NZ vs SL Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Mar 08, 2023
We are nearing the back-end of the World Test Championship and things are still looking pretty bright at the moment as far as the competition is concerned. The race for the final is still well and truly alive and Sri Lanka can still qualify if India bottles things up in their only remaining test against the Aussies.
New Zealand will take on Sri Lanka in the first test match of the series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, starting on March 10, 2023. The match is expected to be a closely contested battle between two competitive sides. Given the stakes involved, this is certainly not the one to miss out on.
NZ vs SL Team Previews
New Zealand
On the other hand, New Zealand has a well-rounded team with a good mix of youth and experience. The recent win against England, where they were asked to follow on, will give the team a lot of confidence going into the series. The home team will be heavily reliant on their fast bowlers, who have had success on this ground in the past.
New Zealand will miss the services of their skipper Kane Williamson, who will join the team late due to personal reasons. However, the team still has some excellent players in Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, and Tim Southee, who will be looking to lead the charge.
New Zealand Playing 11
Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Blair Tickner.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has had a decent preparation leading up to the game, with players participating in the National Super League and a residential camp at the newly-refurbished Radella ground, where conditions were tailored to emulate what they might face in New Zealand. However, the team's inexperience in the bowling attack may pose a challenge for them.
Sri Lanka's batting order will have to perform well to compete against the Kiwis' strong attack. Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, and Angelo Mathews will be key players for Sri Lanka in this match.
Sri Lanka Playing 11
Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando.
NZ vs SL Toss Prediction
As is often the case in New Zealand, we can expect rain to play its part in the match albeit it might not be much. The weather will be cool and is expected to help the quicker bowlers. Besides, the surface is unlikely to change much over the course of the match. We expect the captain winning the toss to field first.
Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.
Pitch and Conditions
Hagley Oval has historically favored fast bowlers, and the pitch is expected to have some bounce and seam movement, which will challenge the batsmen. The key for both teams will be to perform well in the first innings and set a solid foundation for the match.
NZ vs SL Betting Tips
Overall, the first test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka promises to be a thrilling encounter, and it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top. While Sri Lanka can pose a big challenge to the Kiwis, we believe that New Zealand will be too strong for them in home conditions despite having done pretty poorly in recent times. Given the overall side combinations and their form, we would be banking on a New Zealand win here and so should you.
Bonus Cricket Bets
Latham is arguably New Zealand's best player of spin and he plays pace equally well. Given how things have been in recent matches and Sri Lanka's bowling attack, a bet on Latham to be New Zealand's best man with the bat seems to be a lucrative proposition.
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.