Watch the highlights of Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 3rd ODI 2024 - New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 3-match one-day international series of the 2nd ODI match played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele in 19th November 2024.
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| Rain washed off the third ODI © AFP/Getty Images |
Sri Lanka clinch the three-match series with 2-0 after rain washed out third One-day international against New Zealand.
New Zealand scored 112 for 1 in 21-overs at when rain arrived with top scorer by Will Young cracked a unbeaten 56 off 68-balls including 8-fours.
Henry Nicholls hit a unbeaten 46 off 51-balls including four boundaries and Tim Robinson scored 9 off 7-balls included 2-fours.
New Zealand best bowler by Mohamed Shiraz took one-wicket for 23-runs in 5-overs including a maiden.
Kusal Mendis earned player of the series for contributing 217 runs in two innings with average of 217 in the three-match series.
This match reported by Madushka Balasuriya (Third Party Reference from ESPNcricinfo)
Persistent rain in Pallekele meant the final ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was washed out, with Sri Lanka, who had won the first two games, taking the series 2-0. This is Sri Lanka's fifth ODI series win this year.
It was an anti-climactic end to a game that had begun with much promise, courtesy a fresh pitch that was expected to suit the batters as opposed to the more sluggish surfaces served up in the first two games.
New Zealand, having won the toss, decided to take first lease of it and proceeded to get off to their best start of the series. The first ten overs saw them ticking along at a touch under six an over, despite not taking many risks. That was primarily down to the fact that nearly 40% of those runs had come off the wayward Dilshan Madushanka, whose two overs went for 23 runs.
That was the last of Madushanka with the ball, but some sloppy efforts in the outfield meant it was a day to forget for the left-arm seamer who had just 12 months prior been one of the most sought-after seamers in world cricket following a stellar World Cup in India. That, though, seemed to be a lifetime ago as he struggled to maintain consistent lines and lengths. The first five boundaries of the New Zealand innings came of his bowling.
At the other end though, Sri Lanka kept things relatively tight - first through seamer Mohamed Shiraz and then their bevy of spinners. The solitary wicket of the innings had in fact come courtesy Shiraz, playing just his second ODI and his first of the series, though it had also owed much to skipper Charith Asalanka who leapt high to his left at mid-off to hold on to a mistimed drive from Tim Robinson. Shiraz's five overs went for 23 runs as both Robinson and Will Young were troubled by his late swing - 20 dot balls out of 30 legal deliveries spoke of his control.
New Zealand, though, managed a scoring rate nearing six even after the powerplay, comfortably knocking the ball around despite Sri Lanka cutting off the boundary opportunities. Young and Henry Nicholls were largely untroubled, with the pair unbeaten on 56 and 46 respectively, and their partnership at a threatening 88 off 106, before rain brought play to a permanent end after just 21 overs.
The abandonment of the game is a missed opportunity for both sides as they sought to test their bench strength. For the visitors, there was a debut for seamer Zakary Foulkes, who had impressed in the T20I leg, while fellow seamer Adam Milne also got his first game on the tour. They had come in for Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, made no less than five changes, with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage and Asitha Fernando all making way. In came batters Nishan Madushka and Nuwanidu Fernando, seamers Madushanka and Shiraz, while there was also a debut for seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe - he bowled just two overs and gave away 14 runs.
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