JESSE Ryder smashed 74 with the aid of a runner to help New Zealand beat Sri Lanka yesterday by 38 runs and keep alive their Champions Trophy semi-final hopes.

Opener Ryder, who will play no further part in the tournament, hurt his groin seven balls into his innings but still put on 125 with Brendon McCullum (46).

Martin Guptill (66) and Daniel Vettori (48) helped steer New Zealand to 315-7.

Mahela Jayawardene hit 77 and Nuwan Kulasekara an unbeaten 57 but Sri Lanka were all out for 277 in Johannesburg.

Having finished their Group B campaign with one victory and one defeat, they must now hope England win their remaining two games to try to sneak through to the last four on run-rate.

New Zealand, beaten by South Africa in their first match, can guarantee their qualification if they beat England on Tuesday.

Skipper Vettori, named man- of- the match for his all-round efforts, was thrilled with the way his side rose to the challenge.

“It’s a crucial win and obviously keeps us alive in the tournament and that’s the most important bit,” he said.

“But the manner of the win is something that is really pleasing to ourselves and to our fans back home.”

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara felt his side’s fielding let them down.

“We have a lot of brushing up to do, especially with the fielding,” he admitted.

“Forget the bowling and the batting, we haven’t been doing fielding well for the past six months.

“We’ve got to really go back to basics. We probably didn’t bowl as well as we could have, especially with the early assistance in the track.”

Ryder, whose 50 came off just 28 balls, faced 58 balls in total and blasted 10 fours and a six as he threw caution to the wind.

McCullum’s 46 came at a slower pace off 72 balls, but the pair set the standard for the innings.

Sri Lanka, who dropped spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, hit back with five wickets for 36 runs to reduce the Black Caps to 161-5 but Guptill and skipper Vettori put on a quickfire 69 and then James Franklin bashed 28 off 21 balls and Kyle Mills 18 off six balls in a thrilling finish.

Sri Lanka openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya had put on 66 when Jayasuriya fell for 24 and then Dilshan (41) followed just one run later.

Jayawardene tried to anchor his side’s innings and struck two sixes in his 85 balls, but when he was the seventh wicket to fall, bowled by Vettori, the run-chase was all-but over.

Kulasekara clubbed 57 from 56 balls, hitting four sixes in the process, but the innings came to an end when Daryl Tuffey removed Ajantha Mendis for three in the 47th over.

It was later confirmed that Ryder, who was fined 15% of his match fee after breaking a chair with his bat following his dismissal, had torn an abductor muscle.

“It’s very sad for him and I don’t think it is a good prognosis,” added Vettori.

New Zealand have asked for permission to bring in batsman Aaron Redmond to replace Ryder. (BBC Sport)

NEW ZEALAND Innings
+B McCullum c Dilshan b Mathews 46
J Ryder c wkp Sangakkara b Kulasekara 74
M Guptill b Malinga 66
R Taylor c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 4
G Elliott  lbw b Mathews 0
N Broom c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 15
*D Vettori c sub (C Kapugedera) b Jayasuriya 48
J Franklin not out 28
K Mills not out 18
Extras (b3, lb2, w8, nb3) 16

TOTAL (7 wickets – 50 overs) 315

Did not bat: D Tuffey, S Bond 

Fall of wickets: 1-125 (Ryder, 19.6 overs), 2-128 (McCullum, 21.5), 3-133 (Taylor, 22.5), 4-140 (Elliott, 23.5), 5-161 (Broom, 30.2), 6-230 (Vettori, 41.4), 7-284 (Guptill, 47.6)

Bowling: Kulasekara 7-0-52-1 (1w); Thushara 7-0-50-0 (2nb, 4w); Malinga 10-0-85-1 (2w); Mendis 9-1-49-0 (1nb); Mathews 6-0-33-2; Jayasuriya 10-0-39-3; Kandamby 1-0-2-0

SRI LANKA Innings
TM Dilshan c sub (JS Patel) b Mills 41
ST Jayasuriya c Mills b Tuffey 24
*+K Sangakkara c Taylor b Franklin 11
M Jayawardene b Vettori 77
T Samaraweera c Broom b Vettori 17
T Kandamby run out (Vettori/Elliott) 11
A Mathews c Guptill b Franklin 2
N Kulasekara not out 57
T Thushara c Guptill b Mills 11
L Malinga c Taylor b Mills 15
A Mendis c Vettori b Tuffey 3

Extras (lb2, w5, nb1) 8

TOTAL (all out – 46.4 overs) 277

Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Jayasuriya, 7.5 overs), 2-67 (Dilshan, 8.5), 3-85 (Sangakkara, 12.3), 4-114 (Samaraweera, 18.4), 5-137 (Kandamby, 24.3), 6-141 (Mathews, 27.2), 7-219 (Jayawardene, 38.2), 8-243 (Thushara, 42.1), 9-262 (Malinga, 44.6), 10-277 (Mendis, 46.4)

Bowling: Mills 10-0-69-3 (1w); Bond 9-0-82-0 (1w); Tuffey 8.4-1-39-2 (3w); Franklin 9-0-40-2 (1nb); Vettori 10-0-45-2

Points: New Zealand 2, Sri Lanka 0