in the circle, and poor throws from everywhere. This went some way to deciding the game.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf