Watch cricket video highlights of Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2024. First ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Venue of the match will be Wellington.
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Before their own top three sealed the victory with Will Young smashing 90 not out off 86 balls, New Zealand’s fast bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka’s top order to set up a significant victory. On a chilly day with stinging southerlies, New Zealand had Sri Lanka at 23 for 4 at the conclusion of the powerplay on a green Basin Reserve field. Even though players like Avishka Fernando had some comeback innings, Sri Lanka never appeared to be on track to reach a respectable score. In the 44th over, they were dismissed for 178.
New Zealand needed just 23.4 overs to reduce that total. Matt Henry, who took the first wicket during his opening stint and had figures of 4 for 19 from 10 overs, set the tone for the early exchanges. In the sixth over, he caught Pathum Nissanka’s leading edge with a full away-seamer, allowing a straightforward catch as the ball floated out to mid-off. Henry seamed the ball a lot in his opening five overs while giving up just six runs. Jacob Duffy was also making probing overs at the opposite end.
Kusal Mendis was caught off guard by his short delivery, which he inside edged into his leg stump to claim the second wicket. Kamindu Mendis, who was now batting at number four, was run out after three overs after trying a suicide single. He called his partner through for a run after dropping a ball towards cover, but Mitchell Santner sprung on it and struck the base of the only stump Santner had to aim for with an underarm throw. New Zealand’s fielding was excellent overall, and Mark Chapman was particularly good in the point area.
When New Zealand’s quicks occasionally veered off course in the early overs, a brilliant fielding move would usually keep Sri Lanka under pressure. Captain Charith Asalanka was the last wicket to fall in the powerplay. At first, it appeared that Asalanka had been beaten by a steeply rising Nathan Smith delivery outside off stump, but Smith insisted on a review, and Snicko proved that the ball had touched the bat’s shoulder. Asalanka, who frequently falls as the hitter who arrests Sri Lanka, was out for a duck.
After much of the seam action from the early overs had vanished, Janith Liyanage joined Avishka at the crease and they began repairing the wicket, finding boundaries square of the wicket. Throughout the middle stanza, when New Zealand’s seamers alternated between attacking with the short balls, Avishka performed admirably. Regardless, the two scored 87 runs together, with Avishka reaching his eighth ODI fifty, before Liyanage was dismissed for 36 after misfiring on a Mitchell Santner delivery to deep midwicket.
Wanindu Hasaranga, who scored 35 runs, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe, who scored 22, both contributed for Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka was always under New Zealand’s control; the period of reprisal was brief. The chase was unusually straightforward, considering the difficulties Sri Lanka had caused with New Zealand’s quicks. Rachin Ravindra found six boundaries in the arc between mid-off and backward point, demonstrating his strength on the front foot early on.
Young, on the other hand, played a variety of strong pulls and hooks and was outstanding anytime Sri Lanka’s bowlers pitched short. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka’s seamers were guilty of a little indiscipline, and New Zealand was 70 for no loss. Aside from one failed run-out by Asitha Fernando, who fielded the ball during his follow-through, there were no significant wicket opportunities. The rest of the pursuit was simple, although Ravindra would be ejected for trying an audacious leg-side flip off a full delivery down the leg side.
Young quickly surpassed his ninth ODI half-century as he kept hitting those leg-side boundaries. At the other end, Mark Chapman was a constant. The hosts won thanks to their undefeated 87-point record.
