AUCKLAND, New Zealand — In an impressive display of bowling, Sri Lanka triumphed over New Zealand by 140 runs in the third one-day international held on Saturday. The Sri Lankan bowlers Asith Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana were pivotal in this victory, securing six wickets between them to dismiss New Zealand for just 150 runs within 29.4 overs.
Fernando achieved figures of 3-26, while Theekshana followed closely with 3-35. Their spectacular efforts dismantled New Zealand’s batting lineup, which was chasing a target of 291. Eshan Fernando also played a role in the bowling attack, contributing another three wickets for the team.
Despite the loss, New Zealand clinched the three-match series 2-1, marking their final home games before the ICC Champions Trophy is set to take place next month in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka opted to bat first, and Pathum Nissanka delivered with a noteworthy 66 runs. Sri Lanka ended their innings with 290-8. However, New Zealand found themselves in dire straits early in their innings, collapsing to 21-5 within just seven overs, largely due to Fernando’s exceptional bowling that dismantled their top order.
Fernando expressed his joy, stating, “It’s a huge confidence boost for me and the entire team because we haven’t played well in the first two games. It’s a pleasure to perform like this.” He added that the team had identified areas for improvement after the initial matches and was eager to continue their development.
Mark Chapman emerged as the lone fighter for New Zealand, scoring a commendable 81 off 81 balls. His partnership with Nathan Smith, contributing 51 runs for the eighth wicket, was a brief glimmer of hope for the hosts. Nonetheless, New Zealand struggled to keep up the run rate and faced an uphill battle after losing key wickets early on.
Nissanka’s innings was marked by a rapid 50 runs from 31 balls but was sadly cut short when he appeared to suffer from a groin or hip injury. While he attempted to carry on, it became evident that he was hampered while running the bases. Eventually, Sri Lanka’s coach Sanith Jayasuriya called him off the field for medical assistance.
In the New Zealand bowling attack, Matt Henry stood out with figures of 4-55, yet it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in favor of his team.
