Winning the toss and electing to bowl first on a spin friendly pitch was predictable, whichever way the coin fell. It fell in favour of Sri Lanka, hence, bowling first was a wise move made by skipper Charith Asalanka.
Taking into consideration the pitch conditions and the fact that Dilshan Madushanka is struggling with his rhythm, the inclusion of Dunith Wellalage in the playing eleven was no surprise.
New Zealand unchanged were in trouble batting first on a pitch that the Sri Lankan spin cordon foresaw help if they bowled in the right areas.
The visitors’ struggle against spin was anticipated early when Tim Robinson was comprehensively beaten and bowled by Dunith Wellalage as the right-hander played on the front foot with his feat going nowhere as he was guilty of misreading a straight delivery to bowled giving the home team the break through with the score on 9.
Henry Nicholas looked composed in his approach but fell victim to a slider by Theekshana, guilty of opening the face of his bat, that too on his back foot that castled his stumps and the black caps looked worried with 2 wickets in the power play overs lost with the score on 38.
William Young has been the visitors’ wall of strength so far, however, batting on 26, he lost his balance trying to come down the pitch to a leg break bowled by Vandersay that beat him all ends up as Kusal Mendis removed the bails from behind the stumps and was adjudicated stumped Mendis bowled Vandersay, indicating early trouble for the Kiwis 69 on the score card with 3 scalps in the hutch.
Play came to a halt for 33 minutes as mother nature watered the surface from the skies. The wet seam will now make matters easy for the visitors was the looming prediction at the time.
The wet seam prediction came to pass as Mark Chapman and Glenn Philips played freely against Sri Lanka’s spin attack after the rain break and the overs being reduced to 47. Glenn Philips was brilliantly caught in the cow corner arena by Avishka Fernando off a Charith Asalanka off spinner with the score on 98. Philips out for 15. Hence, an early end to the Kiwi innings was what was predicted.
The wet ball had its effect with another intermediate rain stop. This time, a passing cloud did no damage to the reduced overs but offered the visitors respite as Mark Chapman and Mitch May stitched a partnership of 75 runs for the 5th wicket.
Chapman was out for 76 brilliantly caught yet again by Avishka Fernando in the deep as he tried to pull a short delivery from Asitha Fernando with the introduction of seam. Bracewell, who entered the park with the score on 173, was dismissed in the same over caught brilliantly yet again by Avishka Fernando off Asitha Fernando and suddenly from a comfort zone of 173 for 4 wickets the Kiwis fell to a poverty zone of 173 for 6 wickets as the visual screen at Pallekele displayed the catching prowess of Avishka Fernando as ” FANTASTIC FERNANDO “.
The Kiwis were bowled out for 209 in the 45th over. The lower order gifting their wickets to Theekshana, who ended his 10 over spell with 3 for 31, Vandersay 3 for 46, whilst Asitha Fernando chipped in with 2 for 37. Mitch May, the wicket keeper who helped the visitors with the vital Partnership of 75 runs for the 5th wicket, recorded his career best of 49 valuable runs.
210 as a target for Sri Lanka is not a herculean task in home conditions.
Credit to the Kiwis and their spin cordon of Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Philips, and even the out of form Ish Sodhi, they put the home team almost crying for their mothers milk with 6 top order batters back in the hutch warming themselves with Sri Lanka on 132 for 6 wickets.
Pathum Nissanka dismissed for 28 Bracewell doing the damage, Avishka Fernando the centurion of the 1st ODI out for 5, a victim of the vicious turn of Santner whilst Kamindu Mendis, promoted up the order, out for a duck off Bracewell, and Charith Asalanka victim of an overambitious stroke after executing and excellent boundary off Bracewell, only heading to the hutch in the very next ball for 13, had worry and anxiety written all over the faces of Sri Lankan fans who had anticipated a target of 210 as a walk in the park period.
Kusal Mendis, who was lucky to survive an umpires call on an LBW decision, stood tall and remained un beaten on 74, with Dunith Wellalage stroking 3 boundary hits off Nathen Smith and Janith Liyanage struggling with the 22 he made, but last but not the least the unbeaten gutsy 27 unbeaten runs made by Theekshana that included the only six hit by Sri Lanka batters, got the home team over the line in the penultimate over.
Sri Lanka should thank their stars they won the series with one game to go tomorrow, but it’s fair to state that the visitors can keep their chins held up high despite the series loss based on their great fight back in this low scoring game.
The catch of the day was by Mahesh Theekshana. The right arm mystery spinner who displayed an out of this world grab when he took a fantastic catch at short mid-wicket to see the back of the dangerous Mark Chapman. Great day for Sri Lanka.