Sri Lanka Gained A Consolation Win Against New Zealand
Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, and Janith Liyanage quickly racked up half-centuries, putting Sri Lanka in a solid position for a substantial score, while a fiery opening spell from Asitha Fernando derailed New Zealand’s run chase.
Asitha showcased impressive swing during his five-over initial spell, claiming 3 wickets for 17 runs. By the end of the seventh over, New Zealand, chasing a target of 291, found themselves at 22 for 5, essentially losing any hope of victory. Mark Chapman fought valiantly to score 81 runs off 81 balls but lacked support from his teammates.
New Zealand quickly collapsed to 48 for 6, then to 77 for 7, and although the end of their innings took a bit longer, Sri Lanka managed to bowl them out for 150 within 30 overs. This marked the third one-sided match in the series, with New Zealand having clinched the prior two.
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Asitha’s final figures of 3 for 26 didn’t fully capture his potential as a swing bowler, as he occasionally mismanaged his lines. However, some of his deliveries were exceptional, particularly the ball that shattered Rachin Ravindra’s leg stump. Asitha angled it away from the left-hander, only to have it come back late and slip between bat and pad. Throughout his new-ball spell, he maintained that delivery shape. In the seventh over, he struck twice, sending both Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips back to the pavilion without scoring.
At the other end, Maheesh Theekshana and Eshan Malinga also took wickets, dismissing Will Young and Daryl Mitchell respectively. All three bowlers ended with three wickets each, but Asitha’s performance was the standout among them.
Malinga also showcased some swing, albeit not as pronounced as Asitha’s, and bowled precise lines. Theekshana extracted turn from a pitch that New Zealand’s spinners had also exploited earlier, particularly while navigating Sri Lanka’s middle order. Still, it was Matt Henry who was the most effective, taking 4 for 55 in his ten overs, with three of those wickets coming towards the end of the innings, although he had played a crucial part in applying pressure during the middle overs too.
The foundation of Sri Lanka’s 140-run triumph was laid by the fifties from Nissanka and Kusal. Nissanka’s 66 runs off 42 balls were notable; he reached his fifty off just the 31st ball he faced but seemed to injure his hamstring while completing that run and left the field after the tenth over. Kusal entered the game in his stead and scored 54 runs off 48 balls, helping him recover from what had been a rather unremarkable series for himself.
Nissanka particularly thrived against the short ball, striking five sixes and six fours during his innings, then returned to bat in the 34th over, attempting to swing at a few deliveries, though he struggled to run or reach far outside the off stump. Kusal hit two sixes and five fours, accumulating all his runs after the initial fielding restrictions had been lifted.
Both players were dismissed by deliveries from Mitchell Santner that turned widely, which they were attempting to pull over deep midwicket.
Santner played a key role in slowing down Sri Lanka’s scoring during the middle overs. They had reached a score of 155 for 1 (with Nissanka having retired hurt) after 27 overs, but over the next seven overs, they lost three wickets and added just 28 runs. They managed to recover through a half-century from Liyanage, who built a smart innings that guided the lower-middle order and tail. Liyanage scored 53 runs off 52 balls before being dismissed in the final over, hitting five boundaries—including two sixes—but primarily focused on extending the innings to ensure Sri Lanka utilized all 50 overs.
However, New Zealand struggled to respond to Asitha’s outstanding bowling performance in one of his best white-ball spells. Chapman managed to withstand that initial new-ball phase, and after the powerplay concluded, he gained confidence, finding the boundaries with the same ease as Nissanka and Kusal had earlier. He particularly excelled on the off side, hitting nine of his ten fours in that area of the ground.
