Watch cricket video highlights of Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2024. Third Twenty/20 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Venue of the match will be Nelson.
Copyright – Third Party Reference Inline Linking Embedded Video from Youtube
Report
Sri Lanka ultimately done enough. You wouldn’t anticipate that from a side that had amassed 218 runs in their opening innings, but it shows how effectively New Zealand had pursued their goal for the whole of the innings. Kusal Perera’s first T20I century, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, off just 44 deliveries, played a major role in setting up the victory. New Zealand was able to maintain up with the needed pace of about 11 runs per over for roughly 15 overs of the chase.
They may have even been ahead when Daryl Mitchell hit four consecutive sixes off of Charith Asalanka in a 25-run 15th over. After taking a few wickets in the last over, Sri Lanka believed they had done enough, but Zachary Foulkes’ pyrotechnics in the final over gave them another worry. However, despite tense emotions, Sri Lanka managed to secure a consoling victory by seven runs. Even a run-a-ball last two overs couldn’t stop Sri Lanka from setting their second-highest T20I total ever.
Because of Perera’s influence from entering the powerplay and falling with less than two overs remaining in the innings. Despite the abuse from Mitchell, Asalanka was also instrumental, supporting his 46 at bat with a three-wicket haul that ruined New Zealand’s carefully thought-out chase. To top off an outstanding performance, he also made a scorching grab at extra cover. But when it came to the player of the match award, Perera was the only contender.
Although he only took one wicket this time, Jacob Duffy, who had been a thorn in Sri Lanka’s side throughout the series, nonetheless had the greatest economy rate of any bowler who bowled at least two overs during the match (7.50). He earned the title of player of the series with good reason. From the beginning, it was clear that the game would be a rollercoaster. Despite losing their openers in the powerplay and three of their top four players in the first ten overs, Sri Lanka remained unfazed.
As Sri Lanka maintained a consistent pace of almost eight runs per over, Kusal Mendis hit 22 off 16, Pathum Nissanka hit 14 off 12, and Avishka Fernando hit 17 off 12. If New Zealand had hung onto a mishandled reverse sweep off Perera when he was just 15, it may have been better even with the early wickets. Even though they made two great moves to get rid of Mendis and Nissanka, it was a gamble they would probably regret. Even though they lost three wickets, Sri Lanka’s 85 after 10 overs was their highest total at the midway point of an innings in the whole series.
However, that total would be easily eclipsed by the ten overs that remain. Under the leadership of an aggressive Perera and with the help of a few short boundaries at Nelson, Sri Lanka went on to score 133 runs in the last 10 overs. Had Mitchell and Duffy not bowled two outstanding overs at the end, that total might have been much higher. The fact that Sri Lanka managed to reach a massive 218 despite those two overs going for six apiece shows how much damage was done in the overs that came before them.
Of particular devastation was a four-over stretch from overs 14–18 that yielded 75 runs. Perera was largely responsible for it, as he scored a century with 13 fours and four sixes at a strike rate above 200. He used a variety of sweeps, switch hits, and straight slogs to attack the boundaries beyond square at first, but by the end, his knock was a full 360-degree display, including a huge six over cover to bring up his century and forcefully drive home the point.
An equally aggressive Asalanka, who hit 46 off 24 in a 100-run fourth-wicket partnership off only 45 deliveries, kept him company. You can always rely on New Zealand to come up with a plan that works, and their chase in Nelson was a great illustration of that. Most teams would be overwhelmed when chasing a target of 219, but New Zealand established the tone right away when Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra each took Chamidu Wickramasinghe for a boundary in the opening over of the chase.
Nuwan Thushara then scored five runs in his over, but New Zealand made up for it by dismissing Binura Fernando, Sri Lanka’s most potent seamer this series, for eighteen off his first over. The attack only continued after sixty-three runs were scored during the powerplay. With eight wickets remaining, New Zealand had amassed 108 runs before the midway stage. Asalanka was placed in a difficult situation during the middle overs as Thushara and Binura were saved for the death overs and Theekshana had a bad day.
Would he bowl a few himself, or would he rely on the green Wickramasinghe to manage the fifth bowler quota? He ultimately chose the latter, and it may have been the decisive factor that turned the tide of the match in Sri Lanka’s favor. The Lankan captain dismissed Mark Chapman in his first over and then dismissed Glenn Phillips in his second. However, it was his third that delivered the big fish, dismissing the New Zealand opener for 69 off 39 balls after slipping one past Ravindra’s inside edge.
It’s possible that Asalanka misjudged his ability to bowl himself out, and Mitchell appropriately punished him. However, his innovations ensured that New Zealand would have to score a lot of runs in the end from Sri Lanka’s front-line bowlers. With six wickets remaining, Mitchell’s incredible hitting had reduced the equation to 51 from 30 despite Asalanka’s smashes. The hard work appeared to be nearly finished at that moment, but New Zealand was unable to make the landing.
With his double-wicket 16th over, Hasaranga significantly halted the momentum that had swept New Zealand during Mitchell’s assault. The writing appeared to be on the wall when Mitchell subsequently stumbled while attempting to take on Thushara. However, with some strong hitting in the closing moments, Foulkes made sure Sri Lanka had to fight for their victory, but the visitors barely held on.
