Sri Lanka's innings:
Sri Lanka started a bit slowly with around a run-a-ball strike rate in the powerplay. It was Mendis who was continuing his exquisite form with the bat but Kusal Perera never really got going from the other end. Mendis began beautifully, pulling Seth Rance, like he did in the previous match, for a six. Then he gave Scott Kuggelijn the same treatment, a pull shot for a six.
He was eventually foxed by Seth Rance's slower leg-cutter, which forced him to skew the ball towards Tim Southee at mid-off. Kusal Perera joined him in the dugout soon as he dragged a nothing delivery from Sodhi onto his stumps.
At this moment, Sri Lanka were 40/2 in 6.2 overs. The onus was on Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando to pull their team out of the situation, maintaining a healthy strike rate to help their team reach a respectable total at a ground where average 1st innings score is 175.
The put on an amazing partnership of 68 runs before Avishka, too, skewed one straight on a slower delivery. Dasun Shanaka's outing was a small one as he was trapped plumb in front on his first delivery and then he decided to review the decision which made it worse. It was hitting middle as good as anything.
Shehan Jayasuria provided a little cameo that helped Sri Lanka go above 150. Isuru Udana mistimed a lot of balls in his innings of 13(8) hitting just one of the meat which evaded Southee at mid-off with an awkward bounce, resulting in his only boundary. Hasaranga got out on what should've been a free-hit but umpires didn't give the waist-high full toss no-ball. Sri Lanka, in the end, posted a total of 161/9.
New Zealand innings:
New Zealand opened with Tim Seifert and Colin Munro as Guptil picked up a niggle while fielding and couldn't bat until the fall of 5th wicket. Munro came all guns blazing at Malinga, hitting him two boundaries in the first over, Seifert too got a boundary because of a Dickwella misfield.
Munro also welcomed Akila Dananjaya with a boundary over the offside but his aggressive approach resulted in him caught at long-on. From there one, Akila started spinning a web around Kiwis. He trapped Kuggeleijn, who was promoted up the order, in front after being hit for a stylish one-legged six the previous ball. A ball later, he trapped Seifert in front with a googly, too, and Sri Lankans were back in the match.
Tom Bruce, who replaced Ross Taylor for this match, and Colin de Grandhomme were in the middle. And they build a partnership which put pressure back on Sri Lanka. Both batsmen partnered for 109 runs and New Zealand were in the game. Colin de Grandhomme mistimed a shot towards the offside and got caught and Sri Lanka sensed something. Tom Bruce paddled one for four the next ball.
Seven runs were required from the last over, Malinga's quota of overs was completed. So he gave the ball to the legspinner, Wanindu Hasarana. Daryl Mitchell could only hit the first ball back to the bowler who was quick to aim the stumps mat the other end because Tom Bruce was out of his crease. The man who scored a fifty was gone, now. Daryl mistimed a slop next ball to long-on. Two wickets on first two balls was an excellent result till then. Sri Lanka sensed something more. Until what happened next ball. Mitchell Santner hit one in between long-on and midwicket. Shehan from long-on was running towards the ball, so was Kusalm Mendis from midwicket. They got closer, eyes of both on the ball.
Shehan caught the ball running around the boundary but Kusal Mendis with all the momentum collided with him, Shehan's legs got entangled for a second and he tumbled heavily and they both fell heavily on the opposite sides. Shehan tried to throw the ball onto the field but he had touched the boundary rope with his body. The nasty collision resulted in a stop of play for some time and both batsmen were carried off to be treated. Scores level. Santner hit the next one for four as the field was inside and got the win.
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