Brief Score: Sri Lanka 196/5 (Aslanka 67, Perera 53no, Mendis 25; Neesham 2/30) NZ 196/8 (Mitchell 66, Chapman 33, Latham 27; Shanaka 2/20)
Sri Lanka win in the Super Over

Sri Lanka on Sunday took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after beating New Zealand in a thrilling 1st T20I in Auckland's Eden Park. 

Always struggling to match a tourists' batting effort that yielded 196/5, the Blackcaps tailenders managed to achieve their target, when spin-bowler Ish Sodhi lofted a six into the stands on the last ball of the innings to force extra time.

The home side sent out Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham to face Maheesh Theekshana, but Neesham skied a ball back to the bowler and Mark Chapman - the designated third batter - was bowled with the last delivery, with just eight runs on the board.

Sri Lanka needed only three Adam Milne deliveries to seal their first win on NZ soil this autumn across any format, with Charith Asalanka hitting a six and a four.

Milne had the Blackcaps on the front foot with the first ball of the match, coaxing opener Pathum Nissanka into an edge behind, caught by keeper Tom Latham, who was the only one to appeal and was proved correct on review. 

But the visitors put on their best performance of a tour that saw they well beaten in tests and one-dayers, quickly establishing a run rate of more than 10 and over, retaining wickets and building partnerships.

A 103-run stand between Asalanka and Kusal Perera for the fourth wicket set the foundation, before Hasaranga de Silva provided 21 off 11 balls at the end of the innings.

The second T20I will be played in Dunedin on Wednesday while the third T20I will be played in Queenstown on Saturday.

Source: newshub.co.nz

BDST: 1148 HRS, APR 02, 2023
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