3rd T20I
Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka has shined in Sri Lanka’s consolation victory in the third T20I
Sri Lanka scored 218/5 in 20 overs, where as New Zealand scored 211/7 in 20 overs.
So, finally Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 7 runs.
Riding on a blistering 46-ball 101 from Kusal Perera and his century stand with captain Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling, high-scoring victory in the dead-rubber final T20I at Saxton Oval in Nelson.
After losing the first two games and conceding the series, the visitors posted a formidable 218.
Despite a strong chase from New Zealand, led by quickfire knocks from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, the hosts fell short by seven runs.
Mitchell Santner, who had opted to field first, made the decision after overnight rains delayed the start of the game by half an hour.
The match began slowly but came alive in the third over when Pathum Nissanka hit Matt Henry for a four and a six before being dismissed for a top-edge caught by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay.
Kusal Perera walked in and faced a blow to the helmet off his first ball, but from then on, he took charge.
By the end of the PowerPlay, Sri Lanka was at 49 for 2, and Perera, along with the middle-order, needed to push the team forward.
He began the middle overs with boundaries off Michael Bracewell, who later bowled a costly two-over spell, conceding 25 runs.
Asalanka, in the meantime, led the charge with a 17-run over against Zakary Foulkes and continued to support Perera’s dominance.
Perera reached his half-century off just 27 balls and later slammed three sixes in an over off Henry to become only the third Sri Lankan to score a T20I ton.
Asalanka also contributed significantly, scoring 46 off 24 balls in a 100-run partnership with Perera.
In the death overs, Mitchell and Jacob Duffy managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 218, giving away only six runs each in the final two overs.
Chasing 219, New Zealand started strong with an 81-run partnership between Tim Robinson and Ravindra, who accelerated after Robinson’s quick 36 runs.
Ravindra then blasted two sixes off Wanindu Hasaranga, before being reprieved by a dropped chance.
Sri Lanka’s spin attack proved decisive, with Asalanka removing key wickets.
He took out Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, and then Ravindra for 69.
New Zealand fought back through Daryl Mitchell, who hit four sixes in an over off Asalanka.
However, Hasaranga turned the tide with two key wickets in the 16th over, and Mitchell fell in the next.
With 22 needed off the final over, New Zealand’s hopes were dashed, and Sri Lanka held on to win by seven runs.
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