SL vs NZ | Mendis’ Grit and Theekshana’s all-round show sink Kiwis as Lankans seal series

Debayan Sinha

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

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Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by three wickets in Pallekele and won the ODI series 2-0. The New Zealand batting was spearheaded by half-ton from Mark Chapman and Mitch Hay's 49 whereas Kusal Mendis’ 74 off 102 and Maheesh Theekshana’s three-fer and last-minute batting cameo sealed their win.

‌On a cloudy afternoon in Pallekele, New Zealand faced Sri Lanka in the second ODI. Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and chose to field, taking advantage of the overcast conditions. The decision paid off as Dunith Wellalage dismissed Kiwi opener Tim Robinson in the second over. The Lankan spinners capitalized further, with Maheesh Theekshana removing Henry Nicholls in the eighth over, leaving New Zealand at 31/2. Rain interrupted play after the ninth over, with Mark Chapman and Will Young at the crease. Following a 34-minute delay, play resumed without any overs lost. The Chapman-Young partnership kept the scoreboard moving, reaching 67/2 in 16 overs. However, Jeffrey Vandersay ended their stand by dismissing Young in the 17th over. Rain struck again, halting the game after 18.1 overs, but play resumed 35 minutes later as officials reduced the match to 47 overs. At 98/3 in 23 overs, Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips looked to steady the innings. Yet, Avishka Fernando's sharp catch sent Phillips back in the 24th over. Chapman remained composed, reaching his half-century off 65 balls and building a 42-run partnership with Mitch Hay. Asitha Fernando broke the stand in the 37th over, dismissing Chapman for a well-made 76 off 81 balls. In the same over, Fernando also removed Michael Bracewell, further denting New Zealand's innings. The Sri Lankan bowlers tightened their grip, with Vandersay claiming two quick wickets in the 41st over to reduce New Zealand to 186/8. Despite Hay’s resilience, Theekshana delivered the final blow, dismissing him in the 46th over. New Zealand were bowled out for 209. 

Sri Lanka began their chase confidently, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando reaching 22/0 in four overs. However, Mitchell Santner provided an early breakthrough, dismissing Fernando in the fifth over. Nissanka and Kusal Mendis steadied the innings, taking the score to 37/1 by the ninth over. Just as the partnership gained momentum, Michael Bracewell removed Nissanka, giving New Zealand a crucial wicket. The middle order struggled, with Kamindu Mendis departing for a first-ball duck. At 51/3 in 12 overs, the pressure mounted on Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka. Bracewell struck again in the 16th over, dismissing Asalanka and further denting Sri Lanka’s chase. Sadeera Samarawickrama’s dismissal by Glenn Phillips deepened the hosts' woes, but Kusal Mendis held firm, partnering with Janith Liyanage to take the score to 127/5 after 30 overs. With 83 runs needed from 17 overs, New Zealand tightened their grip. Nathan Smith broke the partnership by dismissing Liyanage in the 32nd over. Despite the setbacks, Kusal Mendis reached his half-century in 84 balls. Dunith Wellalage injected some life into the chase, hitting three consecutive boundaries in the 34th over to ease the pressure. However, the momentum shifted again as Bracewell returned to dismiss Wellalage in the 37th over, leaving Sri Lanka’s hopes hanging by a thread.  Sri Lanka refused to give up, with Kusal Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana keeping the chase alive. With 34 runs needed off 40 balls, the game was finely poised. The momentum swung dramatically in Sri Lanka's favour when Jacob Duffy conceded 15 runs in the 41st over, tipping the scales towards the hosts. As the equation came down to 21 runs from the final six overs, the Lankans looked firmly in control. With just 15 runs required from the last five overs, the home side edged closer to sealing a hard-fought victory. Ultimately, Sri Lanka won the contest by three wickets and won the three-match ODI series 2-0. 

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