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Sri Lanka beat Kiwis in First 20-Over ODI at Home-by Michael Roberts
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Source:Thuppahis
After a tremendous series in India where they defeated the home team three times in a row, a New Zealand second string squad captained by Santner visited Sri Lanka to participate in a 20-over series. In the first match at Dambulla on the 9th November, this side did well to stretch the home side despite assembling only 135 runs on a turning track. In Foulkes theys eem to have unearthed a bowling allrounder with promise.
Andrew Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo, 10 November 2024
Sri Lanka 140 for 6 (Asalanka 35*, Foulkes 3-20) beat New Zealand 135 (Foulkes 27*, Wellalage 3-20, Thusara 2-14) by four wickets
Sri Lanka 140 for 6 (Asalanka 35*, Foulkes 3-20) beat New Zealand 135 (Foulkes 27*, Wellalage 3-20, Thusara 2-14) by four wickets
On a turning Dambulla track, Sri Lanka’s spinners claimed six wickets between them, kept a leash on the scoring rate, and restricted New Zealand to 135 all out. It should have been a straightforward chase, even despite the conditions. But it needed a cool head, which is what captain Charith Asalanka provided with his 35 not out off 28.
Sri Lanka got home with six balls to spare, and four wickets in hand, although the result was never super tense. New Zealand, remember, are trying out some young players at the very tail end of their long South-Asian spring.
New Zealand slide in the powerplay
The first six overs kind of set the tone for the whole thing. The ball was almost immediately turning square, as even Maheesh Theekshana – a modest turner of the ball usually – ripped it big in the first over of the innings.
Theekshana would only strike off the last ball of the innings, getting Will Young lbw for a run-a-ball 19. But before that, Dunith Wellalage nailed Tim Robinson in front with an arm ball, and Nuwan Thushara had Mark Chapman flick a slower ball to deep square leg.
All up, it was outstanding slow-pitch bowling from Sri Lanka. New Zealand were down at 31 for 3 when the fielding restrictions eased. They’d go on to control the middle overs too – New Zealand only made 66 off the next ten overs, and lost five further wickets.
Kamindu and Kusal Perera set the chase up
Kusal Perera helped propel Sri Lanka through the powerplay, hitting 22 off 15 while the fielding restrictions were on, though his team lost Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis through this period.
And because this is is a Sri Lanka victory of this age, Kamindu Mendis has to have a hand in it too. He made 23 off 16, mostly after the powerplay ended.
Asalanka guides the chase home
After seeing what New Zealand did in the Tests in India, you can never be too sure they don’t have something special up their sleeves. Asalanka made sure that although Sri Lanka kept losing wickets, he was on hand to see the victory through, hitting two sixes off his first 11 balls to start, before toning it down and knocking it around as Sri Lanka knocked off the remaining runs.
Foulkes rocks Sri Lanka
In only his third international, bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes brought all his skills to bear. First he cracked 27 not out off 16 to raise New Zealand from an embarrassing total to merely a modest one. With the ball, he bowled Nissanka with a fullish delivery, bounced Bhanuka Rajapaksa, then, had Wanindu Hasaranga holing out to collect figures of 3 for 20.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf
