New Zealand rode on Jacob Duffy's brilliant four-fer and Mitchell Hay's blistering knock to thrash Sri Lanka by 45 runs in the second T20I at the Bay Oval on December 30. Sri Lanka suffered another close defeat in their pursuit of victory. With this win New Zealand clinched the three-match T20I series 2-0 with a match to spare.
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka to win T20I series
This defeat follows a narrow eight-run loss in the first match, where Sri Lanka narrowly missed the target of 172/8. In the second match, Sri Lanka faced a similar fate while chasing New Zealand's total of 186/5. Despite getting off to a decent start they failed to capitalise on it and were restricted to 141 runs in 19.1 overs.
Jacob Duffy's bowling mastery once again won the match for New Zealand. In both matches of the series, Duffy played instrumental roles in restricting the Sri Lankan batters.
Jacob Duffy once again wins it for New Zealand
Duffy (4/15) delivered a crucial spell, dismissing opener Pathum Nissanka for 37 and then removing Kusal Perera for 48. This double blow effectively halted Sri Lanka's momentum, as both batters were well-positioned to guide their team towards victory. Duffy's impact was further amplified by his three-wicket haul in four balls, which included the dismissal of Kusal Mendis, hindering Sri Lanka's chase.
Following Nissanka's dismissal, Duffy delivered a crucial blow, dismissing Kusal Perera with a superb yorker in the 16th over. At this point, Sri Lanka was at 127/4, still within reach of the target. However, Duffy's impact continued to grow as he removed Wanindu Hasaranga (1) and Maheesh Theekshana (0) with consecutive deliveries in the 18th over. This double strike effectively derailed the Sri Lankan chase, as their lower order once again couldn't do much.
Matt Henry further compounded Sri Lanka's woes by dismissing two batters with consecutive deliveries in the 19th over. Finally, Zak Foulkes brought the Sri Lankan innings to a close with five balls to spare, sealing New Zealand's victory.
In the first match, New Zealand relied heavily on a century partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell to post a competitive total. However, in the second match, they displayed a more balanced batting effort, with multiple contributions from their batters.
Tim Robinson provided a strong start for New Zealand, contributing 41 runs from 34 balls at the top of the order. He showed his aggressive intent with three fours and two sixes. In contrast, Rachin Ravindra struggled once again, dismissed for just one run.
Mark Chapman followed Robinson's contribution with a well-paced 42 runs from 29 balls. However, it was wicketkeeper Mitchell who played a pivotal role in separating the two teams. He delivered a crucial unbeaten 41 from 19 balls riding on four fours and two sixes to help New Zealand post a total of 186/5.
Meanwhile, the third T20I between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be played on January 2 at Saxton Oval