PROVIDENCE (Guyana) (AFP) Nathan McCullum proved he can hit big sixes just as well as brother Brendon as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by two wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling World Twenty20 opener here Friday. New Zealand, needing three runs to win with two balls to spare, saw McCullum, better known as an off-spinner, loft fast bowler Lasith Malinga for six over long-off. Man-of-the match McCullums superb shot saw New Zealand finish on 139 for eight in reply to Sri Lankas 135 for six. It capped a memorable day for McCullum, whose unbeaten 16 came off six balls with 13 of his runs, including a four and a six, coming in the last over. I cant hit them, said New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, run out in the last over giving McCullum the strike. Its easier for Nathan to do it. To hit a four and a six was quite amazing. However, Vettori added: We have to be a touch more aggressive. With our batting line-up going so deep we can take a few more risks. Earlier, Nathan McCullum took the new ball - just as fellow Kiwi off-spinner Dipak Patel had done at the 1992 World Cup - and returned impressive figures of one wicket for 17 runs from his three overs. By contrast younger brother Brendon, one of the worlds most dangerous batsmen in this format, was out for nought when pulling Angelo Mathews to midwicket as New Zealands run chase got off to the start all their fans would have feared. Defeat for last years losing finalists was tough on former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene who made a typically stylish 81 off 51 balls - but this time in his debut as an opener - including two sixes and eight fours. Runs were hard to come by in this match, with the next best score on either side the 42 made by New Zealand opener Jesse Ryder. Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in humid conditions. But the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last years World Twenty20 in England, and Sangakkara himself could only manage seven runs between them. We probably lost a bit of momentum in the first six (overs), Sangakkara said. That was vital to kick on. The backwards step we took in the first six stuck with us through the innings. And he refused to blame Malings for the loss, saying: He bowled brilliantly. He was unlucky to go for a boundary in that last over off his second ball. Debutant Dinesh Chandimal helped Jayawardene revive the innings in a third-wicket stand of 59 before he was caught in the deep off Nathan McCullum with the total on 103 for three. Jayawardene fell in the penultimate over and again Nathan McCullum was involved, taking the catch at deep mid-wicket off Tim Southee. After Brendon McCullums exit, New Zealand rebuilt their innings through a second-wicket stand of 62 between Ryder and Martin Guptill (19). New Zealand fell behind the run-rate after Ryder was bowled by off-spin star Muttiah Muralitharan and they needed 20 off the last two overs. Oram was bowled off the first ball of the 19th, by Chanaka Welegedara and next ball Gareth Hopkins was run out. Come the last over, New Zealand needed 10 for victory. Nathan McCullum took a single off Malingas first ball and the bowler then missed an easy chance to run out Vettori off the next, with McCullum striking a boundary off the third delivery. Vettori was run out off the fourth but McCullum was on strike. Scoreboard SRI LANKA: Jayawardene c N McCullum b Southee 81 T. Dilshan b Oram 3 K. Sangakkara b Styris 4 Chandimal c Taylor b NL McCullum 29 C. Kapugedera c N McCullum b Bond 11 A. Mathews c N McCullum b Bond 3 S. Jayasuriya not out 0 EXTRAS: (lb3, w1) 4 TOTAL: (6 wickets, 20 overs) 135 Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-44, 3-103, 4-124, 5-135, 6-135 BOWLING: N McCullum 3-0-17-1 (1w), Bond 4-0-35-2, Southee 4-0-21-1, Oram 3-0-23-1, Vettori 4-0-23-0, Styris 2-0-13-1 NEW ZEALAND: B. McCullum c Malinga b Mathews 0 J. Ryder b Muralitharan 42 M. Guptill b Jayasuriya 19 R. Tayor c Mathews b Muralitharan 9 S. Styris b Mendis 17 D. Vettori run out (Malinga) 17 J. Oram b Welegedera 15 G. Hopkins run out (Dilshan/Sangakkara) 1 N. McCullum not out 16 EXTRAS: (b2, w1) 3 TOTAL: (8 wkts, 19.5 overs) 139 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-62, 3-66, 4-86, 5-96, 6-116, 7-117, 8-133 BOWLING: Mathews 2-1-7-1, Welegedara 2-0-21-0 (1w), Mendis 4-0-34-1, Malinga 3.5-0-33-0, Muralitharan 4-0-25-2, Jayasuriya 4-0-17-1