3.57 PM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

3rd ODI Sri Lanka vs New Zealand: Dilshan steers Lanka to victory

Published
By Cricket Correspondent with Agencies

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his third consecutive half-century as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 36 runs under Duckworth/Lewis in the third and final one-day international to clinch a 1-1 series draw on Saturday.

The match was delayed due to rain and initially reduced by seven overs before a further interruption during the Sri Lanka innings curtailed it to 33 overs each.

A fine opening partnership of 91 off 86 balls from Sri Lanka's experienced batters Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan helped them post a challenging total of 211-8.

Dilshan completed his third half-century of the series scoring 53 off 50 balls, including eight fours, to take the man-of-the-series award.

Jayawardene, promoted up the order to make way for all-rounder Thisara Perera, scored a fluent run a ball 46 with eight fours.

New Zealand faced a tall order on a slow and turning pitch and found themselves in deep trouble when spinners Sachitra Senanayake and Rangana Herath reduced them to 63-6 in 19 overs.

Senanayake who opened the bowling took two top-order wickets for 14 runs to take the man-of-the-match award.

Nathan McCullum, in partnership with James Neesham, gave New Zealand some hope with an unbroken stand of 63 off 36 balls.

Yet despite that brave effort, they were still trailing under the D/L method on 126-6 after 25 overs when the umpires called off the game for bad light amid protests from the two New Zealand batsmen

Neesham was unbeaten on 42 and McCullum on 35 off 19 balls.

"We had high hopes of winning the series 2-0, but to walk away 1-1, we sort of feel empty to tell you the truth because I felt that we had a great opportunity to win but due to circumstances it wasn't to be," said New Zealand stand-in captain Kyle Mills.

"You have a scheduled day's play for a day game but the scheduled close of the game is after sunset when it is not possible to play.

"It doesn't sound like common sense to me especially when we fought our way back and got ourselves into a position to potentially win it.

"We were in a better position today than we were in the last game which we won," he said.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said it was too dark to carry on and his fielders had difficulty seeing the ball.

"The light was terrible to be honest, the fielders couldn't actually pick up the ball," said Mathews.

"They (New Zealand) obviously wanted to carry on because they wanted to bat through to win but it was getting very dark and unsafe," he added.

The first match was abandoned due to rain and New Zealand won the second by four wickets under Duckworth/Lewis.

The two teams will meet again in a two-match Twenty20 series in Pallekele on Nov. 19 and 21.

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

Sri Lanka have won the third match by 36 runs under the D/L method to level the series 1-1 after bad light ended play at Dambulla.

Chasing a revised D/L target of 216 in 33 overs, New Zealand slumped to 26-5 after 10 overs with spin twins Senanayake and Herath wreaking havoc.

They slumped to 63-6 after Ronchi (23) brief revived the innings before Neesham and McCullum launched a counter attack.

McCullums was unbeaten on 35 off 19 balls blasting four boundaries and a six while Neesham was on 42 off 46 stroking three boundaries before bad light their faint hopes of an improbable victory.

Senanayake opened with the new ball and returned figures of 5-1-14-1 while left arm spinner claimed three for 25.

Malinga introduced after 20 overs went for 31 in three overs.

Earlier, a brilliant cameo from Herath (17 off seven balls with four boundaries) during an unfinished ninth wicket stand of 27 off 11 balls with Senanayake (21 with one six and a boundary) helped Sri Lanka make 211 for 8 in 33 overs.

Having been put into bat, openers Jayawardene (46) and Dilshan (53) posted 91 in 14.2 overs when the match got off to a delayed start reducing it to a 43-over match.

With dark clouds looming, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 19 runs collapse to 110-4.

After another rain interruption reduced the game to a 33-over affair, Sri Lanka's innings failed to gather momentum before the tail wagged.

McCullum, Neesham and McClenaghan claimed two wickets apiece.


NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

McCullum shakes hands with Sangakkara as New Zealand concede defeat requiring 90 from 48 balls.

McCullum protests as umpires call off play because the light is bad.

Malinga goes for 14 with McCullum smashing consecutive boundaries. NZ 126-6 in 25 overs.

The 50 partnership between Ronchi and McCullum comes in just 52 balls.

Kulasekera goes for 13 with McCullum and Neesham smashing a boundary apiece. NZ 112-6 in 24 overs.

The light is deteriorating but McCullum is seeing it like a football smashing a full toss Malinga over cover for a boundary. NZ 99-6 in 23 overs.

Dilshan goes for 13 in his sixth over with Neesham cracking a boundary and McCullum hammering a six. NZ 88-6 in 22 overs.

Malinga bowls an uneventful opening over. NZ 75-6 in 21 overs.

Senanayake takes a brilliant catch at cover to dismiss Ronchi. NZ 63-6 in 19 overs.

Luke Ronchi c Senanayake b Herath 23 (29b 3x4 0x6)

Neesham gets a boundary after seven overs with a sweetly timed shot through the covers.

Dilshan is keeping it tight conceding just 12 runs in four overs. NZ 53-5 in 18 overs.

Ronchi sweeps Herath for a six. NZ 33-5 in 11 overs.

Herath strikes in successive overs with Nicol being smartly stumped by Sangakkara. NZ 26-5 in 10.1 overs.    

Rob Nicol st Sangakkara b Herath 1 (12b 0x4 0x6)

Ronchi is off the mark with a boundary off Senanayake which comes after 34 balls. NZ 26-4 in 10 overs.

Senanayake returns from the other end and strikes first ball castling Munro. NZ 22-4 in 9.1 overs.    

Colin Munro b Senanayake 1 (4b 0x4 0x6)

Herath strikes with his third delivery bowling Elliott off an inside edge. NZ 21-3 in 8.3 overs.    

Grant Elliott b Herath 3 (11b 0x4 0x6)

Senanayake strikes in his third over trapping Latham leg before with an arm ball. NZ 17-2 in 6.2 overs.

Tom Latham lbw b Senanayake 9 (19b 2x4 0x6)

Latham cracks Senanayake through point for another boundary square on the off side. NZ 16-1 in 5 overs.

Kulasekera bowls a wicket maiden. NZ 12-1 in 4 overs.

Kulasekera strikes as Devcich lofts straight to Herath at midon. NZ 12-1 in 3.3 overs.

Anton Devcich c Herath b Kulasekara 5 (10b 1x4 0x6)

Devcich sweeps Senanayake to midwicket for his first boundary. NZ 12-0 in 3 overs.

Latham cracks Kulasekera through point for the first boundary of the innings. NZ 7-0 in 2 overs.

Sri Lanka open with spinner Senanayake to Devcich and Latham. NZ 1-0 in 1 over.

New Zealand's target according to te D/L method is 216 in 33 overs.

SRI LANKA INNINGS

Ellis goes for 18 in the last over with Herath slamming consecutive boundaries and Senanayake a massive six as Sri Lanka finish strongly on 211-8 in 33 overs.

Herath hits a couple of boundaries off Neesham with a late cut and lofting over the infield on the off. SL 193-8 in 32 overs.

Kulasekera perishes attempting a big one only to to sky it to Mills. SL 184-8 in 31.1 overs.

Nuwan Kulasekara c Mills b Neesham 14 (17b 1x4 0x6)

Senanayake pulls a short one from Mills to the mid-on boundary. SL 184-7 in 31 overs.

Thisara fails to fire lofting a simple catch to Latham. SL 165-7 in 28.4 overs.

Thisara Perera c Latham b Ellis 8 (14b 0x4 0x6)

Neesham strikes trapping Chandimal leg before with the umpire raising the dreaded finger after some deliberation. SL 146-6 in 25.3 overs.

Dinesh Chandimal lbw b Neesham 15 (19b 2x4 0x6)

Mills strikes as Thirimanne chips a slower delivery to mid off. SL 144-5 in 24.2 overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne c Latham b Mills 23 (29b 4x4 0x6)

Thirimanne drives Mills beautifully through the covers for the first boundary after the rain interuption. SL 139-4 in 23 overs.

Play has resumed after the rain delay and it will be a 33-over match. SL 133-4 in 22 overs.

The umpires have halted play and the covers are back on as play his halted because of rain with Sri Lanka 32-4 in 21.4 overs.

Chandimal goes on the offensive smashing Devcich for a couple of boundary to long-on. SL 132-4 in 21 overs.

Thirimanne square drives McClenaghan through point for his second boundary followed by a straight on drive with superb timing. SL 120-4 in 20 overs.

Dark clouds are looming over the ground with New Zealand having Sri Lanka on the back foot. SL 111-4 in 19 overs.

Chandimal denies McClenaghan a hat-trick. SL 110-4 in 18 overs.

Sri Lanka are in deep trouble as Mathews goes for a golden duck. Sl 110-4 in 17.5 overs.    

Angelo Mathews c Ronchi b McClenaghan 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Dilshan departs nicking McClenaghan behind. SL 110-3 in 17.4 overs.

TM Dilshan c Ronchi b McClenaghan 53 (50b 8x4 0x6)

Thirimanne lofts McCullum straight over his head for his first boundary. SL 108-2 in 17 overs.

Dilshan completes his fifth consecutive half century and 37th ODI fifty of his career. SL 102-2 in 16 overs.

Double blow for Lanka as McCullum clips the off stump of Sangakkara for a duck. SL 91-2 in 14.4 overs.    

Kumar Sangakkara b McCullum 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)

McCullum strikes with Mahela lobbing a catch behind to Ronchi. SL 91-1 in 14.2 overs.   

Mahela Jayawardene c Ronchi b McCullum 46 (46b 8x4 0x6)

Mahela is on fire now slamming four boundaries off Devcich to overhaul Dilshan. SL 78-0 in 12 overs.

Mahela smashes Ellis for a boundary to backward square leg. SL 56-0 in 9 overs.

Dilshan is on fire cracking three consecutive boundaries off Mills. SL 30-0 in 5 overs.

Mahela guides a short ball from McClenaghan to the fine leg fence. SL 16-0 in 4 overs.

Dilshan punches Mills through the covers for a boundary. SL 11-0 in 3 overs.

Dilshan hits the first boundary of the match slamming McClenaghan down the ground. SL 7-0 in 2 overs.

Mills opens with a maiden over to Mahela.

Mahela comes out to bat with Dilshan as the match finally gets underway at Dambulla.

It will be a 43-over match with play scheduled to begin at 11.30am local time.

The rain has stopped, covers are off and umpires have made an inspection.

A slight drizzle has delayed the start of play with the covers coming into action.

This is the first match in Dambulla in four years and the weather is gloomy.

New Zealand have won the toss and put Sri Lanka into the bat in the third and final one-day international at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Saturday.

Sri Lanka have made one change with Dimuth Karunaratne making way  for all-rounder Thisara Perera.

New Zealand have replaced paceman Adam Milne with Mitchell McClenaghan.

PLAYING XI

Sri Lanka: TM Dilshan, DPMD Jayawardene, KC Sangakkara, LD Chandimal, AD Mathews, HDRL Thirimanne, NLTC Perera, KMDN Kulasekara, SMSM Senanayake, HMRKB Herath, SL Malinga
   
New Zealand: TWM Latham, AP Devcich, RJ Nicol, GD Elliott, C Munro, L Ronchi, JDS Neesham, NL McCullum, KD Mills, AM Ellis, MJ McClenaghan

New Zealand lead the series 1-0 after winning the second match in Hambantota chasing down a D/L target of 198 in 23 overs.

The first match also at Hambantota was abandoned because of rain.