Glenn Phillips scored a game-setting hundred, before Trent Boult rattled the Sri Lankan top-order to help New Zealand to their second win in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12s round in Sydney on Saturday.
After having outplayed hosts Australia in an 89-run win in their tournament opener last week, rain washed out New Zealand’s second T20 World Cup 2022 encounter against Afghanistan in Melbourne on Wednesday. The Blackcaps stuttered with the bat initially in their third encounter against the Sri Lankans but were revived brilliantly by Phillips, who registered his second T20I hundred in a 65-run win.
The Kiwis were dented early after having opted to bat, as spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Dhananjaya de Silva removed openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway respectively within the first three overs. Kane Williamson’s woeful run continued, with the right-hander falling to Kasun Rajitha for eight to see his side being reduced to 15/3 in four overs.
Daryl Mitchell, returning to the side from injury, forged an 84-run stand with Phillips, which the latter dominated, setting it up for a stroke-filled finish. Though the latter didn’t get much support, he kept going strong, smashing 10 fours and four sixes in a 64-ball 104, before being dismissed in the last over in an innings that ended at 167/7.
Tim Southee dismissed Pathum Nissanka in the first over of Sri Lanka’s chase, and Trent Boult removed the in-form Kusal Mendis, de Silva and Charith Asalanka as the 2014 champions crumbled to a precarious 8/4 in the fourth over. Mitchell Santner dismissed Chamika Karunaratne on the first ball of his spell, and Bhanuka Rajapaksha (34 off 22) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (35 off 32) could do no more than delay the end, without threatening to alter it.
The duo were the only batters to score in two digits in an innings that folded out for 102 with four balls unused.
“Credit to Glenn Phillips who played an outstanding knock but while fielding we dropped a few chances. Then 160 was maybe too much for us with the quality of Southee and Trent Boult. There is a way to chase big totals, but we lost early wickets and then lost them at regular intervals. We need to come out with a positive intent in the next couple of games.”
Shanaka said after the defeat.
With a strong net run-rate of +3.850, New Zealand are just a win away from confirming a semi-final spot. The 2021 runners-up will face England in their next match in Brisbane on Tuesday, October 1, followed by their last Super 12s clash against Ireland at the Adelaide Oval two days later.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, having lost two of their three games, remain in the hunt courtesy of other washed-out games in the group. They’ll play Afghanistan next in a must-win game in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Brief scores
New Zealand 167/7 in 20 overs (Phillips 104, Mitchell 22; Rajitha 2-23) beat Sri Lanka 102 in 19.2 overs (Shanaka 35, Rajapaksa 34; Boult 4-13, Santner 2-21) by 65 runs
