PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in a one over eliminator after the 40-over Super Eights contest was sensationally tied at Pallekele stadium yesterday.

With both teams inseparable on 174 runs at the end of 40 overs a "super over" round was played for the result.

New Zealand paceman Tim Southee restricted Sri Lanka to 13-1 but Lasith Malinga managed better, finishing the New Zealand innings five short of his team's total.

It was the seventh tied match in all Twenty20 cricket, with New Zealand involved in four of them.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (76) had put Sri Lanka on course for a successful run chase before New Zealand pulled back through some accurate bowling and fielding.

Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother when they lost Kumar Sangakkara (21) and Jeevan Mendis (eight) in quick succession, needing 38 from the last four overs.

With Sri Lanka needing 21 off the final two overs, Dilshan hit James Franklin for a six off the first ball before he was run out off the next, leaving Sri Lanka to make 15 off the final 10 deliveries.

It boiled down to eight off the final over. Lahiru Thirimanne hit a boundary off Southee's penultimate delivery but was run out off the final ball, luckily for New Zealand the ball hitting the stumps after coming off Ross Taylor's knee.

Dilshan hit three sixes and five boundaries during his 53-ball knock.