Chris Brown (New Zealand), Shaun Haig (New Zealand), Wayne Knights (New Zealand, TV)
Referee
Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
Toss
Sri Lanka elected to bowl
OVS
Bowler :
No summary available yet!
021161
Over 17
Runs: 11
1W0044
Over 18
Runs: 9
0W1W14
Over 19
Runs: 6
WW11b21
Over 20
Runs: 5
All Overs
Player of the Match
Jacob Duffy
3/21
Player of the Series
Lucky Winner
Analysis
Weather Update
Mount Maunganui,New Zealand
Updated: 28 Dec 15:30
20.4°CClouds
31%
Clouds
0%
Rain %
3 kmph
Wind
Commentary
COMMENTARY NOT AVAILABLE
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
11:17 PM local time (3:47 PM IST): That is it from this thrilling contest as the Kiwis pulled out a win from the jaws of Sri Lankan Lions to go 1-0 up in the three match T20I series. For now, I (Keshav), on behalf of my colleague, Lavil, bid you a goodbye. You can tune into the live coverage of the first test match between Pakistan and South Africa.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand captain): The way Mitchell and Bracewell batted, they soaked the pressure and put it back on Sri Lanka and got us to a pretty good score on a pretty good wicket. It looked there was a lot in there with the new ball. I think it was about trying to soak it up a little and their left seamer bowled well getting two wickets for them early on. But once the ball got older It got easier to bat. But yeah, when you lose wickets in clumps, it's tough to provide a solid start. There was just the thought that can we try and get wickets. We knew that the run rate was kinda floating around 8 for a little part. A little bit of quick overs to take the run rate up, that's what we were thinking. With seamers we thought of bowling aggressively with aggressive field setup. Duffy chased the game for us there and brought us back in the game.
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka captain): Definitely, disappointed with the result. We really should have done better. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis batted really well. Apart from them, everyone including me should take responsibility for this loss. That's the beauty of this game. It's the shortest format in the international cricket. We could have been better in bowling and fielding. But it was a decent pitch and when we came in to bat, I thought it would be really easy. We want to comeback well and do really well in the next game.
Jacob Duffy (Player of the Match, New Zealand): One of the times when you bring a fielder up and you expect something to happen and today was the day. Class performance from the guys at the top. We know these conditions very well so we know the bounce and swing here.
11:05 PM local (3:35 PM IST): New Zealand win by 8 runs, go 1-0 up in the three match series
What an enthralling comeback that was from New Zealand as they failed to find a wicket for the majority of the innings. Jacob Duffy's third over turned out to be a game changer for the Kiwis, as three wickets fell in no time. They went on to carve their path to a win from what could have been an easy win for the visitors.
Both the openers, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, batted brilliantly for the first half of the innings and were cruising comfortably towards the target. Even Mitchell Santner went wicketless and finished his quota of overs by the 13th over. However, in the very next over, one wicket brought two with Jacob Duffy's disciplined bowling, courtesy of the incoming batters' poor shot selection and judgement.
Though the anchor, Pathum Nissanka, stood tall on the crease as wickets kept shedding on the other end. This was not the first time when Nissanka helplessly witnessed a batting collapse from the other end.
With 20 runs needed off 12 balls, Matt Henry displayed class by dismissing Pathum Nissanka, though not without Tim Robinson's stunner at the rope. Later in the over, he ripped the stump to send Rajapaksa packing back to the pavilion. A special mention to Zak Foulkes, who came back, towards the end, to bag two wickets and defend 14 runs in the final over.
New Zealand was below par in the first half of both innings, but they scaled up their performance in the second parts of the innings to make a case for themselves at home. And yet again Sri Lanka's finishing woes persist.
20
overs
164/8score
W
W
1
1b
2
1
runs
Binura Fernando*
4(4)
Matheesha Pathirana
0(1)
Zakary Foulkes
2/41
19.6 Zak Foulkes to Binura Fernando, one run. NEW ZEALAND WIN! Full and outside the off stump, Fernando hits that one towards mid-on for a single. Doesn't help Sri Lanka's cause as they go down to New Zealand by 8 runs!
19.5 Zak Foulkes to Binura Fernando, full toss on the middle and leg stump. Binura hits it down the ground and the misfield allows the pair two runs. Doesn't matter as Sri Lanka need 10 runs to win off the last ball
19.4 Zak Foulkes to Matheesha Pathirana, full and on the off stump. Pathirana has a play and a miss but runs across and picks up a bye
19.3 Zak Foulkes to Binura Fernando, full toss on the leg stump. Played towards deep square leg for a single
Matheesha Pathirana, RHB, walks out to the middle
19.2 Zak Foulkes to Binura Fernando, no run. OH, HE'S RAN OUT HASARANGA! Full and on the off stump, Binura hits that one straight but Foulks fields it on his followthrough and an underarm throw at the bowler's end is enough to send Hasaranga back to the hut. Sri Lanka are falling apart now!
Wanindu Hasaranga run out Zakaray Foulkes 5 (2b, 1x4, 0x6)
Binura Fernando, RHB, walks out to the crease
19.1 Zak Foulkes to Maheesh Theekshana, CAUGHT! FOULKES WITH A MUCH NEEDED WICKET! Full and outside the off stump, Theekshana scoops that one up in the air and the fielder at short fine leg does well to pouch that one and send the batter back to the hut
Maheesh Theekshana c Jacob Duffy b Zakary Foulkes 1 (2b, 0x4, 0x6)
New Zealand's all format bowler Matt Henry bowled a brilliantly to scalp two wickets in the penultimate over. First, he dismissed the anchor Nissanka as Robinson hung on the rope at deep point-cover to grab a stunner. This was followed by a ripper to Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka require 14 runs from 6 balls
19
overs
159/6score
0
W
1
W
1
4
runs
Wanindu Hasaranga*
5(2)
Maheesh Theekshana
1(1)
Matt Henry
2/28
18.6 Matt Henry to Wanindu Hasaranga, FOUR! Low full toss outside the off stump, Hasaranga opens the face of the bat towards deep backward point for a boundary to end the over
18.5 Matt Henry to Maheesh Theekshana, low full toss on the middle and off stump. Theekshana makes room and hits it down the ground for a single
Maheesh Theekshana, RHB, is the new batter in
18.4 Matt Henry to Bhanuka Rajapaksa, BOLWED HIM! HENRY WITH A RIPPER! Full and on the leg stump, Rajapaksa looked to flick that one away but misses and the leg stump goes for a walk. Henry nails the yorker and now New Zealand inch closer and closer to a win
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Binura Fernando
*
Zakary Foulkes
Video
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