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On the back of a terrific knock by Glenn Phillips and a collective bowling performance, New Zealand trounced Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 56 runs in Match 27 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022. The encounter took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday, October 29.
New Zealand now lead Group 1 with five points after three games owing to their massive victory. With the win, they go a step closer to securing a spot in the semi-finals. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, find themselves at the foot of the table with only two points after three games.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand were in trouble in the powerplay, losing three wickets quickly. A partnership of 84 was then built between Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, getting New Zealand out of trouble.
Soon after, Phillips attacked the Lankan bowlers and struck a wonderful ton. He hit a match-winning 104 off just 64 balls and took the Black Caps' total to 167/7.
Chasing 168, Sri Lanka's innings never got going as they failed to counter some clever bowling from Tim Southee and Trent Boult. After the early blows, Sri Lanka never quite recovered despite Bhanuka Rajapaksa's best efforts. The batter scored 34 off 22 before being dismissed by Lockie Ferguson.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka's spirited effort of 35 for 32 came to an end when Boult ended his knock. Ish Sodhi scalped the final wicket of Lahiru Kumara in the final over as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 102. Phillips was adjudged the Player of the Match for his magnificent batting efforts.
Let's take a look at the hits and flops from the lopsided clash between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
#4 Flop - Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson's torrid run with the bat continued when he managed just eight runs off 13 balls against Sri Lanka. After failing to make an impact in New Zealand's previous game against Australia, the Kiwi skipper was expected to deliver on Saturday.
However, the initial new ball pressure from Sri Lanka proved too much for Williamson as he eventually lost his wicket in just the fourth over.
After seeing out a few deliveries, the Kiwi faced Kasun Rajitha in the fourth over who got the ball to swing effectively. Despite scoring a lovely pull shot to get things going, Williamson struggled to get any sort of rhythm into his innings.
Rajitha mended his length right after getting hit for the boundary by the ace batter. Following two dot deliveries, Williamson decided to drive the penultimate ball to the off-side but instead nicked it straight to the wicketkeeper.
His dismissal left New Zealand in a heap of trouble as they were reduced to 15/3 after losing their talisman.
It is worth mentioning that Williamson has registered just a solitary fifty in T20Is this year. The right-hander has amassed just 235 runs at an average of 29 and a mediocre strike rate of 115.2 in nine innings.
#3 Hit - Trent Boult
While Glenn Phillips starred with the bat, it was Trent Boult with the ball who proved to be effective and massively dented Sri Lanka's hopes of making a comeback in the game.
After leaking a four on his very first ball, the left-arm pacer rocked back immediately, claiming two wickets in his next four balls. Boult reduced Sri Lanka to 8/4 when he dismissed Charith Asalanka in his next over.
Gaining some swing with the new ball, Boult stunned the Sri Lankan top order and left the game dead and buried within the powerplay.
Boult put the finishing touches into the match by dismissing Dasun Shanaka on the very last ball of his spell. Boult ended the game with his career-best T20I figures of 4/13.
#2 Flop - Sri Lankan batting unit
New Zealand's explosive start with the ball pushed the Lankans onto the back foot after the very first over. By 6.1 overs, the Islanders had lost half their side and the writing was already on the wall.
While the credit must go to the Kiwi bowlers for bowling dangerous deliveries, the Lankan batters displayed very little application to stay at the crease. They failed to gauge the movement and bounce on the pitch, leading them to lose five wickets with just 24 runs on the board.
The numbers show that three Sri Lankan batters departed for naught while only two batters managed to score in double digits for them. It does paint a gloomy picture from a Sri Lankan perspective.
#1 Hit - Glenn Phillips
At 15-3, New Zealand were staring down the barrel of a gun when Glenn Phillips was tasked with resurrecting their trembling innings. Phillips stitched together a match-changing partnership of 84 runs with Daryl Mitchell for the fourth wicket and kept motoring forward.
Phillips paced his innings to perfection, converting singles into doubles early in the innings before knocking the stuff out of the Lankan bowlers at the end. The 25-year-old was dropped twice and made sure that the opposition paid for their mistakes.
Tackling Sri Lanka's skilled spinners with ease, Phillips struck ten boundaries and four maximums en route to his masterful 104 off 64. With his incredible ton, the Kiwi right-hander became the first-ever player to hit a century while batting at No. 4 or lower at T20 World Cups.
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