First ODI in the middle new Zealand and Sri Lanka in what is happening Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2024-25 it has been a one-sided affair, with the hosts cruising to a nine-wicket win at Basin Reserve.
Black Caps pacer Matt Henry is doing a lot of damage
Sri Lanka's batting line-up could not cope with New Zealand's disrespectful batting when they were asked to bat first. The top order fell apart as Pathum Nissanka (9 off 18) and Kusal Mendis (2 off 8) failed to produce anything. Kamindu Mendis (3 off 9) and Charith Asalanka (0 off 5) added to the woes, leaving the visitors at 27/4 inside the first ten overs.
However, Avishka Fernando stood out amid the early chaos, hitting 56 off 63 balls, with four fours and one six. He got help from Janith Liyanage (36 off 54) and Chamindu Wickramasinghe (22 from 42) between overs. Wanindu Hasaranga excelled of late with an impressive 35 off 33 balls, including two fours and a six.
Despite these efforts, Sri Lanka's innings lacked energy and cohesion. Matt Henry was New Zealand's standout bowler, registering leading figures of 4/19 in his 10 overs. Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith chipped in with two wickets each, while skipper Mitchell Santner also picked up one wicket.
Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 178 in 43.4 overs, leaving the bowlers with an uphill task to protect their underdogs.
Will Young has beaten NZ for decades undefeated
Chasing a paltry target of 179, New Zealand's top order made the task look daunting. Will Young put in an innings with a brilliant knock, not out on 90 off 86 balls. His innings was embellished with 12 boundaries as he bowled out the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Rachin Ravindra gave New Zealand a flying start with a quick 45 off 36 balls, smashing two fours and a six. The pair of Young and Ravindra added 93 runs for the opening wicket, taking the game away from Sri Lanka. Ravindra eventually fell to Chamindu Wickramasinghe, but Mark Chapman (29 not out from 36) ensured there were no more surprises.
The Sri Lankan bowlers failed to create any significance on a flat surface. Wickramasinghe was the only bowler to take a wicket, while Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Eshan Malinga and Wanindu Hasaranga had wicketless performances and bounced back.
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New Zealand bowled well in 26.2 overs, finishing at 180/1 and sealing a massive nine-wicket victory.
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets
Scorecard: https://t.co/mOCNiiUTt#NZvSL #ODI #cricket pic.twitter.com/ps0tp7xwPe
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 5, 2025
Player of the Match
Matt Henry's clinical performance with the ball earned him the Player of the Match award. His ferocity up front and in the middle of the overs disrupted Sri Lanka's batting line-up, leading to New Zealand's victory.