Waruni Jayathunga
Chasing an imposingly tall 187 target, Sri Lanka Lanka did well to get to 71 for 2 after 9.1 overs and 97 for 3 after 11.4 overs before losing their way and the decisive second T20 by 45 runs and the series following an imposing 186 by New Zealand who were put in to bat for the second time as in the opening game on Monday at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganul.
The series loss meant Sri Lanka’s long winless wait of a series on New Zealand soil would further continue following their eighth failure on tour.
In a last post boil down Sri Lanka needed 60 off 29 balls when a fourth wicket fell with the score 127 after 15.1 overs that saw New Zealand get rid of a threatening Kusal Janith Perera for 48 bowled by Jacob Duffy. At that juncture Sri Lanka did have two known game changers capable of delivering in Charith Asalanka and the imaginative stroke maker Wanindu Hasaranga. But it was not to be as New Zealand’s bowlers staged a 3-wicket heist for the addition of just one run in five deliveries as the Lankan captain, Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana were bundled back into the pavilion.
Nissanka, who has proved to be Sri Lanka’s virtual lone losing battler saw the chase fall on the way his 28-ball cameo decked with 2 to the stands and 3 across ended by the visitors’ bogey man Jacob Duffey who lured him to mistiming one to Matt Henry while he proceeded to bowling Kusal Janith Perera whose 48 off 38 was filled with 4 boundaries and 2 over the top.
The Lankan captain, who had got to a brisk 20 0ff 16 with 3 boundaries fell with the score 135 to his opposite number Mitchell Santner held by Chapman while in-between Duffy clean bowled Hasaranaga for a second ball 1 and going on to have Maheesh Theekshana caught by Santner for a second ball duck as the Lankan batters were once again exorcised by the Duffy magic extinguishing in an impeccable 4 for 15 reward. That he was unlucky to lose out on what looked like another Player of the Match award with teammate batter Mitchell Hay’s 19 ball scorching unbeaten 41 decorated by 2 sixes and 4 boundaries pipping him to the match reward. Kamindu Mendis was third out caught by Chapman off Bracewell for 7 with the score on 97 and Avishka Fernando, who replaced Bhanuka Rajapaksa, eighth out for 5 a victim to the pace of Henry fending to Tim Robinson.
New Zealand’s 186 for 5 revolved on a solid upfront Tim Robinson 41 off 34 driven by 3 boundaries and 2 over in overcoming a 1 for 13 setback of Rachin Ravindra prised out by pacer Nuwan Thushara who had him caught by Matheesha Pathirana for a fourth ball single. The next in Mark Chapman reigned in with a 29-ball 42 with 2 sixes and equal number of boundaries with Glenn Phillipa 23 off 16 (2×4, 1×6) and Daryl Mitchell 18 off 15 before Mitchell Hay turned the game into a hay in the sunshine 19-ball cameo to putting the Lankans out of the game won with five balls to spare.
New Zealand 186/5 (20 Overs)
(Tim Robinson 41, Mark Chapman 42, Glenn Phillips 23, Daryl Mitchell 18, Mitchell Hay n.o. 41, Michael Bracewell n.o. 5, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/28, Nuwan Thushara 1/25, Matheesha Pathirana 1/37)
Sri Lanka 141 (19.1 Overs)
(Kusal Janith Perera 48, Pathum Nissanka 37, Charith Asalanka 20, Kusal Mendis 10, Jacob Duffy 4/15, Mitchell Santner 2/22, Matt Henry 2/31, Zakary Foulkes 1/27)
source: sri lanka crikcet.lk
