After posting 168/7 from a dire position, New Zealand came out all guns blazing with the ball and bowled with great discipline which enabled them get the rewards as well. The Kiwis have removed Sri Lanka’s best batter and the comeback man Asalanka and bowled with great lines and lengths to keep the Lankans under check in the powerplay. Matt Henry has been the star for New Zealand.
Matt Henry’s double strike rattles Sri Lanka in the powerplayÂ
Chasing 169 for the win, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis came out to open the batting for Sri Lanka while Matt Henry had ball in hand for New Zealand. Henry struck a major blow as he dismissed Nissanka off the first ball of the match for a golden duck. Henry from over the wicket bowled a good length delivery around the off-stump and got it to jag back sharply after pitching. Nissanka was caught on the crease as he pushed at it without feet movement and got beaten on the inside edge that crashed on the stumps.
Charith Asalanka came out to bat next. Henry started with a wicket maiden over. Cole McConchie came to bowl from the other end. Asalanka broke the shackles as he swept it away over square leg for a boundary. But the bowler bowled a good over. Henry continued and he got rid of Asalanka next for 5 off 9 balls with one boundary to his name.
Henry rolled his fingers on this one and bowled an off-cutter on a length around the off-stump. Asalanka came down the track and was completely deceived by the change of pace. He completely miscued it off the upper half of his bat and Mitchell at midwicket took a sitter moving to his right. Pavan Rathnayake came out to bat next. Henry completed another successful over.
Cole McConchie continued and he bowled a quiet over. Captain Mitchell Santner came onto the attack next. Kusal broke the shackles and stayed deep in the crease and pulled it behind square for a boundary to deep square leg region. Lockie Ferguson came to bowl the last over of powerplay. He started with a decent first over. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were 20/2 in 6 overs with Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 8 off 14 balls and Rathnayake unbeaten on 6 off 12 balls as Drinks came onto the field next.
Rachin Ravindra’s double strike dents Sri Lanka even more
Mitchell Santner continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Ish Sodhi came into the attack now. Sodhi too bowled a quiet over. Rachin Ravindra came into the attack next and he got the wicket of Kusal Mendis for 11 off 22 balls with one four to his name.
Ravindra bowled from around the wicket a tossed up delivery around the sixth stump line that gripped and turned away sharply that had extra bounce. Mendis pressed forward and reached for it and missed the square drive to the keeper. He went out of the crease and Seifert whipped off the bails. Replays showed the foot was in the air as well. Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next.
Ravindra got another as he dismissed Rathnayake for 10 off 18 balls. Ravindra tossed it up around the sixth stump line that gripped and turned away sharply. Rathnayake stepped out and stayed leg side of the ball and reached for it and missed the drive on the outside edge as Seifert collected the ball and did the rest. Captain Dasun Shanaka came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Kamindu got down on one knee and swept it down to the long leg fence. Sodhi continued as Kamindu reverse swept it over short third man for a boundary. At the completion of 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 45/4 with Shanaka unbeaten on 3 off 4 balls and Kamindu unbeaten on 12 off 6 balls.
What Lies Ahead
So, Sri Lanka are in all sorts of trouble as they have been reduced to 45/4 in 10 overs chasing 169 for the win. They need a miracle to win this from here. New Zealand will want to tighten the screws and take wickets at regular intervals and get a big win if they can. It’s been all Black Caps so far.
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