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The third and final One Day International (ODI) between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was played on September 6, 2019, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first.
FRIDAY, 31 MARCH 2023
TIME: 8:00 PM ET
TIME: 1:00 AM GMT
Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a poor start, with their openers being dismissed cheaply. However, Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews then put on a brilliant partnership of 138 runs, which helped to steady the Sri Lankan innings. Thirimanne was eventually dismissed for 74 runs, but Mathews continued to score runs, eventually finishing on 97 not out.
Sri Lanka finished their innings on 298-5, which was a challenging total for New Zealand to chase down. The New Zealand bowlers were expensive, with Lockie Ferguson being the most successful, picking up two wickets.
In response, New Zealand got off to a solid start, with their openers putting on a partnership of 50 runs before Martin Guptill was dismissed for 13 runs. Colin Munro and Kane Williamson then put on a partnership of 60 runs, which helped to keep New Zealand in the match.
However, once Williamson was dismissed for 42 runs, New Zealand’s innings began to fall apart. They lost wickets at regular intervals, with their middle order failing to score any significant runs. The Sri Lankan bowlers were excellent, with Thisara Perera picking up three wickets and Wanindu Hasaranga picking up two wickets.
In the end, New Zealand were dismissed for just 249 runs, losing the match by 37 runs. Sri Lanka won the series 3-0, which was a dominant performance by the home team.
The match was significant for several reasons. Firstly, it highlighted the importance of building partnerships in ODI cricket. Sri Lanka’s innings was built around the partnership between Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews, which helped to steady the innings and set a challenging target for New Zealand.
Secondly, the match highlighted the importance of maintaining discipline in bowling. The Sri Lankan bowlers were able to restrict the New Zealand batsmen by hitting the right areas consistently and preventing them from scoring runs freely.
Lastly, the match highlighted the importance of adapting to different conditions in ODI cricket. The pitch in Kandy was different from the pitches in the previous two matches, and Sri Lanka was able to adapt to the conditions better than New Zealand, which helped them to win the match convincingly.
In conclusion, the third ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was a one-sided affair, with Sri Lanka dominating the match from start to finish. Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling, strong partnerships with the bat, and ability to adapt to different conditions were the key factors in their victory. New Zealand will need to improve in these areas if they are to compete in future ODI series.
