Now that the World Cup has arrived at our door step it’s worth harping back to the last World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.By the time this piece goes out our World Cup 2019 match Sri Lanka vs New Zealand played on the 1st of June would have been over. It’s worth reminiscing about the above match which was played at Christchurst,New Zealand. It’s interesting to note that Dimuth Karunaratne played in this match and did not fare well but let’s hope he will do well.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field, since the conditions were overcast, seam movement was in the offing and seemed a good toss to win. A slight drizzle prevailed and at 15 degrees C Nuwan Kulasekera started the proceedings to Martin Guptil who took a single then Brendon McCallum made a statement by smashing Kulasekera through the covers for four and the over yielded nine runs. McCallum looked menacing as he steered Kulasekera for four past point, three balls faced and twelve runs scored.
Round one went to New Zealand since they scored 20 runs in three overs. Kulasekera strayed down the leg side and Guptill helped it on it’s way for four and immediately smashed through point region for another four followed by a push through mid wicket for three.Malinga in the meantime had bamboozled McCallum twice with his slower ball.Mathews took over from Kulasekera after six overs with New Zealand at 44 for no loss. McCallum went berserk hitting Malinga for four fours and a six in one over.At that stage the Kiwi’s had scored 68 off 8 overs.
Rangana Herath was brought into the proceeding in the ninth over bringing sanity to the proceedings by conceding only three runs in the over, in the meantime McCallum had raced to his fifty in mere 35 balls. New Zealand got to 100 in the 13th over when Guptil lifted Herath over mid-off.15 overs gone 110 runs scored things looked ominous for Sri Lanka.
However McCallum went for 51 when he lifted Herath on the off side brilliantly caught at the boundary edge by Jeevan Mendis doing a smart quick step to avoid the boundary edge. The new batsman Williamson was dropped by Sanga of a thin outside edge off Lakmal off the first ball faced, it’s a pity since it came at a catchable height. Herath was getting some spin and lift at that moment. The game was going through a quiet phase, then it came alive when Lakmal had Guptil caught behind well by Sanga way down to his right for 49.Lakmal looked lively bowling to a good line just outside the off stump and moving it slightly away. 150 came for New Zealand in the 26th over at a run rate of 5.6.Lakmal was bowling tight. Williamson at that moment was on 25 off 45 balls looked a little frustrated.
After 30 overs New Zealand were 166 for 2 at a run rate of 5.53. Williamson waded into Kulasekera in the 31st over by lifting off his pads over midwicket and hooking him over midwicket and got into his 50 in 59 balls and then he went brilliantly caught by Karunaratne off Mendis for 57 runs. The very next ball Mendis again bowled a beautifully flighted ball beating Ross Taylor to be stumped by Sangakkara, it went to the third umpire and was given out
.Power play was on and Herath bowled well conceding only a single in that over. The next over by Dilshan conceded 10 runs including a six by Anderson which went through the hands of sub Chandimal who made a valiant effort to catch it.Malinga was then brought and conceded 3 wides still failing to find his rhythm. After 40 overs the score read 229.Fifty partnership came in 53 balls between Anderson and Elliot. Elliot went hitting a full toss to Thirimanne at mid wicket with the score at 256. Anderson went hell for leather smacking fours off Lakmal and then Mendis dropped a sitter. To make matters worse Malinga yorked Ronchi off a no ball, the score stood at 292 for 5, meanwhile Anderson reached his fifty in 36 balls, he treated Kulasekera’s military medium with disdain clobbering a humungous six over mid wicket.Malinga came back well in his latter overs.New Zealand ended up with 331 for 6.
Sri Lanka began their innings with Dilshan and Thirimaane, the latter played a handsome cover drive off the back foot and got off the mark off Trent Boult.Tim Southee at the other end was getting bounce at lively pace and Dilshan struggled with his hook shots finally getting a streaky four off Southee.
After 10 overs Sri Lanka were 46 for no loss Thirimanne played intelligently timing the ball well and picking the gaps judiciously countering Adam Milne’s express deliveries touching 149 km/hr. Dilshan went after a scratchy 24.Sri Lanka were 69 for 1.
Kumar Sangakkara joined Thirimanne and the former got into the fray complementing Thirimannes doggedness with hitting boundaries to all corners of the park with a silky touch, the 50 partnership was brought up in 46 balls, the score stood at 112 for 1 but as it happens so often they were soon 129 for 4 and things looked gloomy for Sri Lanka, Mahela did not trouble the scorers caught behind by Ronchi off Vettori. Angelo Mathews stood like a rock and fought tooth and nail for a 46.Alas the others capitulated and could not last even the 50 overs and were all out for 233.
As for me it was Lahiru Thirimanne’s wicket that turned the tables on Sri Lanka, Mahela tried to take on Vettori and paid the price an irresponsible shot from a senior batsman.
The positives that came out of the match was Thrimanne getting his act together, Lakmal’s line and length bowling with a hint of outswing and Malinga’s final spell displaying that he has got rid of his rustiness.
The negatives were the lack of application of Jeevan Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne and the pedestrian pace of Nuwan Kulasekera which was meat and drink for the Kiwis.
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