- When you look at the pitch, it is devoid of any grass. If any, it is dead grass. It is rolled well. It is dry. The fast bowlers are going to be tested here. As for the batters, they will have to find a way to score runs.
VENUE STATS
1st Innings
215Avg Runs
9Avg Wkts
77.42Avg
SR
2nd Innings
184Avg Runs
7Avg Wkts
76.69Avg
SR
Weather Update
Weather Update
Dambulla,Sri Lanka
Updated: 13 Nov 23:00
25°CClouds
overcast clouds
75%
Clouds
5%
Rain %
94%
Humidity
3.2 kmph
Wind
Playing XILineups Out
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M Santner
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Venue Details
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
- When you look at the pitch, it is devoid of any grass. If any, it is dead grass. It is rolled well. It is dry. The fast bowlers are going to be tested here. As for the batters, they will have to find a way to score runs.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
11:40 pm local time (11:40 pm IST): We say good bye to Dambulla for the series and the tour, but not before it gave us three superb matches of white-ball cricket at the international arena! Now, the action moves to Pallekele for the 2nd ODI on Sunday, beginning 2:30 pm local time (2:30 pm IST). Will New Zealand be able to come back in the series, or will Sri Lanka seal it? We'll find out, when you join us for the match! For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka captain): (On his bowling proving to be the difference) I really don't know what I should say on this! (On what he thought about the innings in the drinks break) In the drinks break, we had a chat about the partnership. We talked about bowling tight overs and once we picked up a wicket, things went our way. I think the bowlers did an amazing job in these conditions! I wanted to bat first, because the pitch was dry and good to bat on. And Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis did the trick for us! We were short of a bowler tonight, we therefore had to get five overs in from others, so, I stepped up to the plate and chipped in with some key overs.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand captain): When you lose two set guys, it can be tough to get going on these wickets. We also lost wickets in clumps, but Maheesh Theekshana bowled brilliantly through the middle. The ball didn't seem to spin as much, but the up-and-down nature with the dew was there of course. But I think there was a five-over period which cost us in the second innings. I think we bowled decently, there was one massive partnership, but we have plenty to learn from this game!
Kusal Mendis is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: (On his highest score against New Zealand) No, I'm not aware. Batters got out early, me and Avishka batted well, wicket was slow. Some were coming straight, some turned, but we kept it simple through the middle overs. My game sometime to attack the bowlers, put them out of the plans and can go long way with the innings.
Maheesh Theekshana: I was at the right moment in the right place, came quickly and reacted to hold on to it. I came off and had the chat with the coach, needed the wicket and needed to bowl some tight overs. Part timers did the job, luckily got two wickets in the same over. We just went with the plan, we didn't bowl well in the powerplay, only Asitha bowled well. Plan was to keep it tight, it worked for us. All the bowlers, did really well, Charith used the bowlers really well. Charith is a batter, he knows how the batters think, that's what helped me a lot.
11:25 pm local time (11:25 pm IST):
Sri Lanka win by 45 runs (DLS method)!
Kusal Mendis 143 (128) | Maheesh Theekshana - 2/32 (6) Will Young 48 (46) | Jacob Duffy - 3/41 (8.2)
The match got reduced to 27 overs after the Sri Lankan innings came to an end with four balls left to bowl, all thanks to the rain gods! New Zealand had to reach 221 runs with the ball getting wet by the over.
And the start that Will Young and debutant Tim Robinson gave their team was top notch! They put up an opening partnership of 88 runs. Even though it took a bit more time than what they would have wanted, the platform got laid brilliantly. The pitch helped in making the ball come on and the bowling too was not quite up to scratch.
But then came the drinks break, Maheesh Theekshana came on to bowl again and in one over, immediately after the recess, picked up both the openers to change the complexion of the innings! Even better, skipper Charith Asalanka chipped in with 3 top overs in tandem and took important wickets of Henry Nicholls and Mark Chapman!
Asitha Fernando bowled well both up front and at the back-end while Dilshan Madushanka bowled a magnificent final over to nail his yorkers and account for two batters.
New Zealand did try hard after the loss of wickets, but the effort always came up short in comparison to the asking rate! The Sri Lankan fielding, which also picked up after that drinks break, helped immensely!
So, this is Sri Lanka's first ODI win against New Zealand since 2015.
Madushanka has bowled a lovely over to finish things! And Sri Lanka have done exceedingly well to end it with a convincing win!
27
overs
175/9score
1
W
W
4
0
0
runs
Jacob Duffy*
4(3)
Michael Bracewell
34(32)
Dilshan Madushanka
3/39
26.6 Dilshan Madushanka to Jacob Duffy, SRI LANKA WIN! They lead the ODI series, 1-0! Bangs in the short delivery, Duffy swivels to pull and misses, through to the keeper. Sri Lanka with a convincing win here, they showed the fight with the ball and made a great come back to defend this total.
26.5 Dilshan Madushanka to Jacob Duffy, OH! Too full on the off-stump, Duffy drilled it back on to the boot and it pops straight up as Madushanka collects it.