Sri Lanka lost their third warm-up match leading up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as New Zealand registered a resounding 6-wicket win at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday.
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Sri Lanka lost their third warm-up match leading up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as New Zealand registered a resounding 6-wicket win at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday.
The lackluster Sri Lankan bowling attack minus Lasith Malinga, Asela Gunarathne and Angelo Mathews failed to defend 356 as Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson smashed 116 and 88 respectively. Corey Anderson and Neil Broom finished off the chase contributing 84 runs for the 5th wicket in 64 deliveries as the Kiwis coasted home with more than 3 overs to spare.
Tom Latham and Guptill provided a stunning start to their massive chase adding 78 before the former was undone by leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna for 44. From there on, it was the Guptill-Williamson show as they added 157 runs in just 15.4 overs. Guptill smashed 10 fours and 5 sixes to maintain a strike-rate of 152.63 while Williamson pouched 7 fours and 4 sixes scoring at 146.66.
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Only Seekkuge Prasanna took 2 wickets and completed his quota of 10 overs while main spinner, Lakshan Sandakan leaked 80 runs in 9 overs. Chamara Kapugedara rolled his arm over as well but managed to get a 33-run pounding in 2 overs.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, eight out of nine batsmen scored over a run-a-ball with stand-in captain Upul Tharanga leading the way with a cracking 110 off 104 balls with 13 fours and 3 sixes.
Left-handed duo from Nondescript Cricket Club, Tharanga and Dickwella commenced the innings at a brisk rate as they raced to 65 in 8 overs before the latter was dismissed by Tim Southee for a 19-ball 25. Tharanga was then joined by Kusal Mendis and they pummeled the Kiwi bowlers constructing a 98-run stand for the 2nd wicket.
Mendis smashed 57 off 50 balls with 7 fours and a six before he was unfortunately dismissed courtesy a run-out. After Tharanga’s dismissal, Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Janith Perera added 68 in no time but both batsmen fell within a couple of overs to let the Black Caps gain momentum.
Chandimal needed only 46 balls for his 55 which included 6 fours and a maximum while Kusal Perera batting out of position, coming in at number 6 mustered 38 in 28 deliveries with 4 boundaries and a six.
Sri Lanka were well set for a score above 375 but they managed only 79 runs in the last 10 overs as the experience of Trent Boult and Tim Southree proving their worth on a flat surface.
Sri Lanka – 356/8 in 50 overs: Upul Tharanga 110, Kusal Mendis 57, Dinesh Chandimal 55, Kusal Janith Perera 38, Niroshan Dickwella 25, Seekkuge Prasanna 23, Trent Boult 2/47, Tim Southee 2/48.
New Zealand – 359/4 in 46.1 overs: Tom Latham 44, Martin Guptill 116, Kane Williamson 88, Corey Anderson 50*, Neil Broom 37*, Seekkuge Prasanna 2/63.
