In the third and final ODI, New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets and sealed the 3-match series 2-0. Notably, the hosts had won the opening game by 198 runs, while 💖the second ODI was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.
or the NZC app 📲— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS)
With the series loss, the Islanders have also lost their hopes of securin🐬g a direct qualification for tꦿhe upcoming ODI World Cup, scheduled to take place in India later this year. Now they will have to play qualifiers in June.
Coming back to the third ODI, chasing a modest target of 158 runs, New Zealand had a shaky start, losing three wickets for just 19 runs. However, Will Young‘s gritty knock of 86 runs off 113 balls, with 11 fours, helped them to recover and eventua🐷lly win the match by 6 wickets in 32.5 overs.
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC)
Earlier, the Sri Lankan innings struggled to get going after opting to bat, as they were bowled out for just 157 runs in 41.3 overs. Pathum Nissanka 🉐was the only Sri Lankan batter to put up a fight, scoring 57 runs off 64 balls with eight fours and🍌 1 six.
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats)
Matt Henry, Henry Shipley and Daryl Mitchell were the pick of the bowlers for the Black Caps, taking 3 wickets each and cꦿonceding just 14, 32 and 𝄹32 runs, respectively.