CRICKET:New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in the third one-day international in Christchurch yesterday to lead 2-1 in the five-match series.

Set a revised target of 110 off 46 overs after Sri Lanka made 112 from their rain-shortened innings, New Zealand reached the mark in the 25th over when Peter Fulton smacked Dilhara Fernando for six.

But the win was soured by a row over the dismissal of top-order batsman Ross Taylor, who was given out caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck.

Television replays showed he had dropped the ball.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said his players thought the catch had been taken cleanly and would have called Taylor back had they seen the replay in time.