Sri Lanka yesterday claimed a dramatic Super Over win in the opening match of their three-game T20 series against New Zealand to earn their first victory on tour.
The match went to a tie-break decider after both teams chalked up 196 runs in a high-scoring thriller at Auckland’s Eden Park.
New Zealand only made 8-2 off a tight Super Over bowled by spinner Maheesh Theekshana before Charith Asalanka smashed a six off the second ball of Sri Lanka’s response, then sealed victory with a four.
Photo: AFP
“That was a really nervous game and at the end, it’s our day,” Asalanka said.
“Momentum is most important for a team like us, a young team, and we’re hoping to do well,” he said ahead of the second T20 game in Dunedin on Wednesday before the three-game series concludes in Queenstown on Saturday.
The nail-biter in Auckland handed Sri Lanka their first win on a month-long tour of New Zealand after losing both the Test and one-day international series by the same 2-0 scoreline.
Black Caps tailender Ish Sodhi had earlier set up the Super Over finish when he tied the scores by calmly hoisting the last ball of their 50 overs for six off Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka.
It completed a run chase that always looked unlikely for the home side, but came alive when Rachin Ravindra scored 26 off 13 balls to follow key knocks from Daryl Mitchell (66 off 44) and Mark Chapman (33 off 23).
It left New Zealand needing 13 to win off the final over, a task that became harder to achieve when Adam Milne fell to the first delivery bowled by Shanaka.
“To climb our way back in our innings was outstanding and I thought for Ish to hit that six was quite dramatic, but it wasn’t meant to be,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said.
“Super Overs can go either way, but we fell on the wrong side today,” he added.
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