Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
20 | 5 Runs 2 Wkts | SL: 164/8 (9 runs required, RR: 8.20)

  • Binura Fernando4 (4b)
  • Matheesha Pathirana0 (1b)
  • Zakary Foulkes4-0-41-2
  • Matt Henry4-0-28-2

11.16pm Right, that's your lot. Remarkable game. We're back again on Monday for the second T20I. From Miller and Venkat, good night!

11.09pm Shane: "Duffy the Lanka Slayer!" Oh very good... presentations coming up.

Jacob Duffy is indeed the Player of the Match: "Big opening partnership, brought midwicket up to create something, it came off... We know these conditions pretty well, after a lot of cricket in Asia, it was cool to get [some pace and bounce]."

Charith Asalanka: "Very disappointed, we should have done better. Pathum and Kusal batted well, the rest including me should take responsibility for this loss. We hope to come back really well. I thought we could have done better in bowling and fielding but it was a decent pitch and when the openers were batting it looked easy."

Mitchell Santner: "Game of two halves, set up by Daryl and Beast, then tried to put pressure on batters coming in. Their left-arm seamer bowled well, but when you lose wickets in clumps it's hard to get starts. Massive partnership for us, soaked it up then put the pressure back on to put up a pretty good score. Can we try to take wickets? The run rate was around 8s, but some aggressive bowling with aggressive fields, and midwicket up, Duff changed the game."

Sampath notes that Sri Lanka's win probability after 13.1 overs was 98.13 % Yikes

11.04pm Well blow me down... New Zealand were 65 for 5 and floundering in the first innings... Sri Lanka were 121 and cruising in the second. But a fast-paced century stand from Bracewell and Mitchell changed the former picture, before Jacob Duffy's three in four balls tore up Sri Lanka's comfortable chase. Pathum Nissanka's 90 from 60 would have won it at a canter with any support beyond Mendis's 46 at the top. Instead the next highest score was ... 8! Matt Henry provided the wise old head at the death, and Zak Foulkes capped his first home international with a final over to remember!

Sajid: "To the Kiwi fans, you're most welcome! I would love to take all the credit of jinxing the innings to myself, but I extend my gratitude to the Sri Lankan middle order for doing the thing that only they can do! "

Yashi: "What just happened here??!!! SL was 96/0 in 10 overs.. unbelievable!! :("

Udam: "Discipline of bowlers cost the match for Sri Lanka. You could be a slinger and fascinating but end of the day you need to give your maximum effort consistently in international arena."

Vasumathy : "This is called stealing defeat from the jaws of victory!"

19.6
1
Foulkes to Fernando, 1 run, blazed off the front foot, into the off side, New Zealand have clawed a remarkable victory!
19.5
2
Foulkes to Fernando, 2 runs, full toss, straight enough to save the boundary... a misfield gives an extra run, but it's academic. Barring no-balls this is over!
19.4
1b
Foulkes to Pathirana, 1 bye, play and a miss outside off! Beats the stumps and the bat, they burgle the bye to keep this game live... just!
19.3
1
Foulkes to Fernando, 1 run, full toss, on the pads, not ideal from Foulkes but gets away with it, a flip to deep square leg for the single. This is almost done
19.2
W
Foulkes to Fernando, OUT, full and straight, Foulkes nails the non-striker's run-out! Stunning work from the bowler, first he plucked a firm drive as he stooped in his followthrough, then he turned and coolly under-armed onto the stumps as Hasaranga was caught floundering in mid-pitch! Eight down for 38!

PW Hasaranga run out 5 (8m 2b 1x4 0x6) SR: 250.00

Krithika : "1st innings (NZ Setting) : SL bossed the 1st half and NZ regained momentum in the 2nd half 2nd innings (SL Chasing) : SL bossed the 1st half and NZ regained momentum in the 2nd half "

19.1
W
Foulkes to Theekshana, OUT, spiralling top-edge, pocketed by short backward square! Theekshana walks across to off for the paddle-scoop, but gets too underneath the stroke. Duffy circles beneath it and clutches it to his chest. The implosion is almost complete!

M Theekshana c Duffy b Foulkes 1 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

Foulkes with the final over... Santner and Henry in consultation...

END OF OVER:
19 | 6 Runs 2 Wkts | SL: 159/6 (14 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.36, RRR: 14.00)

  • Wanindu Hasaranga5 (2b)
  • Maheesh Theekshana1 (1b)
  • Matt Henry4-0-28-2
  • Zakary Foulkes3-0-37-1
18.6
4
Henry to Hasaranga, FOUR, too full on the wide line! It's an open-faced cuff through point, and it's got enough pace to beat the dive! Superb strike to end a wonderful over... New Zealand are favourites but that is a timely boundary!
18.5
1
Henry to Theekshana, 1 run, another spot-on yorker, hacked into the covers off the back foot, superbly dug out, but the single is a win for New Zealand

Ranjoo : "18.2 that had 6 written over it ! Only anyone as tall as Robinson could have caught it ! What a knock from pathum!!!"

18.4
W
Henry to Rajapaksa, OUT, plucks out the leg stump! Stunning from Henry, full and fast, Rajapaksa made room to leg to try to bring the bat down, but all he did was offer a route into his timber! Sri Lanka have lost 6 for 33 after being 121 for none!

PBB Rajapaksa b Henry 8 (12m 5b 2x4 0x6) SR: 160.00

Three big balls coming up... what can Henry leave for the final over?

18.3
1
Henry to Hasaranga, 1 run, full and straight, perfect welcome from Henry, Hasaranga hacks off the back foot, into his boot, and they burgle the single...

What a match! The rate is back to two a ball as Hasaranga arrives. He can give it some humpty...

18.2
W
Henry to Nissanka, OUT, stunning take on the cover boundary! Is that a matchwinning take from Robinson? Short from Henry, Nissanka rocked into a fierce cut, it arrived at pace, above the fielder's head, but he leapt back well, lobbed it back into play as he toppled for the rope, and regained his footing in time to end a mighty innings!

P Nissanka c Robinson b Henry 90 (91m 60b 7x4 3x6) SR: 150.00

18.1
0
Henry to Nissanka, no run, wide line, back of a length, flat-footed hack, under-edged to the keeper. Precious dot...

Two more overs like the last ones, and Sri Lanka win it from the final ball... here's Henry to disrupt the narrative

END OF OVER:
18 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 153/4 (20 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.50, RRR: 10.00)

  • Bhanuka Rajapaksa8 (4b)
  • Pathum Nissanka90 (58b)
  • Zakary Foulkes3-0-37-1
  • Michael Bracewell3-0-30-0
17.6
4
Foulkes to Rajapaksa, FOUR, short, leg-sided, pace off! Lifted off the hips, up and over the keeper, a damaging end to a threatening over, and Sri Lanka regain some control of this chase
17.5
4
Foulkes to Rajapaksa, FOUR, dinky! Gives it the charge, opens the face, clips it up and over deep third! Not a lot wrong with that delivery, but picked off wonderfully
17.4
0
Foulkes to Rajapaksa, no run, squared up on the fuller length, jabbed out to point. Another dot to drag that rate upwards. Two a ball now
17.3
0
Foulkes to Rajapaksa, no run, two in two! Full and straight, Rajapaksa is pinned on the pads! The finger goes up but Sri Lanka review... this might have been off-sided... clipping the stumps maybe? Ultra-Edge is taking an eternity to load... crumbs, that's a jumble of noises on the snicko... good luck making sense of that. Definitely a loud thump of pad, the inside-edge is "not conclusive", but pitched outside leg is! Gosh, it's all going on
17.2
W
Foulkes to Asalanka, OUT, short, huge top-edge! Foulkes went for the bouncer, asking Asalanka to take on the pull. Bracewell at deep square leg steadied himself well and New Zealand continue to tighten the screw!

KIC Asalanka c Bracewell b Foulkes 3 (16m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 42.85

17.1
1
Foulkes to Nissanka, 1 run, short, down the leg side, launched through fine leg, but not timed

Back comes Foulkes. He's been expensive, but intermittently threatening

END OF OVER:
17 | 11 Runs | SL: 144/3 (29 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.47, RRR: 9.66)

  • Pathum Nissanka89 (57b)
  • Charith Asalanka3 (6b)
  • Michael Bracewell3-0-30-0
  • Jacob Duffy4-0-21-3
16.6
1
Bracewell to Nissanka, 1 run, wide line, clobbered out to deep point. 11 off the over, so a tick ahead of the rate
16.5
6
Bracewell to Nissanka, SIX, that'll help! Steps into the wide line, driven high and handsome, up and over wide long-off! A career-best for Nissanka, and this match is on him now...
16.4
1
Bracewell to Asalanka, 1 run, bottom-handed slap out to deep midwicket, just the single, as the rate creeps up again ...
16.3
1
Bracewell to Nissanka, 1 run, steps across to the wide line, and dragged out to deep midwicket
16.2
2
Bracewell to Nissanka, 2 runs, full toss, huge top-edge! Lands safe behind the keeper, and this could be a no-ball too... nope, gets away on height

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st121BKG MendisP Nissanka
2nd0MDKJ PereraP Nissanka
3rd0PHKD MendisP Nissanka
4th24KIC AsalankaP Nissanka
5th8PBB RajapaksaP Nissanka
6th1PBB RajapaksaPW Hasaranga
7th5PW HasarangaM Theekshana
8th0B FernandoPW Hasaranga
9th5B FernandoM Pathirana