Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
27 | 5 Runs 2 Wkts | NZ: 175/9 (46 runs required, RR: 6.48)

  • Jacob Duffy4 (3b)
  • Michael Bracewell34 (32b)
  • Dilshan Madushanka4-0-39-3
  • Asitha Fernando5-0-26-0

11.37pm That's a wrap of this rain-hit ODI. NZ need to win the second match in Pallekele on Sunday if they are to keep the series alive. Until then, this is Deivarayan Muthu signing off on the behalf of Andrew Fidel Fernando, Venkat Raghav and Thilak Ram. Take care and cheers.

Asalanka, SL captain: Ha ha, what should I say [about those wickets]! At the drinks break, we had a chat about the partnership and we wanted to bowl tight overs. That was the only way to win this game. I thought it will be tough for us [with the wet ball] and it didn't turn too much. Of course [the toss is important] and I just wanted to bat first. Avishka and Kusal batted really well and best thing was both of them scored hundreds. Basically, we were short of a bowler and we had to make up five overs. If a new batter comes, I wanted to bowl.

Santner, NZ captain: When you lose two set guys, it can be difficult on these wickets. But we tried to keep firing shots, but if you lose wickets in clumps, it's a challenge and the way Theekshana bowled…Obviously with the rain and dew, we were confident at the halfway. I guess it was one of those days. It was a learning today for sure. We didn't bowl too badly and it was on the slower side.

Kusal Mendis, Player of the Match: Me and Avishka batted really well and the wicket was slow. I managed my innings well and went for the hundred.

11.15pm That is that. SL go 1-0 up after winning a rain-hit game. NZ were quick off the blocks in their revised chase of 221 in 27 overs, but then they lost five wickets in less than five overs for just 22 runs. It was Theekshana who triggered the collapse with the wickets of both Young and Robinson. The other spinners and Madushanka also contributed to NZ's slowdown. Here's Theekshana: "I was just there at the right moment for the catch (laughs). I had a chat with the coach and bowling coach (before the double-strike). Luckily, I got two wickets in that over. We just went with our normal plans. I think I didn't bowl well in the powerplay and we wanted to get more wickets. It was tough with the wet ball but Charith and everyone bowled well. Charith knows the conditions as a batter, he knows what the batter thinks. Really happy with all the bowlers." Andrew Fidel Fernando's report will tell you the full story of the match


26.6
0
Madushanka to Duffy, no run, lifter from wide on the crease, 134ks, swing and a miss
26.5
0
Madushanka to Duffy, no run, off-stump yorker, Madushanka nails his length this time, jabbed back to him
26.4
4
Madushanka to Duffy, FOUR, full-toss, angling into middle, Madushanka misses the yorker, whipped away past mid-on for four

No.11 Duffy. Madushanka is on a hat-trick

26.3
W
Madushanka to Sodhi, OUT, The leg stump has been knocked out! On a length and nipping in with the sharp angle. Sodhi has a crack at it from the crease and doesn't lay bat on ball. The leg stump has been shattered. Coach Jayasuriya applauds from the SL dressing room

IS Sodhi b Madushanka 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Sodhi at No.10 for NZ

26.2
W
Madushanka to Smith, OUT, Castled! Not quite a yorker, but still pretty full and slanting into the stumps from left-arm around. Smith swings for the hills and misses. He goes for 9 off 8 on debut

NG Smith b Madushanka 9 (9m 8b 1x4 0x6) SR: 112.50

26.1
1
Madushanka to Bracewell, 1 run, mighty full on off, Bracewell gets underneath the length and lifts it to long-off. Not middled

END OF OVER:
26 | 8 Runs | NZ: 170/7 (51 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.53, RRR: 51.00)

  • Nathan Smith9 (7b)
  • Michael Bracewell33 (31b)
  • Asitha Fernando5-0-26-0
  • Maheesh Theekshana6-0-32-2
25.6
4
AM Fernando to Smith, FOUR, full-toss outside off, Smith lines it up and swipes it away between deep midwicket and wide long-on. He's a capable lower-order batter
25.5
1
AM Fernando to Bracewell, 1 run, wide full-toss, carved away to deep point, as Asitha marginally misses the wide yorker
25.4
1
AM Fernando to Smith, 1 run, down the track, meets a full-toss and hacks it down to long-on

Niranjan: "@Akindu , the third wicket fell on 14.5 at 95, the pitch is getting slower and they had to score more than 100. What would you expect from such an inexperienced side rather than getting out trying to hit every ball for a boundary. Sometimes it works, sometimes it goes like this. Couldn't blame them that much."

25.3
1
AM Fernando to Bracewell, 1 run, wide yorker, sliced away to deep point. Good bowling from Asitha
25.2
1lb
AM Fernando to Smith, 1 leg bye, yorker, tailing into the pads, Smith can't lay bat on ball but crosses over for a leg bye
25.1
0
AM Fernando to Smith, no run, full-toss, angling into the pads, Smith misses out on a scoring opportunity

Saniq: "As a Sri Lankan fan, having a Nathan at the crease worries me. I haven't forgotten what Nathan McCullum did to us in 2013."

END OF OVER:
25 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ: 162/7 (59 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.48, RRR: 29.50)

  • Nathan Smith4 (3b)
  • Michael Bracewell31 (29b)
  • Maheesh Theekshana6-0-32-2
  • Asitha Fernando4-0-19-0
24.6
1
Theekshana to Smith, 1 run, just short of a length and outside off, flayed away to sweeper cover on the back foot

JD: "Asitha really has blossomed quite a bit as a stump to stump bowler. He gives similar vibes to Vernon Philander (SA)." --- Asitha also has some nifty variations in his repertoire

24.5
2
Theekshana to Smith, 2 runs, on a length and darted into middle, whisked down to long-on
24.4
1lb
Theekshana to Bracewell, 1 leg bye, tossed up and slanting down the leg side, Bracewell tickles a sweep to short fine leg
24.3
1
Theekshana to Smith, 1 run, carrom ball, on the hips and too short, tucked away to deep square leg

New Zealand 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st88WA YoungTB Robinson
2nd1HM NichollsWA Young
3rd6MS ChapmanHM Nicholls
4th5MS ChapmanGD Phillips
5th10MG BracewellGD Phillips
6th24MG BracewellMJ Hay
7th22MG BracewellMJ Santner
8th15MG BracewellNG Smith
9th0MG BracewellIS Sodhi
10th4MG BracewellJA Duffy