New Zealand landed a counterpunch with twin centuries, Lea Tahuhu’s 4-fer to level the ongoing 3-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka.
The home side got off to a flying start in the series with a historic 9-wicket win over New Zealand in a run-curtailed game on the back of impressive performances from the Sri Lankan bowling unit. The opening batters backed up the performance of their bowlers with a match-defining partnership by the Sri Lankan opening batters. In this article, we will be summarising the 2nd ODI of the series.
Unlike the first ODI, fortunately for the players as well as the spectators, there was no rain delay and the game began at the scheduled time. New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost their opener, Suzie Bates, early, Amelia Kerr joined the wicket-keeper batter Bernadine Bezuidenhout to stitch a crucial 50-run partnership to perform the rescue act. Just when Bernadine Bezuidenhout was looking all set for a big score, she perished to the off-spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe in her pursuit of going over the top.
A splendid 1️⃣0️⃣8️⃣ 😍
Amelia Kerr also completed 1500 ODI runs today🔥 #CricketTwitter #SLvNZ 📸: White Ferns pic.twitter.com/hYWIj3rr6F
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 30, 2023
Skipper Sophie Devine partnered with Amelia Kerr to put on a match-defining stand of 229 runs for the third wicket. A partnership that took the game away completely from the home side. Both batters crossed their individual century milestones in the process. Amelia Kerr scored 108 runs, at a strike rate of 101.88, including seven boundaries and a maximum. Skipper Sophie Devine scored 137 runs, including 17 boundaries and a couple of maximums, at a strike rate of 113.22. New Zealand finished with 329 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 50 overs, leaving a high mountain of total to climb for the Sri Lankan batters.
Sophie Storm at Galle🔥🙌🏻
• 137 (121)
• 1 Wicket for 15 Runs#CricketTwitter #SLvNZ 📸: White Ferns pic.twitter.com/fPTVYZFt6v— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 30, 2023
Chasing a target of 330 runs, the home side kept losing wickets at regular intervals, courtesy of some exceptional bowling performances from the bowling unit of the visitors, with the experienced campaigner Lea Tahuhu being the stand-out performer, as she picked up 4 wickets giving away just 31 runs in her spell of 8 overs, with an impressive economy of 3.87 runs per over. The 22-year-old youngster Kavisha Dilhari was the lone warrior for Sri Lanka, she managed to delay the inevitable with a fighting knock of 84 runs, including nine boundaries at a strike rate of 85.71.
Lone Warrior 🏏
Kavisha Dilhari's 84 Runs gave 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka hope to win but it wasn't enough. #CricketTwitter #SLvNZ 📸: White Ferns pic.twitter.com/p0yx7pk1oY
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 30, 2023
Sri Lanka was eventually bundled out for 213 runs in 48.4 overs as the White Ferns handed a crushing 116-run defeat to the home side to level the three-match ODI series. The White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine was awarded the player of the match for her all-around performance, ensuring the series goes into a decider on Monday, 3rd of July 2023.