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Sri Lanka and New Zealand faced off in the third and final T20 match of their bilateral series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. With New Zealand having already won the series 2-0, Sri Lanka was playing for pride and to salvage a win in the series.
SATURDAY, 08 APRIL 2023
TIME: 7:00 PM ET
TIME: 12:00 AM GMT
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Their openers, Dhananjaya de Silva and Avishka Fernando, got off to a steady start, putting on a partnership of 25 runs. However, de Silva was dismissed in the fourth over, caught by Glenn Phillips off the bowling of Ajaz Patel.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa came in at number three and played a counter-attacking innings, scoring 32 runs off just 22 balls. He was well supported by Fernando, who also played a good innings, scoring 50 runs off 37 balls. Their partnership of 80 runs helped Sri Lanka post a competitive total of 164/9 in their 20 overs.
For New Zealand, Ish Sodhi was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets for 35 runs. Ajaz Patel and Scott Kuggeleijn also picked up two wickets each.
In reply, New Zealand got off to a poor start, losing opener Martin Guptill in the first over. However, Devon Conway and Will Young put on a partnership of 46 runs to steady the innings. Conway was the aggressor in the partnership, scoring 55 runs off just 37 balls. Young was more subdued, scoring 20 runs off 23 balls.
After Young’s dismissal, New Zealand’s middle-order batsmen struggled to get going. Glenn Phillips and Tom Bruce both fell cheaply, and New Zealand was in trouble at 108/5 in the 15th over.
However, captain Tom Latham played a captain’s innings, scoring 50 runs off 37 balls to take New Zealand closer to their target. He was well supported by all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who scored an unbeaten 21 runs off just 11 balls.
With just 7 runs needed off the final over, Sri Lanka’s bowlers tried their best to create some pressure. However, Neesham hit a crucial boundary off the third ball of the over to seal the win for New Zealand with three balls to spare.
New Zealand won the match by five wickets and completed a clean sweep of the series, winning all three matches. Tom Latham was named Player of the Match for his innings of 50 runs, while Devon Conway was named Player of the Series for his consistent performances throughout the series.
Overall, it was another disappointing performance from Sri Lanka, who failed to capitalize on a good start and struggled to take wickets during the New Zealand chase. New Zealand, on the other hand, will be pleased with their performance and will be looking to carry this form into the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The Sri Lankan team will need to go back to the drawing board and identify areas for improvement if they are to compete with the top teams in the world. They will need their senior players to step up and lead from the front, and their younger players to gain more experience at the international level.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will be delighted with their performance in the series. They have shown that they have a strong all-round team and will be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
In conclusion, the third and final T20 match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was another one-sided affair, with New Zealand dominating the match from start to finish. Sri Lanka will need to work hard to improve their performances.
