Auckland [New Zealand]: Sri Lanka’s skipper, Charith Asalanka, praised his team’s resilience after they clinched a 140-run victory in the third and final ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday, denying the hosts a clean sweep in the series.
Charith Asalanka’s Thoughts
“It’s always great to make a comeback like this,” said Asalanka in the post-match presentation. “Unfortunately, we lost the first two, but the way the boys played today, it was a pleasure to watch and really good. There are a few more areas to work on with the fast bowlers. We must give credit to the New Zealand bowlers; they put us under pressure, but we’ll continue to improve. The hospitality was really nice, and we thank New Zealand for their support.”
Match Recap
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored a total of 290 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 50 overs. Key contributions came from:
- Pathum Nissanka: 66 runs off 42 balls (6 fours, 5 sixes)
- Kusal Mendis: 54 runs off 48 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes)
- Janith Liyange: 53 runs off 52 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes)
- Kamindu Mendis: 46 runs off 71 balls (3 sixes, 2 fours)
New Zealand’s Matt Henry was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 55 runs in his 10-over spell. Mitchell Santner took 2 wickets, and Nathan Smith and Michael Bracewell took 1 wicket each.
New Zealand’s Response
Chasing 291 runs, New Zealand was bowled out for just 150 runs in 29.4 overs. The top scorers were:
- Mark Chapman: 81 runs off 81 balls (10 fours, 1 six)
- Nathan Smith: 17 runs off 29 balls (1 four)
- Michael Bracewell: 13 runs off 20 balls (1 four, 1 six)
- Matt Henry: 12 runs off 6 balls (1 four, 1 six)
Sri Lanka’s bowlers dominated, with Asitha Fernando (3/26), Maheesh Theekshana (3/35), and Eshan Malinga (3/35) each claiming three wickets. Janith Liyange took one wicket.
Series Result
Despite the loss, New Zealand won the series 2-1. Asitha Fernando was awarded Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling, while Matt Henry was named Player of the Series for his consistent performance throughout the three-match series.
The Sri Lankan team’s spirited performance in the final match brought them a much-needed win, and they will look to build on this result in future series.