Twenty20 International, Colombo:
New Zealand 141-8 (20 ovs) bt Sri Lanka 138-9 (20 ovs) by three runs
Match scorecard
 The Kiwis recovered after Sri Lanka were 43-1 in four overs
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New Zealand fought back superbly to win the opening Twenty20 international with Sri Lanka by three runs in Colombo.
The Sri Lankans were given a fine start by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who hit four fours in an over from Shane Bond, in his first international for 22 months.
Dilshan hammered eight fours and two sixes as Sri Lanka raced towards their target of 142, but Jacob Oram took a hat-trick to restrict them to 138-9.
Ross Taylor top-scored for the Kiwis, with five fours and a six in his 60.
After whitewashing the Kiwis 2-0 in the Test series, Sri Lanka looked set to take the lead in the limited overs matches.
However, New Zealand again showed their resilient qualities, having won the toss and chosen to bat and Sri Lanka's middle order frailties were again highlighted.
Brendon McCullum sliced Lasith Malinga for six in the second over but five balls later he was out, dismissed at the non-striker's end, when Nuwan Kulasekara slight deflection on Jesse Ryder's firm drive rattled into the stumps and left him out of his ground. After Kulasekara's change of pace deceived Jesse Ryder into a mis-timed drive to mid-off in the fifth over, Martin Guptill added 53 with Ross Taylor.
Having recorded the fifty partnership with a saunter down the pitch and a glorious six off Malinga Bandara, Guptill top-edged to deep mid-wicket.
 Dilshan's inventiveness was thrilling but could not prevent defeat
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Taylor brought up the 100 with a slog sweep off Sanath Jayasuriya, then launched the next ball over mid-wicket for six, before he was caught at third man off the toe end of the bat from the final ball of the 18th over.
Malinga then rattled the stumps twice in successive deliveries, with Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori out first ball backing away trying to cut.
There was drizzle between the innings but no delay and Bond, who was omitted by New Zealand after playing in the unofficial Indian Cricket League, was given a torrid time by Dilshan, hitting fearless shots from the outset.
The extravagant opener then employed the audacious scoop over his head off Kyle Mills, and smashed two leg-side sixes in another over from the seamer.
He lost former skipper Mahela Jayawardene who was run out by a superb diving stop and direct hit from the burly Ryder at backward point, then current captain Kumar Sangakkara who chipped to mid-wicket in Daniel Vettori's first over.
The key moment came off the final ball of the eighth over when Dilshan reached for a full ball wide of off-stump and Ryder held a fine low diving catch at backward point.
After Vettori claimed the wicket of debutant Rupasinghe with the final delivery of his typically effective spell the requirement was 33 from 30 balls and four wickets intact.
Bond conceded only four singles from his final over to leave nine needed off the last six deliveries.
Having struck with the final ball of the 17th over, Oram returned to bowl the final over and stunned Sri Lanka by claiming wickets from the first two balls, courtesy of low full tosses which were superbly caught on the boundary.
It was only the second hat-trick in Twenty20 internationals, following Brett Lee's effort against Bangladesh in 2007.
Vettori was delighted with his team's endeavours and said: "I think we were about 15 runs short, but the history of this track suggests that it gets harder to bat on as the game progresses.
"We knew we were in with a chance and the fightback after we got Dilshan was impressive.
"The ball stopped a little and we managed to just strangle them and pile on the pressure.
"The bowling at the death is the best it has been for a long time and to put them under pressure after the start Dilshan gave them is really satisfying."
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Commenting on the ingenuity of Dilshan the Kiwi skipper added: "It's difficult to know where to bowl to him because he has such a wide range of shots.
"We just need to keep looking at the footage and find a way to stop him."
Counterpart Sangakkara admitted his side should have gone on to win after the brilliant start given to them by Dilshan.
"Not being able to chance 141 is inexcusable," he said. "We just lost too many wickets at crucial times and could not put together partnerships and that's why we lost.
"I think Dilshan has matured a lot in the last two years and he had understood how good he really is and now he is maximising his opportunities.
"We've got to get back to the drawing board, find out where we went wrong and then improve quickly so that we win the next game."
The second and final match of the series is also in Colombo on Friday.
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