Player of the Match
Player of the Match

An opportunity Sri Lanka missed out on for getting ten crucial Super League points. New Zealand had Williamson, Southee, Santner, Conway and Bracewell missing, and despite the pitch having good pace and bounce, 275 was never a mountain to climb. So that's it from us from the first ODI, as Raghav, Abhimanyu and me, Himanshu, bid you goodbye!

Henry Shipley is the Player of the Match for his 5 for 31

Ollie: "Avoided the follow on…"

Successive totals of less than 100 in men's ODIs: Kenya in 2013 (89 & 93 vs AFG) Sri Lanka in 2023 (73 vs IND & 76 vs NZ)

Melvin: "Now that Akshat said that, it feels like a loss for NZ"

8.12pm So Sri Lanka don't even last 20 overs. As someone just pointed out, they folded for 73 the last time they had batted in an ODI; today, they manage just three more. Only three batters reach double figures - two of them were bowlers - as Shipley grabbed a career-best 5 for 31. Sri Lanka were never in the chase - their highest stand of 15 came after they were 31 for 5 inside the first ten overs - and by then, that was it.

19.5
W
Tickner to Kumara, OUT, Ravindra waits, waits.. and waits before pouching it at mid-on! That was launched high into the Auckland sky, as Ravindra kept his eyes on it to bag it well. Length delivery angling into him, as Kumara made room to have a wild heave at that. All he could manage was send it sailing for an easy catch, as New Zealand win by 198 runs to go 1-0 up

CBRLS Kumara c Ravindra b Tickner 10 (21m 10b 1x4 1x6) SR: 100.00

19.4
0
Tickner to Kumara, no run, good length outside off, as he backs away and pulls, but is beaten
19.3
4
Tickner to Kumara, FOUR, Shipley at deep third slides to his right, but the ball zips through his hands. He indicated that the lights played a role there. Much fuller ball outside off, as Kumara sliced hard and aerially
19.2
0
Tickner to Kumara, no run, short delivery outside off, and he is beaten
19.1
6
Tickner to Kumara, SIX, backs away and swats over mid-off! On a good length, and ends wide of off while angling in. Biffed for six to have some fun

AKSHAT: "The last ODI Sri Lanka played, they got bundled out on 73 vs India. Can they overtake that score?"

END OF OVER:
19 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 66/9 (209 runs required from 31 overs, RR: 3.47, RRR: 6.74)

  • Dilshan Madushanka4 (2b)
  • Lahiru Kumara0 (5b)
  • Henry Shipley7-0-31-5
  • Blair Tickner3-0-10-1
18.6
0
Shipley to Madushanka, no run, another yorker on off, and again that is jammed back

Now there is another change of a bail. Somebody bail us out of this, please.

18.5
4
Shipley to Madushanka, FOUR, fires a low yorker on off at 138kph, and that is four. Ah, that was only pushed back using the pace of the bowler, with the ball bouncing over the bowler's head

Madushka the last man in. Two slips and a gully.

18.4
W
Shipley to Karunaratne, OUT, five wickets for Shipley! We are further close to getting home. The man at deep backward square leg was placed well inside the rope, and so he just had to take a few steps further in to gobble that. Shipley banged that ball short just outside off, as Chamika backed away and had a swing. But the ball took the top edge and ballooned up for a catch

C Karunaratne c Phillips b Shipley 11 (54m 24b 1x4 0x6) SR: 45.83

18.3
0
Shipley to Karunaratne, no run, good length just outside off, and tapped back

Alex L: "And here we see why no run-outs were ever given in cricket until the invention of light-up bails..."

18.2
0
Shipley to Karunaratne, no run, good length ball, angling into fourth stump. Dabbed down
18.1
0
Shipley to Karunaratne, no run, shorter side of a length, and wide-ish of off. Poked to point

Shipley back. His fifth wicket in sight, with a slip and gully placed. But before that, a bail will be changed at the non-striker's end.

END OF OVER:
18 | 5 Runs | SL: 62/8 (213 runs required from 32 overs, RR: 3.44, RRR: 6.65)

  • Lahiru Kumara0 (5b)
  • Chamika Karunaratne11 (20b)
  • Blair Tickner3-0-10-1
  • Daryl Mitchell3-0-12-2
17.6
0
Tickner to Kumara, no run, very full and outside off. Slashed and beaten
17.5
0
Tickner to Kumara, no run, squared up by a good length ball angling into off from outside off, as he tries to poke
17.4
1
Tickner to Karunaratne, 1 run, good length on middle, and clipped wide of mid-on. Another run-out chance for which the third umpire is dialled. The throw arrived at the bowler's end, as the batters had a mix-up. Chamika dived back after thinking of a second and taking off, but the wicket was disturbed by Tickner when the batter's bat was just short of the crease. Wow, scratch that, even as Chamika had started walking back himself. New Zealand aren't happy either. No way that can be not out, and I have no idea why that was given so. Even Chamika doesn't. So the TV commentators guess that because the battery of the bail which was flicked first wasn't working, it wasn't given out. The lights came up only after the other bail - and a stump - was hit
17.3
0
Tickner to Karunaratne, no run, makes room again, as Tickner goes short and wide of off this time. Left alone
17.2
4
Tickner to Karunaratne, FOUR, backs away and hacks it for four! Good length ball around off, as the ball took the top edge to fly and roll over point
17.1
0
Tickner to Karunaratne, no run, short ball at 135kph. Pitches around off, and shapes in to end on middle and leg as Chamika ducks

END OF OVER:
17 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SL: 57/8 (218 runs required from 33 overs, RR: 3.35, RRR: 6.60)

  • Lahiru Kumara0 (3b)
  • Chamika Karunaratne6 (16b)
  • Daryl Mitchell3-0-12-2
  • Blair Tickner2-0-5-1
16.6
0
Mitchell to Kumara, no run, good length, but nice movement into the batter from outside off, as it ends around leg stump. Nudged down by Kumara

Karl: "One positive for Sri Lanka is that there are some great South Asian restaurants in nearby Sandringham... if they continue to bat like this, they can still make it in time for dinner service" --- Perhaps eight of them have already reached a restaurant?

16.5
0
Mitchell to Kumara, no run, short delivery angled into middle and off. Dabbed to point

A check for one of the bails at the striker's end

16.4
0
Mitchell to Kumara, no run, bowls short right away, angling it into off. Kumara sways away

Kumara the new batter. Mitchell around the wicket to the left-hander.

16.3
W
Mitchell to Rajitha, OUT, taken low by the point fielder! The procession continues. A soft dismissal in the end. Mitchell getting two wickets with the extra bounce available. He pitched it on a good length in the channel outside off, as Rajitha went pushing hard at it. The ball flew off the outside half of the bat, as Bowes at point went low to complete the grab

CAK Rajitha c Bowes b Mitchell 5 (12m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

16.2
0
Mitchell to Rajitha, no run, shorter side of a length just outside off, and clipped towards square leg

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st14P NissankaMNK Fernando
2nd0BKG MendisP Nissanka
3rd6AD MathewsBKG Mendis
4th11AD MathewsKIC Asalanka
5th0AD MathewsMD Shanaka
6th15AD MathewsC Karunaratne
7th3C KarunaratnePW Hasaranga
8th8CAK RajithaC Karunaratne
9th5C KarunaratneCBRLS Kumara
10th14CBRLS KumaraD Madushanka