Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

P Nissanka
52(51) 6x4 - 0x6
Control %74%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 15 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
2 6 4 4 2 3 8 23
WA Young
WA Young
30(32) 3x4 - 0x6
Control %75%
  • Productive Shot
  • off drive
  • 6 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
0 5 0 4 8 6 0 7

Best performances - Bowlers

PW Hasaranga
PW Hasaranga
O4
M1
R17
W4
Eco4.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
GD Phillips
O1.5
M0
R6
W3
Eco3.27
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH

Match Details

Toss

Sri Lanka , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

2-match series drawn 1-1

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.30, Interval 20.30-20.50, Second Session 20.50-22.20

Match days

10 November 2024 - night match (20-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorer: K Vairavan | Commentator: Sreshth Shah

As both captains pose with the series cheque and move to collect the shared trophy, it is time for us to also say goodbye on ESPNcricinfo. On behalf of Srinidhi and Vairavan, this is Sreshth saying ta-da!

Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka captain: (Your game to lose?) Yes, I agree... full credit to them. Undone by good bowling and good fielding. (Concerning, the struggle against spin?) To be honest, only today we struggled. But basically we are playing spin well. (Losing chasing 109) Of course yes, we have to choose right options, that's the main thing. (Overall excellent T20I record, got a settled team?) I think, yes, and these kind of games can happen anytime in this journey. I believe in this bunch. (ODI series next) Very important for us to climb the rankings. Guys are in a good mood to play the one dayers."

Mitchell Santner, NZ's stand-in captain for this series: (Proud of bowling unit?) At the change of innings, I just wanted the team to fight as a unit. There was a bit there for seam and spin and we spoke about taking wickets up top. (Long talk in huddle before the second innings) Yeah that was the mindset. We wanted a few more runs with the bat but we knew it was a tricky surface. We wanted to apply pressure, bowl in right areas and let the pitch do the work. Lockie and GP were fantastic. (Missed Lockie at the end?) He's a world class bowler with his thunderbolts. That was his role, few wickets in the middle, and break up the spin. (Batting has struggled against spin in T20Is, moving forward to ODIs) Yeah it spins a lot here [laughs]. Slightly slower wickets than we're used to at home but we need to find a method and dig in. Today we went too hard too early, assumed the par score to be more than what it was. As a unit, GP has bowled more so nice to throw him the ball."

Lockie Ferguson is the Player of the Match for his hat-trick. The last T20I he played he bowled four maiden overs in the T20 World Cup. And now returns with a hat-trick and POTM award. "It was a full team effort," he says. "Pretty scrappy. Look its nice to be out there, unfortunate to come out after just two overs bowled but GP bowled lovely at the death. (Mission to take wickets?) Yes, that's the job. Run in and bowl. Happy to get a couple tonight. (What matters on this surface?) It spun a lot so from our point of view as quicks, it is about holding one end up and take wickets when you can."

Wanindu Hasaranga is the Player of the Series. (Hamstring?) Finally can get a few weeks break. (Can't play the ODIs?) I think it is bad. Because I can't run, I tried to go for big shots while batting. (Bowling in Dambulla) I just wanted to bowl stumps' line at a five-metre length. Tried to do the basic things."

11.04pm We'll have the presentation shortly. New Zealand, bowled out for 135 yesterday and 108 today, found enough inner resolve to get the win and share the series 1-1 with Sri Lanka. We'll hear from both sets of captains very soon.

10.56pm What a day to be a bowler. Mitchell Santner has expertly used his limited availability of bowlers to eke out a win from nowhere. The young wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay has also contributed with five catches and a stumping - the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a T20I fixture.

Phillips finishes with 3-6 in 1.5 overs but the win was set up by Lockie Ferguson (3-7) who ran through the top order with a hat-trick. That spell gave NZ hope that they could defend 108, and Sri Lanka will be utterly disappointed to end up sharing the series honours.

Pathum Nissanka with 52 was the only bright spot in the SL batting. The second-highest contribution was Bhanuka Rajapaksa's 15, showing how little support he had. Interestingly, NZ's five run margin of victory is also the same number of runs saved by Michael Bracewell in this game when he converted a six into a single with a stunning fielding effort.

Something for New Zealand to smile about, though, after that horrific batting performance of their own. They started the game losing a wicket in the first ball and also fell prey to some terrific bowling from a semi-injured Wanindu Hasaranga (4-17) and a wily Matheesha Pathirana (3-11). But crucial contributions from Will Young (30) and Josh Clarkson (24) ensured NZ, in hindsight, had just about enough. A terrific game (in terms of the plotlines) if you followed it as a neutral.

Naman: "Perfect example of how to make a royal mess of a low target chase."

Mike: "Hay's glove work sending a clear message to the selectors and putting Blundell on notice."

19.5
W
Phillips to Theekshana, OUT, New Zealand successfully defend 108! Length ball around off. Theekshana swings across the line. Ball is sliced high up and the wicketkeeper Hay calls for it, runs square towards midwicket, and then takes the catch. New Zealand win by five runs

M Theekshana c †Hay b Phillips 14 (24m 16b 1x4 0x6) SR: 87.50

19.4
1
Phillips to Thushara, 1 run, another hat-trick? No, few metres short. Thushara with a baseball-style grip and thwacks the ball down the ground. In the air but doesn't have the power to go to the fielder on the full
19.3
W
Phillips to Pathirana, OUT, full ball just outside off. Pathirana presses forward to defend but the ball goes past his outside edge. But the momentum takes him out of his crease and Hay whips the bails off in a flash.

M Pathirana st †Hay b Phillips 0 (2m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

19.2
W
Phillips to Nissanka, OUT, Golden arm GP strikes! Tossed up outside off, but without much pace to play with. Nissanka goes down on one knee to hammer a shot down the ground for a boundary, but he has holed out to long on well inside the boundary line. He gets a standing ovation from coach Sanath Jayasuriya and some teammates

P Nissanka c sub (HM Nicholls) b Phillips 52 (103m 51b 6x4 0x6) SR: 101.96

Phillips drying the ball up courtesy a rag from the umpire's pocket

Salman : "Apologies for lashing out on Santner. The poor lad don't have much of an option. I hope NZ pull this off for Ferguson"

19.1
1
Phillips to Theekshana, 1 run, full ball just outside off and he squirts a drive away to deep extra cover. Hands the strike over to Nissanka

Here we go. Time for the conclusion to this humdinger. Or maybe we get a super over? Phillips.

END OF OVER:
19 | 8 Runs | SL: 101/7 (8 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.31, RRR: 8.00)

  • Maheesh Theekshana13 (14b)
  • Pathum Nissanka52 (50b)
  • Zakary Foulkes4-0-23-1
  • Michael Bracewell4-0-23-2

How important was that Bracewell fielding effort where he converted a six into one? NZ still have seven runs to play with. SL need eight to clinch the series

18.6
1
Foulkes to Theekshana, 1 run, back of a length ball outside leg, with pace off. Theekshana backs away offering all three stumps while trying to pull. Toe-ends the shot onto his body and the ball rolls away to the off side for one. Theekshana on strike for the final over

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6BKG MendisP Nissanka
2nd18MDKJ PereraP Nissanka
3rd10PHKD MendisP Nissanka
4th0KIC AsalankaP Nissanka
5th29PBB RajapaksaP Nissanka
6th11PW HasarangaP Nissanka
7th8P NissankaDN Wellalage
8th20P NissankaM Theekshana
9th0M TheekshanaM Pathirana
10th1N ThusharaM Theekshana