Sri Lanka 196 for five (Asalanka 67, Perera 53, Neesham 2-30) tied with New Zealand 196 for 8 (Mitchell 66, Chapman 33, Hasaranga 2-30)
Super Over Sri Lanka 12 beat New Zealand 8
While that may usually be an imposing complete, Eden Park with its odd dimensions and particularly brief boundaries straight down the bottom, meant Sri Lanka might by no means chill out of their defence of it. And so it proved.
But even when retaining the scoring down was proving troublesome, particularly in a while with a little bit of drizzle wetting the ball, Sri Lanka did properly to maintain selecting up wickets at essential junctures, and in the long run did higher in the important thing moments to safe a much-needed win.
Perera and Asalanka sustain the momentum
Sri Lanka misplaced three wickets contained in the powerplay, however their scoring charge by no means dipped. Following Mendis’ early onslaught, Dhananjaya de Silva stepped in for a 10-ball 15, earlier than Asalanka and Perera took maintain of proceedings. Perera had earlier smoked three consecutive boundaries by means of the off facet, starting from the arc behind level to straight of mid-off, however as soon as Asalanka joined in, he took a again seat. Unsurprisingly, Asalanka favoured the brief straight boundaries, walloping 5 of his six sixes within the arc in entrance of the pitch. New Zealand would pull issues again after Asalanka’s departure, permitting simply 11 runs from overs 17 to 19, however such was the platform set by the 2 half-centurions, an 18-run final over, courtesy Wanindu Hasaranga, was sufficient to place some gloss on the innings on the demise.
Sri Lanka regarded to have orchestrated a dream begin to the defence of their complete, eliminating Tim Seifert and Chad Bowes inside the primary two overs, however then entered Mitchell. Off simply the third supply he confronted, Mitchell confirmed his intent, sending a high-elbow lofted drive crusing over the brief straight boundary, earlier than repeating the trick in Dilshan Madushanka’s subsequent over as properly. At the opposite finish, Tom Latham stored the required charge in management, making certain no less than a boundary every over. Together the pair added 63 off 39 deliveries. After Latham fell, Mitchell carried on, placing on a 40-ball 66-run stand with Mark Chapman. The two additionally memorably mixed for an nearly game-changing 24-run twelfth over off Madushanka.
Sri Lanka maintain their nerve
In a sport the place runs got here straightforward, it was at all times going to be small intervals that shifted momentum both approach, and it was in these intervals that Sri Lanka gained the sport. First there was the counterattack following Nissanka’s early dismissal, after which Wanindu’s final over flourish. Then with the ball after Mitchell had struck with a counter of his personal, captain Shanaka introduced himself on to dismiss the hazard man. In the ultimate over too, Shanaka took out the equally harmful Rachin Ravindra, whose 13-ball 26 had introduced the hosts inside a whisker. And then lastly, the superb Theekshana bowled a Super Over of immense high quality to make sure his batters had solely a minimal chase on their palms.
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