The hosts, Sri Lanka, sealed the rain-affected first ODI against New Zealand with a comprehensive 45-run victory at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 13th November.
Kusal Mendis smashed a career-best 143, and Avishka Fernando scored 100 as their superb 206-run stand boosted Sri Lanka to 324 in 49.2 overs before rain stopped play.
After a break of around 2 hours and 30 minutes, New Zealand were set a target of 221 to win on the DLS method, within 27 overs.
Openers Will Young and Tom Robinson gave them a strong start, putting pressure on the hosts, who struggled with a wet ball. Sri Lanka regrouped during the first drinks break, and in the very next over, Maheesh Theekshana brought them back into the game by dismissing both openers. The fine opening stand ended at 88 in just 13.2 overs.
Suddenly, the visitors were reduced to 110 for 5 in 18 overs, with captain Asalanka striking twice at regular intervals, before Vandersay removed the dangerous Glenn Phillips, leaving all the wickets to fall for single-digit scores. Dilshan Madushanka dismissed Mitch Hay for 10 as New Zealand were in shambles at 134 for 6.
Bracewell tried and scored some runs but did not receive any support from the other end. In the end, New Zealand could only manage 175 for 9, falling well short of the target. Dilshan Madushanka took 3 for 39 with the ball, while Theekshana and Asalanka claimed two wickets each.
Earlier, after nearly a 40-minute rain delay following the first ball, Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando managed to add only 17 runs for the opening wicket. Nissanka struck two consecutive fours to backward square leg off Jacob Duffy, and on the very next ball, he attempted an uppercut to third man, which was well caught by Nathan Smith.
Fernando was then joined by Kusal Mendis, and the two batted brilliantly, lifting the hosts to a dominant position after the early wicket. After bringing up their respective fifties and a 100-run partnership around the 22nd over, runs began to flow for Sri Lanka. The two right-handers continued to pile on the runs without throwing their wickets away after getting good starts.
Mendis was the first to reach three figures off 102 balls, and shortly afterward, Fernando notched up his hundred in 114 balls—both marking their fourth ODI centuries. Meanwhile, they extended their 2nd-wicket stand past 200, achieving their second double-century stand together. Fernando, who hit 9 fours and 2 sixes, was dismissed just after reaching his 100, bringing an impressive 206-run partnership to an end—the highest stand for any wicket by Sri Lanka against New Zealand.
Mendis continued to find boundaries, but Sadeera Samarawickrama was unable to bat long, getting dismissed in the very next over. The centurion switched gears, finding regular boundaries in quick succession with solid support from Charith Asalanka. Mendis’ scintillating knock ended in the 46th over off the bowling of Duffy. He amassed career-best 143 runs in 128 deliveries, hitting 17 fours and 2 sixes.
Captain Asalanka and Janith Liyanage provided the finishing touches for the islanders, adding 33 runs in 25 balls for the 5th wicket. Asalanka, in particular, found much-needed boundaries as he smashed 40 off just 28 balls, including 3 fours and 2 sixes, helping Sri Lanka post 324 for 5 in 49.2 overs when rain stopped play with the dismissal of the southpaw.
Duffy, who opened the bowling for the visitors, was the standout performer, picking up 3 for 41 in 8.2 overs. The New Zealand spinners were unable to contribute as they had hoped, with Michael Bracewell ending up with 1 for 73 in 9 overs and Ish Sodhi taking 1 for 62 in his 10 overs.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss, with Dambulla hosting its first ODI since October 2018. Jeffrey Vandersay returned to the side in the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, and aside from this change, the home side made no further adjustments to the playing XI that faced the West Indies in the 3rd ODI last month.
New Zealand, on the other hand, handed ODI debuts to keeper-batter Mitch Hay (Cap 216), top-order batter Tim Robinson (Cap 217), and all-rounder Nathan Smith (Cap 218). Additionally, experienced batter Henry Nicholls returned to the side, along with Jacob Duffy.
Playing XI
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (WK), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (C), Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Mitch Hay (WK), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Nathan Smith b Jacob Duffy | 12 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Avishka Fernando | c Will Young b Ish Sodhi | 100 | 115 | 9 | 2 | 86.96 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Henry Nicholls b Jacob Duffy | 143 | 128 | 17 | 2 | 111.72 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | c Ish Sodhi b Michael Bracewell | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Will Young b Jacob Duffy | 40 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 142.86 |
| Janith Liyanage | not out | 12 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 92.31 |
| Extras | 12 (b 0 , lb 6 , nb 2, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 324/5 (49.2 Overs, RR: 6.57) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Duffy | 8.2 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 5.00 | |
| Nathan Smith | 8 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 8.25 | |
| Mitchell Santner | 10 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 5.30 | |
| Michael Bracewell | 9 | 0 | 73 | 1 | 8.11 | |
| Ish Sodhi | 10 | 0 | 62 | 1 | 6.20 | |
| Glenn Phillips | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Young | b Maheesh Theekshana | 48 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 104.35 |
| Tim Robinson | st Kusal Mendis b Maheesh Theekshana | 35 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 97.22 |
| Henry Nicholls | b Charith Asalanka | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Mark Chapman | c Maheesh Theekshana b Charith Asalanka | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Glenn Phillips | c Pathum Nissanka b Jeffery Vandersay | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Michael Bracewell | not out | 34 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 106.25 |
| Mitchell Hay | c Asitha Fernando b Dilshan Madushanka | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 111.11 |
| Mitchell Santner | run out (Maheesh Theekshana) | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 128.57 |
| Nathan Smith | b Dilshan Madushanka | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 112.50 |
| Ish Sodhi | b Dilshan Madushanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jacob Duffy | not out | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Extras | 9 (b 0 , lb 4 , nb 0, w 5, pen 0) |
| Total | 175/9 (27 Overs, RR: 6.48) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 5 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 5.20 | |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 4 | 0 | 39 | 3 | 9.75 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 6 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 5.33 | |
| Janith Liyanage | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | |
| Jeffery Vandersay | 6 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 6.67 | |
| Kamindu Mendis | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 | |
| Charith Asalanka | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 5.00 | |
