Sri Lankan team could not score 20 runs in the last 2 overs.
New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 8 runs in a thrilling first T20. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose bowling at Mount Manganui. New Zealand scored 172 runs losing 8 wickets. In reply, Sri Lanka could score only 164 runs after losing 8 wickets.
Pathum Nissanka scored 90 runs for Sri Lanka, but he could not lead his team to victory. Jacob Duffy, who took 3 wickets, was the player of the match. From New Zealand, Darryl Mitchell scored 62 and Michael Bracewell scored 59 runs.
New Zealand's bad start On Saturday, after losing the toss and coming to bat first, the home team had a bad start. The team lost 5 wickets before reaching 65 runs. Tim Robinson 11, Rachin Ravindra 8, Mark Chapman 15, Glenn Phillips 8 and Mitchell Haye were out without opening the account.
Binura Fernando took 2 wickets for Sri Lanka.
Bracewell took over with a fifty After the early fall of 5 wickets, Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell took over the team. Both of them made a partnership of 105 runs and took the score to 170 runs. Mitchell was out after scoring 62 and Bracewell after scoring 59 runs.
In the end, captain Mitchell Santner and Zachary Folks could score only 1 run each. New Zealand scored 172 runs. Binura Fernando, Mahish Teekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga took 2 wickets each from Sri Lanka. Mathish Pathirana got one wicket.
Michael Bracewell scored 59 runs on 33 balls.
Sri Lanka's strong start The Sri Lankan team, which came to chase the target of 173 runs, got a strong start. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis made an opening partnership of 121 runs. Mendis was out after scoring 46 runs. Pathum Nissanka had scored fifty, but after the first wicket the team started disintegrating.
Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis made an opening partnership of 121 runs.
wickets lost in haste At one time Sri Lanka needed 52 runs on 46 balls. From here the team lost 8 wickets in scoring 38 runs. They needed 20 runs from 12 balls, here Nissanka was out after scoring 90 runs in the 19th over. None of the remaining batsmen could reach even 10 runs and the team could score only 164 runs in 20 overs.
Jacob Duffy from New Zealand took 3 wickets for just 21 runs. Matt Henry and Zackary Foulkes took 2-2 wickets. New Zealand has taken a 1-0 lead in the series. The second T20 match will be played on 30 December in Mount Manganui.
Graphics Source: NavJivanIndia | VaskarAssets
