Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis have a good time successful the tremendous over and the match throughout the first Twenty 20 worldwide cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland on April 2, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Sri Lanka gained the primary Twenty20 cricket worldwide in a Super Over on April 2 after New Zealand tailender Ish Sodhi hit a six from the final ball of the twentieth over to ship the match right into a tiebreaker.
The Sri Lankans made an imposing 196-5 batting first and New Zealand got here to the final common over needing 13 runs to win, six to tie.
Mr. Sodhi averages 9.6 in T20 internationals and had the large duty of going through the final ball from Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, who had bowled an impressive over.
The supply was full and angled into leg stump; Mr. Sodhi, with a swooping movement of bat, hoisted it over midwicket and into the stand for six, lifting New Zealand to 196-8 and sending the match to the Super Over.
New Zealand selected Daryl Mitchell, its top-scorer with 66, Jimmy Neesham and Mark Chapman as its batters whereas Sri Lanka referred to as on Maheesh Theekshana to bowl. Mr. Neesham was additionally certainly one of its chosen batters when it misplaced to England in the World Cup ultimate at Lord’s 4 years in the past.
Mr. Mitchell took a single from the primary ball, the second was a large and Mr. Neesham was out to the third ball. Mr. Chapman hit a two, then a 4 and was bowled from the final ball as New Zealand managed solely 8-2.
Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka have been Sri Lanka’s champions, chosen to bat and Jimmy Neesham to bowl. Mr. Asalanka was its prime scorer with 67 from 41 balls which included six sixes, making him the perfect man for the Super Over.
Mr. Mendis took a single from the primary ball, then Mr. Asalanka clubbed a six which handed via Mr. Chapman’s fingers on the boundary. Mr. Asalanka ramped the following ball as Sri Lanka reached 11-0 to clinch the an exhilarating win. In an extra dramatic observe, the match ended in gentle rain.
“It was a very nervous game and very exciting,” Mr. Asalanka stated. “The two teams were playing very nicely and at the end it was our day.
“It’s a little ground, the boundaries are small and I tried to hit boundaries. We know as a team that in T20 games we can hit plenty of boundaries with the right mindset.”
Earlier, Sri Lanka opener Pathaum Nissanka, a half century-maker in the third one-day worldwide between the groups three days in the past, was caught behind from the opening supply bowled by Adam Milne.
Far from being deterred, Sri Lanka’s under-pressure prime order went on the offensive; Kusal Perera smashed 16 runs from the second over of the innings and Mr. Mendis hit two sixes and two fours as Sri Lanka took 22 runs from the third over.
That set the tone of the innings. Mr. Mendis slogged 25 runs from 9 balls earlier than his luck ran out however Mr. Perera went on to a half-century from 39 balls and Mr. Asalanka posted a half-century from 32 balls in a fast-paced innings which noticed Sri Lanka attain 50 from solely 3.4 overs.
New Zealand was in bother early, shedding Tim Seifert to the fourth ball of its innings and Chad Bowes three balls later when it was 3-2.
“Another great game of cricket here at Eden Park. It tends to produce plenty of thrillers,” stated New Zealand captain Tom Latham, who was taking part in on his thirty first birthday.
“Unfortunately we were just on the wrong side. I thought the way we were able to climb our way back towards the back end of our innings was outstanding and I think for Ish to hit that six was quite dramatic, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
