SL vs NZ 1st T20: Sri Lanka shines in Super Over to seal T20 win over New Zealand
SL vs NZ 1st T20: Sri Lanka, who were beaten in both the preceding test and one-day international series by 2-0 margins, on Sunday defeated New Zealand via Super Over in a thrilling 1st T20I at the Eden Park in Auckland, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a target of 197, New Zealand managed to tie Sri Lanka after a last-ball six from Ish Sodhi. Daryl Mitchell had earlier anchored the hosts’ innings after a top-order collapse. Earlier, Kusal Perera returned from a long-term injury in style with a half-century as Sri Lanka posted 196-5. Perera scored 53 not out off 45 balls while Charith Asalanka top-scored with a lively 67 off 41 as the tourists peppered the Eden Park boundary after being asked to bat.
Asalanka, Theekshana star in SL vs NZ 1st T20
Ish Sodhi’s last-ball six tied the game after Dasun Shanaka looked to have almost won it for the visitors defending 12 off the final over, but Maheesh Theekshana held his nerve in the Super Over before Charith Asalanka chased down the nine-run target, to give Sri Lanka their first win of the tour.
It was fitting that Asalanka was the man left at the end after his 41-ball 67 had helped propel Sri Lanka to a challenging 196 for 5 at Eden Park. Kusal Perera, back in the limited-overs side for the first time in over a year, also made a triumphant return batting through the innings for a 45-ball 53. With his thirteenth half-century in T20Is, he equalled Tillakaratne Dilshan’s record for the most fifties in the format for Sri Lanka.
“It was very exciting,” said man-of-the-match Asalanka. “Two teams playing very nicely, but today was our day.”
Sri Lanka hold their nerve despite a series loss earlier
In a game where runs came easy, it was always going to be small periods that shifted momentum either way, and it was in these periods that Sri Lanka won the game. First there was the counterattack following Nissanka’s early dismissal, and then Wanindu’s last over flourish.
Then with the ball after Mitchell had struck with a counter of his own, captain Shanaka brought himself on to dismiss the danger man. In the final over too, Shanaka took out the equally dangerous Rachin Ravindra, whose 13-ball 26 had brought the hosts within a whisker. And then finally, the excellent Theekshana bowled a Super Over of immense quality to ensure his batters had only a minimal chase on their hands.
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