World Cup 2023 | Conway, Mitchell, Ravindra Rush NZ To Win After Boult’s Three-Fer vs SL

Trent Boult finished with figures of 3-37 vs SL (AP)

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 171 all out (46.4 overs) [Kusal Perera: 51 (28), Maheesh Theekshana: 38* (91); Trent Boult 3/37 (10), Rachin Ravindra 2/21 (7.4)] lost to New Zealand: 172-5 (23.2 overs) [Devon Conway: 45 (42), Daryl Mitchell: 43 (31); Angelo Mathews 2/29 (4), Dushmantha Chameera 1/20 (4)] by five wickets.

New Zealand overwhelmed Sri Lanka to snap their four-match losing streak just at the brink of the league stage, all while shooting themselves back to the World Cup 2023 semi-finals reckoning. 

Perera blasts 51 before Theekshana bats time in SL 171

Sri Lankan opener Kusal Perera batted like a lone-wolf at the top, reaching his own fifty just a short while after team’s collective half-century. The cricketer bludgeoned a 28-ball 51 while his fellow top-order teammates, namely Pathum Nissanka, captain Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka combined just 17 runs between them as Sri Lanka slumped to a quick-paced 70-5 inside the powerplay.

New Zealand’s tearaway speedster Trent Boult struck thrice with the new-ball, after Tim Southee gave his side their first breakthrough of the match in his opening over itself.

Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner also joined in the party with two wickets each in the middle overs to floor down Sri Lanka at 128-9. Fortunately for the Asian giants, last-wicket pair of Maheesh Theekshana and Dilshan Madushanka batted with time and grit as the duo stretched their total to 171.

Both Theekshana and Madushanka occupied crease for nearly an hour to add 38* (91) and 19 (48) from their ends respectively.

Openers, Mitchell rush NZ to NRR-boosting win

New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra slapped identical and thunderous 40s at the top to amount to an 86-run first-wicket stand in 12 overs. Meanwhile, the middle-order consumed just 11 additional overs to carve off their remaining 86 runs as the ‘Black Caps’ rushed their way over Sri Lanka with more than half of their innings still intact.

Daryl Mitchell at number four clubbed a 31-ball 43, while Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 10-ball 17 to canter New Zealand to an easy NRR-boosting five-wicket win.

Among the Sri Lankan bowlers, Angelo Mathews gained the most from New Zealand’s acceleration as he struck twice in his four overs. Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera also pocketed a fruitless wicket each as Sri Lanka concluded their World Cup 2023 run with yet another defeat, their fourth in a row in the backend of the competition.

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