Astle steadied New Zealand's nerves with a composed knock

Nathan Astle's unbeaten 40 guided New Zealand to a five-wicket win in the second Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka.

James Franklin (3-23) and Andre Adams (2-20) reduced the tourists, who won the first of the short games, to 71-8.

Lasith Malinga (27) blasted two sixes and Dilhara Fernando hit 21 to boost the score to 115 but Brendon McCullum (28) got the Kiwis off to a good start.

Fernando claimed 3-19 to give them a scare on 86-5 but Astle held his nerve to ease them home with nine balls left.

The tone of the game was set when Franklin bowled Upul Tharanga with the third ball of the game and by the 10th over it was 58-6.

Malinga provided some comfort for Sri Lanka with a 19-ball cameo, thrashing 44 in four overs with Fernando before the latter hit an Astle full-toss to Adams on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

McCullum and Stephen Fleming began at a rollicking pace, reaching 51 by the sixth over when the skipper drove Fernando to Chamara Kapugedera at point for 17.

Kapugedera ran out McCullum for 28 to put the brakes on the Kiwis' scoring until Astle opened up, taking 15 off the penultimate over by Ruchiro Perera to level the scores.

In the next over he sneaked a single of the third ball by Tillakaratne Dilshan to wrap up proceedings.

The teams will now play the first of five 50-over matches in Napier on Thursday.

New Zealand have called in paceman Iain O'Brien as cover for Mark Gillespie (knee) and Michael Mason (hamstring), who are carrying slight knocks but are expected to play.