New Zealand pulled off a thrilling heist to take a 1-0 lead in the series, beating Sri Lanka by 8 runs in the first T20I.
Sri Lanka, chasing 172 posted by New Zealand, started strongly with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis dominating the Powerplay. The duo amassed 56 runs in the first six overs, putting Sri Lanka in a commanding position. Even after the fielding restrictions were lifted, New Zealand struggled to contain the scoring, with Mitchell Santner the only bowler to maintain some control. Despite his efforts, the Lankan openers comfortably saw him off.
In search of a breakthrough, New Zealand turned to Jacob Duffy, who delivered a game-changing performance. Sri Lanka were in complete control for the first 13 overs, sitting comfortably at 120/0, needing just 53 runs from the final 7 overs. It appeared as though the game was in their grasp. However, New Zealand had other plans, mounting an incredible comeback to claim victory from the brink of defeat.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. New Zealand’s innings was a tale of two halves. The visitors dominated the first phase of the match, reducing New Zealand to 65/5. But Michael Bracewell’s arrival changed the momentum. He provided much-needed aggression, forming a 105-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell to help New Zealand recover to 172.
In Sri Lanka’s chase, Nissanka kept their hopes alive, but once he was dismissed, the innings quickly fell apart. The incoming batters failed to take responsibility, and Duffy’s pivotal over shifted the momentum in New Zealand’s favor. Matt Henry and Zakary Foulkes supported each other brilliantly in the closing stages, finishing off the game as Sri Lanka could only manage 44 runs while losing 8 wickets in the final 7 overs.
From the position of needing 53 runs with all wickets intact after the 13th over, Sri Lanka managed just 44 runs as they lost a remarkable 8 wickets.
