Who won yesterday's match: NZ vs SL T20 World Cup 2022 Match 27
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 65 runs in yesterday’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Batting first after winning the toss in the Group 1 encounter, the Kiwis recovered from a poor start to post 167/7 courtesy of a superlative ton from Glenn Phillips. Left-arm seamer Trent Boult then claimed four wickets as New Zealand bundled out Sri Lanka for 102 in 19.2 overs.
The T20 World Cup game that ended in massive disappointment for Sri Lanka began in incredible fashion. Maheesh Theekshana cleaned up Finn Allen for 1, while Dhananjaya de Silva knocked over Devon Conway (1) cheaply. When Kasun Rajitha got struggling Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson (8) to nick one behind the wickets, the batting side were in all sorts of strife at 15/3.
Phillips, however, single-handedly lifted New Zealand out of trouble. He was aided to an extent by Daryl Mitchell (22 off 24) as well as Sri Lanka’s fielders. The centurion could have been dismissed as early as the seventh over. However, Pathum Nissanka dropped a sitter at long-off - Wanindu Hasaranga being the unlucky bowler.
Phillips (104 off 64) went on to smash 10 fours and four sixes in his innings, punishing the Sri Lankan bowlers. He dominated the fourth-wicket stand of 84 with Mitchell, who was bowled by a Hasaranga googly.
Phillips kept attacking even as Jimmy Neesham (5) perished cheaply, looking to up the ante. The 25-year-old brought up his second T20I hundred and his first in the T20 World Cup in the penultimate over of the innings. He pulled a short ball from Theekshana towards the deep square leg boundary to reach three figures.
Boult and Southee rocked Sri Lanka early in the chase, with the former claiming three quick wickets. After Southee trapped Nissanka lbw for a duck, Boult had Kusal Mendis (4) caught behind. Dhananjaya de Silva (0) then dragged one onto his stumps, while Charith Asalanka (4) chipped a low catch to backward point.
Halfway through the fourth over, Sri Lanka were embarrassingly placed at 8/4, which became 24/5 when Chamika Karunaratne (3) perished to Mitchell Santner. Bhanuka Rajapaksa (34 off 22) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (35 off 32) led a mini-fightback for the Lankans, but it was already a lost cause for the chasing team.
Sri Lanka eventually folded up in the last over in what was an extremely crucial T20 World Cup encounter for them. As for New Zealand’s bowlers, they helped themselves to some easy wickets at the death.
Who won Man of the Match in NZ vs SL T20 World Cup 2022 match?
Phillips played a tremendous innings for New Zealand. Had it not been for his knock, the Kiwis would have been struggling big-time in the contest. Boult was outstanding with the ball, registering figures of 4/13. His opening spell literally killed Sri Lanka’s chase.
For the Lankans, Rajitha impressed with 2/23, claiming the wickets of Williamson and Neesham. Unfortunately, for the island nation, there was nothing much else to write home about.
Phillips was the straightforward choice for Player of the Match for his sensational hundred.