Kiwis draw first blood at Pallekele

Lasith Malinga celebrates after dismissing Colin de Grandhomme to become the highest wicket-taker in T20Is

Mitchell Santner and Daryll Mitchell congratulate each other after securing victory 

By Shamseer Jaleel reporting from Pallekele

New Zealand drew first blood in the first T20I encounter against Sri Lanka when they beat the home team by five wickets at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy last evening. 

Sri Lankan skipper Lasith Malinga won the toss and elected to bat first. A slight drizzle throughout the day was a constant occurrence in the Central Hills, but the game got off to a scheduled start. Legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga made his T20I debut. Meanwhile New Zealand had a major blow when Lockie Ferguson fractured his thumb before the game, he was replaced by Seth Rance.

Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera gave a perfect start for the home team. Mendis was in cracking form scoring 19 runs in one single Rance over, stroking three beautiful boundaries. The pair put on 41 valuable runs before Perera threw away his wicket for 11 runs. Sri Lanka scored their first 50 in only 35 balls at a brisk pace. Avishka Fernando, who never got on top of the Kiwi bowlers, lost his way and was stumped off Mitchell Santner. 

Mendis was in good nick, driving and pulling at will, as he scored his half century in just 35 balls, inclusive of five boundaries and one huge six. Sri Lanka brought up their 100 in 13.2 overs. Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella put on 63 runs for the third wicket. Mendis went on to stroke a brilliant innings of 79 in 53 balls, with eight boundaries and two huge sixes. After Mendis was dismissed, Dasun Shanaka and Dickwella put on a 29-run partnership, before Dickwella was run out for 33 off 25 balls. Shanaka scored a quick fire 17, while Isuru Udana scored an unbeaten 15 off just three deliveries, courtesy two sixes in a 23-run final over. Sri Lanka ended on 174/4 in their 20 overs. 

In reply the Kiwis had a bad start when Colin Munro was bowled by Malinga for a duck. Then Martin Guptill, going for a big hit, was caught in the deep for just 11 runs. New Zealand failed to build a solid partnership to achieve the target until Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme got together. They both hit the Sri Lankan bowlers without any effort to all parts of the ground.  They started their partnership with the score on 39 and took the visitors to 118, in a 79-run fourth wicket partnership. This was the turning point for the Kiwis. Coming back in to the attack Malinga clean bowled de Grandhomme for 44 – this would be Malinga’s 99th T20I wicket, making him the highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals. Taylor, who was dropped in the deep by Dasun Shanaka when he was on 30, went on to make 48 runs before being trapped LBW by debutant Hasaranga who claimed his second wicket, just as the rains came down. With the score on 144 for 5 in 16.5 overs the game was briefly stopped for 20 minutes. But the Kiwi fight back was taken to a win when both Daryl Mitchelle (25 not out) and Mitchell Santner (14 not out) put on 31 runs for the 6th wicket to take them home.