Easy victory for NZ as Champions Trophy nears

New Zealand secured a dominant nine-wicket victory, on Sunday, over Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Basin Reserve. A clinical performance by the hosts saw them comfortably chase down a target of 179, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner opted to bowl first on a green surface, and his decision paid dividends as the Blackcaps' bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka's top order. Matt Henry was the standout performer, claiming four wickets for just 19 runs in his ten overs, earning him the Player of the Match award.

Sri Lanka's innings never gained momentum, with early strikes leaving them reeling at 23 for 4 inside the first ten overs. Despite a brief resistance from Janith Liyanage (36 off 54) and Wanindu Hasaranga (35 off 33), the visitors struggled to build meaningful partnerships. Eventually, they were bowled out for 178 in 43.4 overs.

In response, New Zealand's opening duo of Will Young and Rachin Ravindra laid a solid foundation with a 93-run partnership. Ravindra was dismissed for a well-made 45, but Young continued his fine form, finishing unbeaten on 90. Mark Chapman joined him to guide the hosts across the finish line, with Chapman contributing 29 not out.

Young sealed the win in style, pulling a short ball from Chamindu Wickramasinghe for four, completing the chase in just 26.2 overs.

The teams will now head to Hamilton for the second ODI, where Sri Lanka will look to bounce back and level the series.

NZ wins T20 series against Sri Lanka

After a 2-1 loss in the Test series to England, New Zealand bounced back in a T20 series against Sri Lanka. The Blackcaps showed resilience in the opening T20, edging out the visitors by just 8 runs. The second T20 saw a more controlled effort, as New Zealand secured another win, winning the series with a game to go. 

In the first T20, New Zealand edged out Sri Lanka by just 8 runs in what proved to be the closest encounter of the series. Batting first, New Zealand found themselves at 65/4 after 9.4 overs. However, Daryl Mitchell’s gritty 62 and Michael Bracewell’s fluent 59 led a vital recovery, steering New Zealand to a competitive 172/8 by the innings break.

Sri Lanka came charging out of the blocks, racing to 120/0 after 13 overs. However, the breakthrough came when Jacob Duffy, named Man of the Match, made his mark. After bowling his full 4-over spell, Duffy finished with 3/21, including the key wicket of opener Kusal Mendis for 46. Duffy’s efforts shifted the momentum in New Zealand’s favour, with Matt Henry (2/28) and debutant Zachary Foulkes (2/41) also playing vital roles in restricting Sri Lanka’s chase who lost 8/43, as the Blackcaps clinched victory.

New Zealand’s batting was steadier in the second T20, with Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra combining for 82 runs, helping the Blackcaps reach 186/5 by the end of their innings. Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 187, got off to a strong start, reaching 127/4.

However, the hero of the first game, Jacob Duffy, continued his excellent form, finishing with 4/15 from 4 overs. He was well-supported by Matt Henry and captain Mitchell Santner, who each claimed two wickets. Their combined efforts helped New Zealand defend their total, as Sri Lanka fell short, and the Blackcaps secured a 45-run victory.

In the third and last T20, Sri Lanka found victory after a superb batting performance by Kusal Perera who's match winning 101, made Sri Lanka favourites to win after posting 218/5. Hope of a kiwi comeback was lived by Rachin Ravindra's 69, and Tim Robinson's 37, but in the end Sri Lanka won the match by 7 runs. 

Man of the Match went to Jacob Duffy, which was very well deserved whose bowling figures where 8/66 for the series. 

Southee departs on a high as ENG win 2-1

On the final day of the third Test at Seddon Park, New Zealand completed a resounding victory by 423 runs, as they bowled England out for just 234 runs in their second innings, with the visitors needing an improbable 658 runs to win. England’s batting once again crumbled under pressure, and despite a fighting knock from Jacob Bethell 76 and some brief resistance from Joe Root 54 and Gus Atkinson 43, New Zealand’s bowlers were relentless, wrapping up the match before tea.

Set an almost impossible target of 658 runs, England began the final day on 18/2, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett both dismissed cheaply on Day 3. England’s hopes rested on their middle order, but New Zealand’s bowlers quickly destroyed those as well.

Jacob Bethell provided the only significant resistance for England, scoring a patient 76 off 96 balls, including 13 boundaries and one six. He played some elegant strokes but was ultimately dismissed by Will O’Rourke.

Joe Root, who had been solid in the first innings, showed grit again in the second, contributing 54 runs off 64 balls. However, his dismissal to Mitchell Santner (who claimed 4 wickets for 85) at a crucial juncture dashed England's hopes of mounting a substantial recovery.

At the close of play, England’s innings ended on 234, with Ben Stokes unable to bat due to injury, leaving his team to fall short by a huge margin. The final wicket fell in the 47th over of the day, as Brydon Carse was stumped off Santner, confirming New Zealand's overwhelming victory.

Mitchell Santner was the undisputed hero of the final day. He claimed a remarkable 4 wickets for 85 runs in England’s second innings and played an instrumental role in dismantling the opposition's lower order. His performance, combined with his crucial knock of 76 runs in New Zealand's first innings, earned him the Player of the Match award. (Santner finished - 14.2 overs 85 runs 4 wickets Economy rate: 5.93)

Alongside Santner, Matt Henry and Tim Southee were pivotal in the destruction of England’s top order. Henry took 2 wickets for 62 runs, while Southee claimed 2 wickets for 34 runs in his final test match. The support from Will O’Rourke 1/37 and Santner’s all-round brilliance ensured that New Zealand maintained their stranglehold throughout England’s second innings.

Despite England’s defeat in the final Test, Harry Brook was awarded Player of the Series for his stellar performances with the bat throughout the series. Brook amassed 350 runs across the three Tests, including two crucial half-centuries. His consistency in the middle order was one of the few bright spots for England during the tour.

England won the series 2-1, and now sit 6th on the World Test Championship Standings table.