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New Zealand delivered the perfect repost to their Test Series drubbing by repaying the favour in kind as they completed a clean sweep of the Twenty20 Internationals against Sri Lanka with a convincing 22-run win at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

From the minute Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat it was one-way traffic with New Zealand putting in an all-round team performance to take out the series 2-0.

Openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder got the team off to a flyer, blasting 84 for the first wicket including one 19-run over off Lasith Malinga.

Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkarra had no answers to the onslaught, using six bowlers in the first ten overs until Sanat h Jayasuriya eventually got the breakthrough, catching McCullum off his own bowling for 49. McCullum struck four boundaries and two sixes, displaying tremendous hand speed, nimble footwork and lightning fast running between the wickets to give the visitors the perfect start.

Ryder was the supporting partner in the opening stand but freed his arms once McCullum was dismissed, lashing 52 off 37 with three fours and three sixes before holing out to extra cover.

The Sri Lankan spinners, Ajantha Mendis and Sanath Jayasuriya pulled things back a bit, conceding just 43 runs for 3 wickets in 8 overs between them, but the damage had already been done at the top of the order. With a solid platform set, the rest of the batting line-up continued on in a positive fashion with Ross Taylor reaching 16, Martin Guptill 32 and Jacob Oram 17 not out - the side compiling a total of 170, leaving Sri Lanka with it all to do, to level the series.

Strike bowler Shane Bond got New Zealand off to the ideal start - taking the wicket of Tillarkartne Dilshan in the first over for just one. Kyle Mills picked up Mahela Udawatte with the first ball of the following over for a duck, and then dismissed danger man Jayasuriya for seven to have the home team reeling at 11 for 3.

The experienced Mahela Jayawardene lead a fight back, sharing a 67-run partnership with Kumara Sangakkara, but just as they started to look dangerous Jayawardene was caught at short fine leg off the bowling of Nathan McCullum for 41. Three balls later McCullum had his second victim with Angelo Mathews caught in the covers for one leaving the home team 80 for five with less than ten overs to play.

Sangakkara kept Sri Lankan hopes alive with a gritty half century but couldn't get a partner to stick around as Bond removed Gilhan Rupasinghe for 18. Needing 28 from seven Sangakkara needed to find the rope but only succeeded in finding Jacob Oram who took the catch off his own bowling as all hopes of a victory were lost.

Bond picked up Nuwan Kulasekara in the final over to finish with figures of three for 18.

Ryder picked up both the man of the match and man of the series award for his efforts with the bat and in the field.

BLACKCAPS captain Daniel Vettori said the win was very satsfying - and paid tribute to the opening pair: "It started from the partnership of McCullum and Ryder - it's so important in this format of the game that your openers or top three get you off to a great start, and I couldn't really ask for too much more from those two."

New Zealand's next match is a warm up game against Sri Lanka A on 6th September, as they wait for India to join them on the Lankan tour for an ODI tri-series before all three teams head to South Africa for the ICC Champions Trophy later this month.

Mini Scorecard:

New Zealand 170/4(20 overs, rpo 8.5)
Ryder 52(37)                Jayasuriya 2-22
B McCullum 49(34)      Mendis 2-21

Sri Lanka 148/8 (20 overs, rpo 7.4)
Sangakkara 69(50)        Bond 3-18
Jayawardene 41(30)      N McCullum 2-18

File Photograph Copyright: Gordon