The weather and cloudy skyline with the chill of the New Zealand summer did no favour to Sri Lanka at Hamilton today.
Inserting Kiwis to take first lease of the pitch, the Sri Lankan bowlers did not know how to bowl on the green top.
They leaked runs by not only trying to buy wickets but also bowling to both sides of the wickets.
Seamers Asitha Fernando and Eshan Malinga, including Chamindu Wickramasinghe, had no constructive plan to restrict the free flow of runs from Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman.
Rachin made 79 whilst Mark Chapman 62 with pinch hitter Darryl Mitchell, an eye-catching 38 to help the home team to 255 for 9 wickets setting a low in confidence Sri Lanka team to get the target of 256 in 37 overs, the match being reduced due to the late start due inclement weather before start of play.
Theekshana took his first hat-trick in this format with 4 wickets for 44 runs, but the hat-trick secured was during the latter part of the New Zealand innings. Questions will always linger if Sri Lanka is guilty of closing the gate after the horse has done the bolt.
Hasaranga scalped 2 for 39 , but a total of 255 by the home team in 37 alloted overs is herculean.
Sri Lanka lost the top order with the score on 24, with Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, and Charith Asalanka back in the hutch with the Lankan captain being run out for 4.
Kamindu Mendis made 64, Janith Liyanage 22, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe 22.
William O ‘ Brouck got amongst the wickets with 3 for 31 and Jacob Duffy 2 for 30.
This sad tale ends with Sri Lanka losing the series by bowing out by a massive loss of 113 runs and a dead rubber scheduled for Saturday the 11th.