Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2087dThe Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando

Taylor, Nicholls centuries seal 3-0 sweep

New Zealand piled on 364, before a familiar middle-order collapse left Thisara Perera waging a lone battle as Sri Lanka sank to a 115-run defeat

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

LRPL Taylor
LRPL Taylor
137(131) 9x4 - 4x6
Control %87%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 45 runs
  • 2x4 - 2x6
23 10 13 9 5 13 40 24
HM Nicholls
HM Nicholls
124(80) 12x4 - 3x6
Control %80%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 21 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
5 10 3 20 25 22 24 15

Best performances - Bowlers

LH Ferguson
O8
M0
R40
W4
Eco5.00
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W
IS Sodhi
IS Sodhi
O8.4
M0
R40
W3
Eco4.61
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: @saurabh_42

6.37pm That's all we have for you from this ODI series. On behalf of Akshay and Thilak, this is Saurabh signing off.

6.30pm And, Ross Taylor is the Man of the Match: "You get nervous at the start of every innings but it helps having played 100 games. I'm just trying to keep things simple and not think too much when I go out there. We've done the donkey work through the middle and put the icing on the cake at the end. Henry Nicholls batted outstandingly well. He made my job a lot easier, was busy and set the tone from ball one. I'm sure it'll be one of many hundreds to come for him."

Lasith Malinga: "After the first 30-35 overs, the last 15 overs are not going well. We have time to work that out before the World Cup. We still need to improve our middle order batting. I feel that before the next tournament, they will adjust to the conditions and learn. I think Thisara and Kusal did a very good job. I'm a bit disappointed with the bowling, we have to improve in the end 15 overs. This is the second time I'm leading the team and I've really enjoyed it because I've played a lot of cricket with them. I have to enjoy with t hem and pass on my knowledge to them."

Kane Williamson: "The improvement seen throughout the series (is what I enjoyed most). Today's performance was a step up from the first two matches from a bowling perspective. We have been under pressure at various points and responded well. It's been a testing series. Fantastic hundred from Rossco and Henry Nicholls came in and finished it brilliantly. It's been very good to see guys come out and execute their roles. We need to keep doing that again, we have another series coming up. (World Cup) hopefully we're getting answers to a few things. As a group I think you just want to keep improving."

6.22pm The first two matches were close thanks to Sri Lanka finding a batsman who stood up and took New Zealand on. That perhaps masked their overall weakness. When that didn't happen today, save for Thisara again today though they were chasing a much bigger total, they unravelled quickly. This is as comprehensive as a win gets, and the 3-0 scoreline doesn't flatter New Zealand either. They were clearly the better team. Hang around and we'll have the presentations for you.

41.4
W
Sodhi to Pradeep, OUT, all over that is that and New Zealand have sealed a 3-0 sweep. The wrong 'un did it again. Went down to sweep, this had pitched outside off and spun in a fair bit, under the bat and hit the stumps. No late resistance from Sri Lanka this time, with New Zealand wrapping up the tail quickly through Ferguson and Sodhi.

N Pradeep b Sodhi 0 (3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

41.3
0
Sodhi to Pradeep, no run, bowled from wide of the crease, drifting in, pitches on middle and turns, but he defends it well

slip in place.

41.2
0
Sodhi to Pradeep, no run, tossed up, drifting on leg and turning, defended into the leg side
41.1
W
Sodhi to Malinga, OUT, this is ending quickly typical tailender's dismissal. Came down the track more with hope than conviction, had an almighty swing at it, hoping to deposit over cow corner. Didn't read the wrong 'un at all, comprehensively beaten as it snuck in between the yawning gap between bat and pad, and Tim Seifert has an easy stumping to make.

SL Malinga st †Seifert b Sodhi 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Samrat Ahuja: "Really impressed by Lockie! He is slowly but surely becoming a decent limited overs bowler with his around the wicket short balls barrage to right handed batsmen, targeting their ribs! " - with his pace, if he gets his radar right, he'll be a threat against any opposition, on any surface

END OF OVER:
41 | 1 Run 2 Wkts | SL: 249/8 (116 runs required from 54 balls, RR: 6.07, RRR: 12.88)

  • Lakshan Sandakan0 (1b)
  • Lasith Malinga0 (0b)
  • Lockie Ferguson8-0-40-4
  • Matt Henry8-0-62-0
40.6
0
Ferguson to Sandakan, no run, wide yorker outside off, he has an airy waft at it and doesn't connect
40.5
W
Ferguson to Gunathilaka, OUT, too pacy full, fast and straight at middle stump. He was rooted to the crease and the bat came down very late. By the time it was down, the stumps had been broken. Fourth wicket for Lockie

MD Gunathilaka b Ferguson 31 (52b 1x4 0x6) SR: 59.61

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st66N DickwellaDM de Silva
2nd41MDKJ PereraN Dickwella
3rd0MDKJ PereraBKG Mendis
4th10MDKJ PereraMD Shanaka
5th26NLTC PereraMDKJ Perera
6th101NLTC PereraMD Gunathilaka
7th5MD GunathilakaPVD Chameera
8th0SL MalingaMD Gunathilaka
9th0SL MalingaPADLR Sandakan
10th0N PradeepPADLR Sandakan