NZ vs SL Match Preview
The New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne picked up a fifer in the second game as the seamer completely derailed the Sri Lankan team before the swashbuckling Tim Seifert took the Kiwis to a modest target set by the island nation. Seifert smashed 79 not out from 43 balls during this innings. The first match between the two teams witnessed the game going into a super over in Auckland. In the second T20 international, the Kiwis managed to level the series in a match that was one-sided for most of the time.
Sri Lanka made a decent start to their innings and at one stage they were 89 for 2 from 11 overs after being asked to bat in the second match. However, the early wicket of set batsmen Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera in quick succession meant the Lankan innings was to go on a downward journey. They were bowled out for 141 runs in 19 overs. At one point they looked as if they will push a score of 180 runs. The New Zealand reply to this total was quick. Chad Bowes went after the bowling right from the outset.
New Zealand chased the Sri Lanka total easily with 32 balls and 9 wickets to spare. Sri Lanka appeared to be headed for a big score when batters such as de Silva and Perera were at the crease. These two were involved in a 62-run partnership from just 46 balls. But they still had a lot of batting to come in the form of the hero of the first game Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dasun Shanaka to come. Perera fell for 35 from 32 balls when he hit the Milne slower delivery straight into the lap of the midwicket fielder. Even de Silva holed out in the next over having scored 37 runs from 26 balls.
The rest of the Sri Lankan batters lost their wickets trying to hit boundaries. Shanaka skied a slog while Hasaranga could not hit the James Neesham leg-cutter over mid-off. Asalanka once again looked promising as he scored 24 runs from 19 balls but he top-edged one of the Milne deliveries. After completing 12 overs nicely, the Sri Lankan batting lost 8 wickets for 50 runs within the next 47 balls. The tail didn’t wag at all as Milne and co cut through the Sri Lankan lower middle order. Thanks to the efforts of Tim Seifert, the Kiwis made light work of the target.
Weather Report
We are expecting some cloud cover during the game and it might be a little breezy as well.
Pitch Report
This game is the first T20 international match to be played at the John Davies Oval venue. During the Super Smash this season in the New Zealand domestic T20 competition, the average total while batting first on this ground is 147 runs. The sides batting second have won 5 out of 7 matches played at this venue in Super Smash. Any team that bats first in a T20 game at this venue will be looking to set a score in the excess of 170 runs.
The surface at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown has a tinge of grass on it. This means the wicket will help the quicker bowlers a lot more than spinners. Batsmen will need to be cautious in the initial overs when the ball is new and quicker bowlers can extract some pace and movement from the track. After the wicket settles down it will become a batting paradise and batters can collect some easy ones.
Notable stats
Charith Asalanka has a great batting average for the series.
Charith Asalanka is averaging 45.50 at the moment in the T20I series. He looked like getting runs in both games of the T20I series.
Adam Milne has an incredible batting average in the series.
Adam Milne picked up a fifer in the second T20I game and as a result, he has an average of 11.33 for the series.
Team News
There are likely to be some changes in the composition of both teams for this game. But there are no injury updates available so far.
NZ vs SL Probable 11
NZ Playing 11
- Chad Bowes
- Tim Seifert
- Tom Latham (C)
- Daryl Mitchell
- Mark Chapman
- James Neesham
- Rachin Ravindra
- Adam Milne
- Henry Shipley
- Ish Sodhi
- Ben Lister
SL Playing 11
- Pathum Nissanka
- Kusal Mendis (Wk)
- Kusal Perera
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Charith Asalanka
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Pramod Madushan
- Dilshan Madushanka
- Kasun Rajitha
Dream11 Prediction
Although the Sri Lankan team showed a bit of resistance in the series, they have not performed up to scratch on this New Zealand tour. They ended up losing the test matches then they lost the ODI series. Here is an opportunity to redeem this dismal performance with a series win and end the tour on a high note. The Asian champions have the potential to cause an upset here especially if their batting order clicks. But apart from a couple of front-line spinners their bowling attack is their major drawback and it is likely to cost them again.
The Kiwis will be going great guns after that win in the second T20I. They have great depth in their batting line-up and it might just come in handy on this track. The New Zealand fast bowlers are once again likely to cause some issues to the Lankan batting order in conditions that suit their kind of bowling. So, handling Ben Lister and Adam Milne upfront might decide the fortunes of Sri Lanka in this match. We will bet with New Zealand to win this match and take the series.
Top Picks
Daryl Mitchell: Daryl Mitchell has scored 275 runs in his last 10 games for New Zealand, He has not only scored these runs with a solid average of 45.83 but has scored them quickly with a strike rate of 145.50.
Adam Milne: Milne was the main destroyer of the Sri Lankan batting line-up in the second game of the T20I series. He has 6 wickets in the series and is leading the bowling charts.
Kusal Mendis: Kusal Mendis is an impact player for Sri Lanka and he has picked up 258 runs from his last 10 appearances for Sri Lanka with an average of 28.66 and a strike rate of 144.94.
Tim Seifert: Tim Seifert was in devastating form in the second game when they were chasing a modest total of 141 runs. He has a strike rate of 171.73 in the series.
NZ vs SL Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: T. Latham , T. Seifert
Batters: D. de Silva, D. Mitchell (C), C. Asalanka
All-rounders: D. Shanaka, J. Neesham (VC), W. Hasaranga
Bowlers: A. Milne, B. Lister, M. Theekshana
