Player of the Match
Player of the Match

KiwiTiger: "The way commentators are taking wickets, I can't wait for SL's innings - I'm going to claim all 10 wickets by cursing them all out!"

Finn Allen after his half-century: "With the base we got, we had to push for a few more. A tricky wicket. The way Karunaratne bowled was nice. We lost wickets in clumps. There is something in it for the bowlers. It's frustrating once you kick on... first game in a while"

5.55pm An innings of too many starts, and barely any solid contribution. The highest remained Allen's 51, as partnerships took off only to break and stall New Zealand's momentum. The consistent pace and bounce of the pitch troubled batters often - like Mitchell's dismissal showed - and Sri Lanka kept banging it in. Pretty much everyone chipped in with wickets, as four of them went to Karunaratne. The total could prove challenging enough though if the pitch retains its character under lights. Join Abhimanyu for the chase soon.

49.3
W
Rajitha to Sodhi, OUT, Mendis takes this skiiiierrrr! Sodhi targeted the roof of the stadium, but the ball fell back down after flirting with the clouds. This ball was a touch fuller than the last two, and also just about on off, rather being wide of it. Sodhi went hoicking across the line, only to send it miles up. Mendis moved across to his left - somewhere where an imaginary leg slip would have been - and called for it to avoid confusion with the short fine leg fielder

IS Sodhi c †Mendis b Rajitha 10 (25m 18b 0x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

49.2
0
Rajitha to Sodhi, no run, and a repeat of the previous ball: short and a bit wide of off, as he pulled and missed
49.1
0
Rajitha to Sodhi, no run, good length and wide-ish of off, as he swings to pull but misses

Vicky: "This is some great jinx game going on. Someone praised GP and he got out the next ball. Now, same thing happens with Rachin Ravindra as well. All Sri Lanka have to do to win now is ensure none of the comments praising their batters are published on cricinfo." --- All right, taken

END OF OVER:
49 | 9 Runs | NZ: 274/9 | RR: 5.59

  • Blair Tickner6 (4b)
  • Ish Sodhi10 (15b)
  • Chamika Karunaratne9-0-43-4
  • Kasun Rajitha7-0-38-1
48.6
0
Karunaratne to Tickner, no run, takes his eyes off - and then his bottom hand - at this short ball rising sharply on middle. Fended off eventually
48.5
2
Karunaratne to Tickner, 2 runs, chipped towards mid-on, as the long-on fielder rushes forward and throws wide of the stumps at the bowler's end. Full ball heading into middle, as Tickner played a check-chip, if that is any shot whatsoever

Ah, a slip in

48.4
0
Karunaratne to Tickner, no run, length ball, hinting to straighten towards off after being angled in. Pushed to cover
48.3
4
Karunaratne to Tickner, FOUR, outside edge, but four to deep third! Shortish delivery, angling away to finish on sixth stump. A late poke to beat the keeper

Tickner facing his first ball

48.2
1
Karunaratne to Sodhi, 1 run, short and wide of off. No pace to work with, and hacked late to deep point
48.2
1w
Karunaratne to Sodhi, 1 wide, much fuller, and pitching just outside leg. Flicks and misses, and wide called

Gary: "Jeepers @CJ, that was a bigger jinx than @Ashish!"

48.1
0
Karunaratne to Sodhi, no run, good bowling. Short delivery just outside off, climbing quite high as he pulled but missed

Free hit

48.1
1nb
Karunaratne to Sodhi, 1 no ball, very full on middle and off, and jammed back. It's a no-ball though

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st14P NissankaMNK Fernando
2nd0BKG MendisP Nissanka
3rd6AD MathewsBKG Mendis
4th11AD MathewsKIC Asalanka
5th0AD MathewsMD Shanaka
6th15AD MathewsC Karunaratne
7th3C KarunaratnePW Hasaranga
8th8CAK RajithaC Karunaratne
9th5C KarunaratneCBRLS Kumara
10th14CBRLS KumaraD Madushanka