Sri Lanka bowled out for 157 in third ODI against New Zealand

Three-fers from Matt Henry (3-14), Daryl Mitchell (3-32) and Henry Shipley (3-32) helped New Zealand roll out Sri Lanka for a paltry 157 inside 42 overs, in the third and final ODI at Seddon Park, Hamilton.Besides a gritty half-century from opener Pathum Nissanka and a brief counterattack from skipper Dasun Shanaka, the visitors had nothing to write home about as they kept gifting their wickets away after opting to bat first on a good track.
 

Henry spelt early trouble for Sri Lanka when he had Nuwanidu Fernando and Kusal Mendis outside-edging to first slip, two overs apart.

Mitchell caught a second one in the slips when Shipley had Angelo Matthews poking at a good length ball in the channel. He then came into action with the ball in hand, and struck two blows in quick succession to add to Sri Lanka’s woes.

Charith Asalanka took 18 deliveries to open his account, and launched a brief counterattack with a couple of fours but holed out to deep midwicket soon after, leaving Sri Lanka at 50/4 in the 15th over.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who had been brought into the XI to lengthen the batting, was the next to depart, spooning a simple catch to mid-on.

Nissanka, who saw the wicket procession from the other end, patiently worked his way to a 58-ball half-century - his sixth in ODI cricket. He held one end up for the visitors, and also brought up the team’s 100 in the following over with a lofted four over the bowler’s head.

However, one ball later, the opener was run out, obliging his captain for a non-existent single. Having dropped the ball to the offside, Nissanka took a couple of steps out before deciding there’s no run there but Dasun Shanaka was committed to it and already more than halfway down the pitch. Running to the danger end, Nissanka was found comfortably short as Sri Lanka slipped to 100/6.

Shanaka showed promise of a counterattack in his brief stay. Dropped on 1 by Mitchell off his own bowling, he lofted Ish Sodhi over the long-off ropes for a six to get going and then another one over Blair Tickner’s head.

Shipley offered width and the Sri Lankan captain pounced on it to add a couple of boundaries to his tally. But the bowler had the last laugh as Shanaka eventually skied a simple catch to mid-on after an entertaining 36-ball 31.

Wanindu Hasaranga top-edged a short one from Mitchell and skied a simple one for Tom Latham, giving the bowler his third wicket of the day. Henry returned and made an instant impact too. His LBW appeal turned down, he had Karunaratne inside-edging a nipbacker through to the keeper to fall for 24 that took Sri Lanka to 150. Likewise, Shipley returned into the attack in the 42nd over and uprooted Kasun Rajitha’s legstump to shoot down Sri Lanka for just 157.


Brief scores: Sri Lanka 157 all out in 41.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 57; Matt Henry 3-14, Daryl Mitchell 3-32, Henry Shipley 3-32) vs New Zealand

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kusal Mendis(w), Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner.