Sri Lanka Beat New Zealand in Pallekele to Seal the Series

Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the second ODI in Pallekele. Rain interrupted the match twice, but Sri Lanka’s bowlers, fielders, and a solid knock from Kusal Mendis helped them chase down 210 with four balls to spare.

New Zealand Struggle to 209

New Zealand batted first and were all out for 209 in 46.3 overs. Mark Chapman scored 56, and Mitchell Hay made 49, but no other batter contributed much.

Sri Lankan spinners were excellent, with Jeffrey Vandersay and Maheesh Theekshana taking three wickets each. Charith Asalanka bowled tightly, giving away just 29 runs in eight overs. Asitha Fernando took two important wickets, including Chapman’s.

Sri Lanka’s Stunning Fielding

Sri Lanka’s fielding was outstanding. Avishka Fernando took three brilliant catches, diving forward to dismiss Chapman and Glenn Phillips and sliding to remove Michael Bracewell. Pathum Nissanka also made a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Mitchell Santner.

The fielders stopped many runs, forcing New Zealand to play 157 dot balls.

Sri Lanka’s Chase

Sri Lanka started cautiously, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 28. They lost a few quick wickets, including Avishka Fernando (5) and Kamindu Mendis (0), and were 35/2 early. Kusal Mendis then took charge. He played a steady innings, scoring 74 not out off 102 balls and was named the player of the match. Charith Asalanka (13), Sadeera Samarawickrama (8), and Janith Liyanage (22) made small contributions, but the target still seemed tricky. Dunith Wellalage (18) and Maheesh Theekshana (27 not out) helped Mendis finish the chase. Their unbeaten partnership(Kusal Mendis & Maheesh Theekshana) of 38 runs sealed the win.

New Zealand’s Bowling Effort

Michael Bracewell bowled well, taking 4/35 in 10 overs. Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, and Ben Smith took one wicket each, but they couldn’t stop Sri Lanka.