Player of the Match
Player of the Match

10:05pm Whew. That is it from our live coverage. New Zealand have sealed the series with a game to go. Stick around for our post-match coverage. Andrew Fidel Fernando on match report and a piece on Thisara Perera, no doubt. That should be tasty. On behalf of Saurabh and Raghav, it's goodbye from here.

Kane Williamson: Probably 85% of that game, it was clinical from our guys. I thought 319 was a good score on a slightly worn wicket. Perera played absolutely out of his skin, reminded me of Stoinis. It was all sort of landing in one direction for a bit there. We all had a go [dropped catches]. It was frustrating. If we did hold our catches, we'd have reflectd on it differently. On top of that, Thisara kept putting us under pressure. We pride ourselves on our fielding and it's something we need to move on quickly from before Nelson. It's about guys going out and performing their roles. Needs to become that sort of a habit where we go out and keep the game moving forward as much as we can. We adjusted pretty well, where it was gripping and we realised it wasn't a 350 pitch. Jimmy's played outstandngly well. On these sorts of surfaces, those 300+ scores and 350+ scores are important, you need a guy like Jimmy or Thisara coming out. This is sort of the new age of one-day cricket.

Lasith Malinga: Thisara played an unbelievable innings. I always feel he is a match-wining player and he almost did it for Sri Lanka. We are really happy for him. We needed to get a good middle order partnership but we missed that and that is why we lost the match in this situation. In the first ODI we didn't use our variations much, but after that we realised we needed to do it. We have to prepare mentally for the situation and conditions.

Thisara Perera: Really proud of myself, because it's my first century. Last eight years I've been batting at No. 8. Thanks to the coaching staff for pushing me up to No. 7. I should give them a present. I was not thinking anything. I had to take the responsibilty throughout. I told the Nuwan and Sandakan to just play five or six balls. I should thank Chandika Hathurusingha and Thilan Samraweera - they were throwing throwing throwing to me. Credit goes to these two.

Thisara Perera is the Man of the Match.


ChrisNZ: "Stoked that we can break the 'rule' of only giving MoM to the winning team. Well deserved for a spectacular knock."

Jamie: "Whew! I thought I was going to be to blame for an NZ loss there - when Perera was in the 90s, I said to the TV "Don't get him out just yet boys, let him get to three figures first...""

Pathum: "We had hope for word cup.2019 well done boys"

UJack: "Great match! Would have been a cake walk ifNZ were tidy - 13 wides and 5 dropped catches. On the other hand, the lower order fightback of SL was inspiring - hoping the top order will fight just the same in the next game!"

Vikram Rathore: "That was one of the best ODI knocks we will ever see. Shame it ended in a losing cause, but my god, can this bloke bat!"

Hashim: "What a fight back from Srilanka. Who would have thought they will reach 298. Once they were 128/7."

Aashu: "Just like last January (Marcus Stoinis' 146 against NZ), this January also produces a magnificent inning by an all rounder in a losing cause. "

Braden : "Apparently there have been reports of a meteor shower across the Bay of Plenty. Surely just some of Thisara Perera's sixes. "

Saurav: "NOOOOOOOOOOOO"

9:47pm Thisara smiles after the dismissal. Hasn't had much reason to smile lately. Everyone congratulating him on a fine, fine knock. He leads both teams off the field. "Just let me do my work peacefully" he had tweeted following the backlash after the first ODI. Among many others, New Zealand have allowed him to do that today. But make no mistake - the last 18 months have been Thisara's best in international cricket. This is the peaking of a very talented man. Eight fours, 13 sixes, and a total of 169 added with the last three wickets. For context, those three batsmen made a combined 26 runs. Sri Lanka's top order will be kicking themselves. New Zealand will possibly have some hairdryer treatment of their own. Some average cricket from both teams around this colossal innings. What a way to start the year.

46.2
W
Henry to NLTC Perera, OUT, Boult leaps forward and ends the pain at long-on! What a catch! Not quite, for Thisara Perera. It was in the slot, length ball on leg stump. Short-arm jab again but this time it's off the toe-end. It dips on Boult who sprints some ten yards and pulls off a stunner. After five dropped catches, it took some compensation

NLTC Perera c Boult b Henry 140 (74b 8x4 13x6) SR: 189.18

It's the 47th over and NZ are onto something - he isn't going to hit the bouncers for six

46.2
1w
Henry to NLTC Perera, 1 wide, bouncer. Wide! Henry not happy with that. A sharp bouncer. Perera backed away and it was too fast for him. Replays show it was the right call

Right, the physio is out massaging Thisara's lower back on the left side.

Samuel Hill: "This is very poor bowling from New Zealand. So often we don't finish teams off when they're on the ropes. Southee can't play the next game. His time in the limited overs teams has to be over."

46.1
3
Henry to Pradeep, 3 runs, they'll get three! The point fielder tracks back as this trickles towards the boundary and pulls it back in. Pradeep and Sri Lanka will be grateful for that. Munro there. Full and in at off stump. Backs away and slices a gorgeous drive to beat the diving cover fielder to his left

Matt Henry, best fast bowler on the day for NZ. He'll bowl his last over. Can Pradeep survive? Thisara flexing his spine a little. Looks like he has a slight niggle.

END OF OVER:
46 | 24 Runs | SL: 294/9 (26 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 6.39, RRR: 6.50)

  • Thisara Perera140 (73b)
  • Nuwan Pradeep0 (4b)
  • Tim Southee8-0-68-1
  • James Neesham7-0-48-2

Neil: "Book cricket, anyone?"

Stewart: "Regardless of outcome, Perera for Man of the Match, as he actually has made it a match"

Samuel Hill: "This is very poor bowling from New Zealand. So often we don't finish teams off when they're on the ropes. Southee can't play the next game. His time in the limited overs teams has to be over."

45.6
0
Southee to NLTC Perera, no run, well bowled. Thisara shuffles and Southee sends a bouncer across the channel, straight at his helmet. Ducks under it

Big conference now. They need to stop that single.

45.5
6
Southee to NLTC Perera, SIX, now way! Southee has lost his length completely. Another full toss. Just outside off. A half-step into into the off side and a launch over square leg this time. Unreal stuff.

It's been 160 runs since Sri Lanka lost their seventh wicket!

45.4
6
Southee to NLTC Perera, SIX, another full toss! Another six! How the tables have turned! New Zealand have no clue where to bowl to him. Outside off, in his zone and he slots it over long-on again!
45.3
0
Southee to NLTC Perera, no run, beaten. Slower ball at a length outside off, walks across and swings at it but that skids under
45.2
6
Southee to NLTC Perera, SIX, mistimed but another six! Shuffles early this time, gets a high full toss this time. It's wide and he slices from underneath. The wind carries it. Long-on and long-off converge...and watch it clear the boundary
45.1
6
Southee to NLTC Perera, SIX, suh-weeet! That sound! Wow. A low full toss outside off and it cannot be middled better than that. Doesn't even need to swing - just a check-punch. It's far, far over the wide long-on boundary. 96 metres! It's rolled off somewhere too after landing in the grassbanks. We're getting a replacement ball

END OF OVER:
45 | 13 Runs | SL: 270/9 (50 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 6.00, RRR: 10.00)

  • Nuwan Pradeep0 (4b)
  • Thisara Perera116 (67b)
  • James Neesham7-0-48-2
  • Tim Southee7-0-44-1

Alan Richardson: "Is this a bit of "All rounders" union in play with Neesham & Perera - You bowl me a few pies to put over the boundary and I will bowl you a few when it is your turn to bat?"

44.6
0
Neesham to Pradeep, no run, bouncer at an off stump line, keeps the bat withdrawn and jumps away to let it go
44.5
1
Neesham to NLTC Perera, 1 run, short ball alright, and a mistimed pull. Once again, exactly what he needed. It drops into the circle at mid-on and they cross over

Looks like mid-off is in. Cover, point and midwicket are in. Slower short ball?

44.4
0
Neesham to NLTC Perera, no run, inside edge onto front pad. Short ball at middle stump, looks to pull and can't get it away
44.3
6
Neesham to NLTC Perera, SIX, clears the extra cover boundary! Full and wide outside off. Stays still and reaches out with his hands. Opens the face late and sends it 76 metres
44.2
6
Neesham to NLTC Perera, SIX, pow! He's short-arm slogged a slower short ball over midwicket! Imagine the power. Leg stump line, plenty of time to pick the slower ball and he swats him off the front foot
44.1
0
Neesham to NLTC Perera, no run, slower ball just outside off, backs away and looks to club it. Beaten on the outside edge

ChrisNZ: "If all catches had been taken, Sri Lanka would be 257/14, or even 15 if you count Taylor's fingertip effort at third slip... "

END OF OVER:
44 | 3 Runs | SL: 257/9 (63 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 5.84, RRR: 10.50)

  • Nuwan Pradeep0 (3b)
  • Thisara Perera103 (62b)
  • Tim Southee7-0-44-1
  • James Neesham6-0-35-2

Sandaru Herath: "Edges! Edges! Thats what we need from you Pradeep"

43.6
0
Southee to Pradeep, no run, full and in at off stump. Pushed back to the bowler

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st28MD GunathilakaN Dickwella
2nd35MDKJ PereraMD Gunathilaka
3rd49MD GunathilakaBKG Mendis
4th4LD ChandimalMD Gunathilaka
5th5LD ChandimalDAS Gunaratne
6th7NLTC PereraDAS Gunaratne
7th0NLTC PereraS Prasanna
8th75SL MalingaNLTC Perera
9th51NLTC PereraPADLR Sandakan
10th44NLTC PereraN Pradeep