New Zealand faced Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the three-match series at the P Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday (July 10). The White Ferns emerged victorious in the contest by eight wickets and clinched the series with back-to-back wins. New Zealand had won the opening game of the leg by five wickets.
Winning the toss and opting to field first, New Zealand put up a great performance with the ball and restricted Sri Lanka to an average score of 118 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Hasini Perera top-scored for the hosts with 33 runs. She was well supported by Harshitha Madavi, who contributed 23 runs to the team’s total. Lea Tahuhu was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, picking up four wickets for just 21 runs. Eden Carson chipped in with one scalp as well.
In reply, White Ferns showed dominance and achieved the target with ease. They reached 119 runs for the loss of just two wickets in 18.4 overs, sealing an eight-wicket series-clinching victory. Suzie Bates played a crucial innings and added 52 runs off 53 balls, while Amelia Kerr contributed 33 runs in the run chase. Kavisha Dilhari and Inoka Ranaweera took one wicket each for Sri Lanka but failed to defend the set target.
Tahuhu was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for her exceptional bowling performance.
With this win, New Zealand have now taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and will now face Sri Lanka at the same venue on July 12. Although the next and final T20I between the two sides is a dead rubber, Sri Lanka would look to avoid a whitewash on their home soil.
It is worth mentioning that the New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2023 started with a three-match ODI series which the hosts won (2-1).
