New Zealand one-day international captain Kane Williamson said he was proud of the improvement his side showed in the fifth and final match of the series against Sri Lanka. The Black Caps claimed a 3-1 series win thanks to a 36-run victory over the Sri Lankans on Tuesday.
New Zealand needed to beat the tourists to seal the five-game contest, after losing the third ODI and seeing the fourth washed out. It ended up being a little close for comfort, as Williamson's team dismissed Sri Lanka for 258 in response to New Zealand's 294, but it remained a satisfying victory.
"It's very good to get the win," Williamson said at the post-match presentation. It was a good improvement from Nelson [where the fourth ODI was played]. The bowling unit stepped up and did well on the back of another superb knock from Martin Guptill."
Guptill hit a supreme 102, with Williamson and Ross Taylor both scoring 61, while Matt Henry (5-40) was superb with the ball in tricky conditions for the bowlers. "I misread the wicket a bit. It wasn't a bad toss to lose in the end, but it was a hard fought match, so credit to Sri Lanka," Williamson said. "It showed how even the team are when they are both playing good cricket.
"The first 10 overs were important for us as they came out hard against us last time and did very well, so it was good to see us learn from that."
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