Santner, Henry, Ravindra shine as Sri Lanka fail to make use of home advantage
A game-changing captain’s knock from Mitch Santner and brilliant bowling from Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra have underpinned a typically professional triumph for New Zealand that sent Sri Lanka tumbling out of their own T20 World Cup.
Against the co-hosts who had outplayed Australia by eight wickets last week, New Zealand silenced the home crowd as they proved completely dominant in a 61-run victory at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.
It’s a convincing win that’s put the Black Caps in the driving seat to earn a semi-final spot but it was a victory that certainly hadn’t looked likely when New Zealand were limping at 6-98 with four overs remaining after they’d been asked to bat by the home skipper Dasun Shanaka.
But his NZ counterpart Santner, alongside allrounder Cole McConchie, produced a dazzling finish, the bespectacled skipper clouting 47 off 26 balls, including four sixes, while his less experienced partner amassed 31 off 23.
With 70 of their 84 partnership coming off those final four overs, they transformed the game to drag New Zealand to 7-168.
Then, once Henry had delivered a beauty that nipped back and bowled Australia’s destroyer Pathum Nissanka all ends up with the first ball of the home side’s reply, victory never seemed in doubt.
Seamer Henry struck again in his next over to get Charith Asalanka skying one to mid-wicket and finished with 2-3 off his two overs – but from then on, it was all about spin as the Sri Lankans couldn’t cope, in particular, with the wiles of Ravindra who followed up a useful knock of 32 off 22 balls with 4-27 off his four overs.
“It was pretty much a complete performance, and it was awesome to see contributions across our team,” beamed player-of-the-match Ravindra.
“For me. it’s about offering a contribution to the team. I’m just glad to be in the game, no matter what.”
With Ravindra luring both Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake to their doom in the space of three balls in the ninth over, stumped by Tim Seifert as they tried to take the skipper to town, the game was already up with Sri Lanka reduced to 4-29.
Santner (1-19), who eked out the scalp of Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Kamindu Mendis for 31, and Glenn Phillips (1-21) both chipped in with wickets as the hosts ended on 8-107, thoroughly deflated after the end of their adventure.
“It’s embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd, they’ve been very supportive,” sighed Shanaka.
“We wanted to restrict them to 130 but, to be honest, they played really well so we must give them credit.”
Sri Lanka have just one match left against Pakistan, who are still clinging on to the hope of qualifying. They can do so but would have to win convincingly while hoping New Zealand don’t beat the already qualified England.
Even if the Black Caps lost and Pakistan won, it would come down to net run-rate, and currently New Zealand’s is 3.05, compared to Pakistan’s minus-0.46.
