Jayasuriya batted as if he was back in his 1996 World Cup hey-day

Sanath Jayasuriya rolled back the years with a blistering half century as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 18 runs in a rain-affected Twenty20 match

The tourists were 62-1 after 5.5 overs in Wellington when the weather closed in and were later declared the winners via the Duckworth-Lewis calculations.

Jayasuriya hit a six and 10 fours in his 51 not out off 23 balls.

He also took 3-21 in New Zealand's innings after Brendan McCullum (39) and Stephen Fleming (38) put on 80.

The home side began with a potentially important edge in experience in the shortest form of the game, having played three previous Twenty20 matches.

Wearing replica shirts from their 1992 World Cup campaign, they went along at more than 10 runs per over at the start of their innings.

Farveez Maharoff eventually bowled Fleming but it was the introduction of spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Jayasuriya which finally enabled Sri Lanka to exercise a measure of control.

Muralitharan removed McCullum, who struck four sixes in his 22-ball cameo, with the help of Upul Tharanga's catch at deep mid-wicket and also won an lbw decision against Ross Taylor (21).

Jayasuriya, meanwhile, had James Franklin lbw for 18 after he was promoted to number three by the Kiwis and bowled the dangerous Nathan Astle, who made 19 off 13 balls.

James Marshall became Jayasuriya's third victim after managing only a single and New Zealand would have been disappoint to add only 30 in the final five overs of their innings.

Keeper Peter McGlashan used a baseball-style face mask

Sri Lanka began their reply with a flourish as Jayasuriya hit two fours in Shane Bond's first over, the first a fortuitous top-edged pull over the keeper, and three off Frankling, who took the new ball at the other end.

Bond made a breakthrough in the fifth over when he had Tharanga caught at gully for six by Fleming, but it did not check Jayasuriya's uninihibted approach.

Andre Adams was brought on in the sixth over and his second ball was driven through the covers for four, his third was picked up over the leg-side for six, his fourth was drilled past mid-on for four and his fifth was carved over backward point to take Jayasuriya to fifty.

But he was spared further punishment as the rain began to fall and the umpires decided the players should return to the dressing room.

The two teams will meet agin in another Twenty20 match in Auckland on Tuesday before beginning a series of five one-day internationals.