DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka — In a thrilling conclusion to their Twenty20 series, New Zealand triumphed over Sri Lanka by just five runs, resulting in the series ending in a 1-1 draw.
New Zealand was bowled out for 108 runs in 19.3 overs, but managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 103 runs, getting dismissed in 19.5 overs.
The match saw an incredible bowling performance from fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who claimed a hat trick, while Glenn Phillips also left a mark by taking three wickets in four balls. Additionally, wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay made significant contributions by claiming five catches and executing a stumping, all of which contributed to their remarkable victory.
Crucially, Phillips secured the important wicket of opening batsman Pathum Nissanka, who scored 52, from the second ball of the final over. Shortly afterward, he stumped Matheesha Pathirana with his next delivery, putting him on the verge of a hat trick.
Nuwan Thusara managed to avoid the hat trick on the fourth ball of the over, successfully taking a single, but Maheesh Theekshana, one of only three players from Sri Lanka to score above ten with 14 runs, was caught by Hay, sealing the game for New Zealand.
Ferguson’s remarkable performance saw him take 3 wickets for just 7 runs in two overs before he had to leave the match due to a calf strain. He dismissed Kusal Perera caught behind with the last delivery of his first over and then trapped Kamindu Mendis on the first ball of his next over. Captain Charith Asalanka provided Ferguson with another wicket, edging a ball down the leg side that was spectacularly caught by a diving Hay.
Ferguson’s achievement marked him as the fifth New Zealand bowler in history to earn a T20 hat trick, joining the ranks of Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Michael Bracewell, and Matt Henry.
In another notable record, Hay became the first wicketkeeper in T20 format to have six dismissals in a single match.
During their batting innings, Wanindu Hasaranga presented a formidable challenge with his bowling figures of 4 wickets for 17 runs, despite suffering from a hamstring injury early in the match. Nuwan Thushara also made an impact by clean bowling Tim Robinson with a precise yorker on the very first delivery of the match.
Hasaranga’s spin bowling caused further issues for the Kiwis, leading to the dismissal of Phillips, who was bowled while attempting a reverse sweep off a googly, along with Michael Bracewell and Hay, which pushed New Zealand into a precarious position at 52-6 by the 11th over after Will Young, the top scorer at 30, was stumped.
Josh Clarkson (24) and captain Mitchell Santner (19) were able to add some vital runs to the total. However, made it challenging at the end with his deceptive slower balls, resulting in an impressive bowling performance of 3-11.
The teams are set to commence a three-match one-day international series in Dambulla on Wednesday.