A sucored 46 and claimed 3-50, helped Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven runs in a thrilling third T20I at the Saxton Oval in Nelson and avoid a clean sweep as the Blackcaps won the serieperb 46-ball century by Kusal Perera and an all-round display by skipper Charith Asalanka, who ss 2-1.
Hosts New Zealand won the first T20I at Mount Maunganui by eight wickets and then sealed the series by winning the second match by 45 runs at the same venue. But their plans for a clean sweep came unstuck in the largely inconsequential third T20I as the Sri Lankans finally came good both with the bat and ball.
Perera laid the foundation and Asalanka hammered 46 off 24 balls to build Sri Lanka's massive score of 218/5 in 20 overs after New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first in gloomy conditions following a half-hour delay for the start of the match due to wet outfield.
New Zealand mounted a valiant attempt to chase a record target of 219 but Asalanka's burst of three wickets for 50 runs thwarted their efforts as the hosts fell short by seven runs despite a fighting 39-ball 69 by explosive opener Rachin Ravindra.
Openers Tim Robinson and Ravindra gave New Zealand a superb start as they raised 81 runs for the first-wicket partnership in seven overs. Binura Fernando got the breakthrough for Sri Lanka by sending back Robinson for 37 off 21 balls.
Asalanka then added another two to his tally with the wickets of Mark Champam (9) and Glenn Phillips (6) as New Zealand were reduced to 112/3 in the 11th over. Ravindra was bowled by Asalanka for 69, his highest score in T20I cricket which included five boundaries and four sixes.
Daryl Mitchell kept up their chase with a 17-ball 35 (4x1, 6x4) but quick wickets of Mitchell Hay (8) and Michael Bracewell (1) further hampered their efforts and despite a late flourish by skipper Santner (14 not out off 10) and Zakaru Foulkes (21 off 13), New Zealand fell short by seven runs.
Asalanka was the most successful Sri Lanka bowler with 3-50 while Wanindu Hasaranga bagged 2-38 to derail the Black Caps' chase.
Earlier, Santner's decision to field first in gloomy and helpful conditions failed to pay as Sri Lanka went on to put up a big total. Though Matt Henry accounted for Pathum Nissanka for 15 and Kusal Mendis got out to Santner for 22 off 16 balls, Perera kept the Sri Lanka innings intact with a superb knock.
He shared vital partnerships with Avishka Fernando (17) and skipper Asalanka who hammered 46 off 24 balls studded with one four and five sixes to put Sri Lanka on course for a challenging total. Perera and Asalanka shared a 102-run partnership for the fourth wicket rescuing Sri Lanka from 81/3.
Perera reached his fifty off 27 balls and completed his century from 44 balls, hitting 13 fours and four sixes. This was his 16th 50-plus score in T20Is, the most by a Sri Lankan batter.
Pacer Fernando credited Perera's knock for setting up Sri Lanka's win.
Yeah, I mean, I think a Sri Lankan batter got a T20I century after a good 13 or 14 years if I'm not mistaken. So that was a class inning. I mean KJP is a class act. So when he gets going, I think he's unstoppable. So I'm very happy for him. I hope, he will continue his good form for the rest of the T20s games we have in 2025.
Perera said he enjoyed scoring his hundred and said he got a wake-up call on the first ball he faced from when a bouncer hit him on the head. He was also dropped when on 15 at short fine-leg off that proved costly for New Zealand.
Scoring a hundred is always special. When I went in to bat, I got a wake-up call in the first ball [bouncer hit him on the head] and it was good to get on from there. Normally, subcontinental tracks are effective for spinners, but fast bowlers dominate here. Last few games, a couple of batters got starts but couldn't finish. But the coach said that batters who get starts need to finish games.
Fernando said the consolation win was much needed for his team at the start of the New Year considering the big battles ahead in 2025.
Yeah, I think we desperately needed a win and it's so good to end the T20 series with the win. So I mean, all around it was good cricket. And then even the New Zealanders, they played some proper cricket and then we were so happy that we were able to pull the game back. And I'm so happy that we got, I mean, as a team, we got over the line.
New Zealand skipper Santner said playing the three T20Is on different surfaces was a nice experience and that they were already looking forward to the ODI part of the series that will follow next.
We move on, we have to adapt to another surface in Wellington. Lots of positives, we were pretty good in all three games. Youngsters have performed and challenged themselves. That's all we can ask for.
The first ODI of the three-match series will be played at Wellington on January 5 followed by the second ODI at Hamilton on Jan 8 and the teams wind up the White-ball series at Auckland on January 11.
