121/10 (28.4)
CR : 4.22
261/10 (49.2)
CR : 5.29
Sri Lanka A won by 140 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
W Sahan
5/1312(17)
5-13 off 6.4 overs, 1st undefined fifer
Over 29
New Zealand A 121/10
Max Chu
Kristian Clarke18(22)
Wanuja Sahan5-13(6.4)
SL-A won by 140 runs
3:58 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: Cricket is funny… one team builds a house brick by brick, the other forgets the door and gets locked out. Sri Lanka-A posted a solid 261 in 49.2 overs, a score built on partnerships, patience, and a few well-timed punches. New Zealand-A, chasing 262, started with intent… but ended in confusion. Bowled out for 121 in just 28.4 overs. A collapse that came like a sudden plot twist. Sri Lanka-A didn’t just win… they dominated. From middle-overs control to bowling brilliance. Margin? Massive. Statement? Loud.
So how did the chase begin? Aggressive? Yes. Controlled? Not quite. 50 came in around 6 overs. Quick runs. But wickets too. Dale Phillips smashed 30 off 17. Sixes. Fours. Energy. But then, boom - Sahan strikes at 6.2. Next ball - run-out - Mariu gone at 52/2 (6.3 overs). Momentum? Broken. Worth the risk? Nope. But the cost? Too high.
What about the middle overs? Recovery? Or deeper trouble? At 14.3 overs - 75/4, Mitchell Hay walked back. Then 88/5 at 18.1 overs. Then 93/6 at 19 overs. Collapse in slow motion. Or maybe fast-forward. Sahan was everywhere - 6.4 overs, 5 wickets, just 13 runs. That’s not bowling… that’s a lockdown. Dinusha joined the party - 2/10 in 5 overs. Who steadied the ship? No one. The ship sank.
And the end? Quick. Brutal. Inevitable. From 106/7 at 23.4 overs to 121 all out at 28.4 overs. Tail didn’t wag. It surrendered. Clarke fought (18 off 22) but alone. Even worse, Max Chu was given absent hurt. One batter short. One chance less. Sri Lanka-A closed it clinically. No drama. Just discipline.
Now rewind. First innings. Sri Lanka A’s Powerplay - steady with flashes. At 3.6 overs - 20/1, Croospulle gone. But then Mishara took over. Aggressive. Clean. 71 off 49 balls, striking at 144.89. By 10.1 overs - 66/2, platform set. Fast start? Yes. Controlled? Also yes. Balance. That’s the word.
What happened in the middle overs? Consolidation. Partnerships. Arachchige stepped in - 66 off 81. Calm. Composed. Alongside Milan Rathnayaka - 53 off 89. Not flashy. But effective. At 42.6 overs - 236/6, Sri Lanka-A had built a base. Not explosive. But strong. Dale Phillips (1/32) and Pringle (1/48) tried to hold back. But wickets came late. Runs stayed.
And the death overs? A gentle push. Proved just enough in the end. 261 runs. Small cameos. Smart batting. Extras (14 runs) helped too. Par score? Slightly above. Match-winning? Absolutely, given what followed.
So how did the chase begin? Aggressive? Yes. Controlled? Not quite. 50 came in around 6 overs. Quick runs. But wickets too. Dale Phillips smashed 30 off 17. Sixes. Fours. Energy. But then, boom - Sahan strikes at 6.2. Next ball - run-out - Mariu gone at 52/2 (6.3 overs). Momentum? Broken. Worth the risk? Nope. But the cost? Too high.
What about the middle overs? Recovery? Or deeper trouble? At 14.3 overs - 75/4, Mitchell Hay walked back. Then 88/5 at 18.1 overs. Then 93/6 at 19 overs. Collapse in slow motion. Or maybe fast-forward. Sahan was everywhere - 6.4 overs, 5 wickets, just 13 runs. That’s not bowling… that’s a lockdown. Dinusha joined the party - 2/10 in 5 overs. Who steadied the ship? No one. The ship sank.
And the end? Quick. Brutal. Inevitable. From 106/7 at 23.4 overs to 121 all out at 28.4 overs. Tail didn’t wag. It surrendered. Clarke fought (18 off 22) but alone. Even worse, Max Chu was given absent hurt. One batter short. One chance less. Sri Lanka-A closed it clinically. No drama. Just discipline.
Now rewind. First innings. Sri Lanka A’s Powerplay - steady with flashes. At 3.6 overs - 20/1, Croospulle gone. But then Mishara took over. Aggressive. Clean. 71 off 49 balls, striking at 144.89. By 10.1 overs - 66/2, platform set. Fast start? Yes. Controlled? Also yes. Balance. That’s the word.
What happened in the middle overs? Consolidation. Partnerships. Arachchige stepped in - 66 off 81. Calm. Composed. Alongside Milan Rathnayaka - 53 off 89. Not flashy. But effective. At 42.6 overs - 236/6, Sri Lanka-A had built a base. Not explosive. But strong. Dale Phillips (1/32) and Pringle (1/48) tried to hold back. But wickets came late. Runs stayed.
And the death overs? A gentle push. Proved just enough in the end. 261 runs. Small cameos. Smart batting. Extras (14 runs) helped too. Par score? Slightly above. Match-winning? Absolutely, given what followed.
Time for the Post-Match Presentations...
Player of the Match: Wanuja Sahan
Wanuja Sahan spoke in his local language to the presenter. Unfortunately, we are not able to translate his quotes.
Rhys Mariu (Stand-In Captain of New Zealand-A): (On Max Chu's absence) “He’s gone for a scan, so we’re just waiting on the results. Fingers crossed.
(On what went wrong in the match) I think we were fantastic in the field, but we let ourselves down with the bat. The conditions were hot, but we just needed to be better with our batting.
(On key takeaways for the next game) If we can replicate our bowling performance, that will be key. And with the bat, we need to apply ourselves better and get bigger scores.”
(On what went wrong in the match) I think we were fantastic in the field, but we let ourselves down with the bat. The conditions were hot, but we just needed to be better with our batting.
(On key takeaways for the next game) If we can replicate our bowling performance, that will be key. And with the bat, we need to apply ourselves better and get bigger scores.”
Sahan Arachchige (Sri Lanka A Captain): "(Plan when he went out there) Yes at that moment we had lost a few wickets. The plan was to bat for a long time. Luckily, we scored how much we wanted to.
(On the pitch) Our plan was to get more than 270-280. However, when we were batting, we assessed the wicket better and understood that the wicket was slow. 250 then was what we were targeting."
(On the pitch) Our plan was to get more than 270-280. However, when we were batting, we assessed the wicket better and understood that the wicket was slow. 250 then was what we were targeting."
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Manan Mehta, Saptak Sanyal, and scorer Yogesh Kumar. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!