Milne's Fifer & Seifert's Heroics Guide New Zealand to Series-Leveller
Tim Seifert & Tom Latham helped NZ cross the line (Blackcaps Twitter)
New Zealand has pulled off a spectacular comeback in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, leveling it at 1-1 with an emphatic nine-wicket win in the second match played at the University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday. The Blackcaps' blistering performance ensured that the final game of the series, to be played on April 8 in Queenstown, will be a nail-biting decider.
How the battle panned out?
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first, which proved to be a wise decision as their bowlers were right on the money from the word go. The Lankan openers, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella, looked to be in aggressive mood, but the Kiwi pacers were able to send both of them back to the pavilion early, putting Sri Lanka under immense pressure.
However, Thisara Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva had other plans, as they combined to steady the innings and build a valuable partnership. De Silva, in particular, looked fluent and was striking the ball beautifully, while Perera played the anchor role and took his time to settle in. The pair put on a solid 62-run partnership for the third wicket, which allowed Sri Lanka to regain some momentum.
But New Zealand's perseverance eventually paid off, as they managed to break the partnership, triggering a massive collapse which saw the visitors lose their last eight wickets for just 50 runs. Adam Milne, who replaced Lockie Ferguson in the team, was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with stunning figures of 5-26 in his four overs.
Milne's incredible spell meant that Sri Lanka were bowled out for a modest total of 141 runs in just 20 overs, setting the stage for a comfortable run chase for the hosts.
In response, New Zealand's opening duo of Chad Bowes and Tim Seifert looked in a hurry to finish the game off as soon as possible. Bowes was in a punishing mood and attacked the Lankan bowlers from the outset, smashing a quickfire 31 off just 15 balls.
However, it was Seifert who stole the show with his breathtaking display of strokeplay. The 28-year-old right-hander showed remarkable maturity and class as he scored an unbeaten 79 off just 43 balls, hitting 3 fours and 6 sixes in the process. He put on a sensational show of power hitting, displaying an array of shots that left the Sri Lankan bowlers completely clueless.
Seifert's incredible innings saw him take the game away from Sri Lanka, as the Kiwis chased down the target with 32 balls to spare, winning the match by 9 wickets. The win was a much-needed boost for the Blackcaps, who had lost the first match of the series in a nail-biting finish.
The stage is now set for a thrilling finale in Queenstown, where both teams will look to give it their all and clinch the series. With the series level at 1-1, fans can expect an intense and closely fought contest between the two formidable sides.
Brief Scores
Sri Lanka: 141/10 (20)
Dhananjaya de Silva 37 (26), Kusal Perera 35 (22)
Adam Milne 5-26 (4), Ben Lister 2-26 (4)
New Zealand: 146/1 (14.4)
Tim Seifert 79* (43), Chad Bowes 31 (15)
Kasun Rajitha 1-25 (2), Maheesh Theekshana 0-18 (4)
New Zealand won by nine wickets
 "Jatin")
