New Zealand [371/7] beat Sri Lanka [326] by 45 runs in the first ODI, take 1-0 series lead

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High on confidence after a big win in the second Test, hosts New Zealand will take on Sri Lanka in the one-day international leg of the tour, with both teams seeing the games as a way to to get their World Cup combinations right.

Overview

New Zealand v Sri Lanka
1st ODI
Bay Oval, Tauranga
Thursday, 3 January, 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT


The first ODI of 2019 will also mark the beginning the of the final round of preparations for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019. The World Cup is scheduled to begin from 30 May this year and hosts New Zealand, the finalists of the 2015 edition, will look to work out their final combination during a string of home ODIs.

The first of those is against Sri Lanka, whom they beat quite comfortably in the second Test to clinch the two-Test series 1-0, and will look to carry that momentum into the limited-overs set-up.

White-ball specialists Colin Munro, Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham are back in the mix and so are Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi. Mitchell Santner, the spin-bowling all-rounder, misses out.

Leading the charge with the bat will be captain Kane Williamson and assisting him will be the experienced Ross Taylor, as the two New Zealand big guns look to get runs in the bank before the global tournament begins.

Tim Southee and Trent Boult will lead the new-ball attack, helped in the bowling by Doug Bracewell, Ferguson and Sodhi. Tim Seifert has been named the specialist wicket-keeper.

For Sri Lanka, it's another phase under the captaincy of Lasith Malinga, who replaced Dinesh Chandimal. And while Angelo Mathews' injury and subsequent omission from the squad comes as a blow, Sri Lanka have a good mix of youngsters and experienced cricketers to give them a good, balanced squad.

Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera and Niroshan Dickwella make a power-packed batting line-up, and Malinga leads the bowling that has Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep and Kasun Rajitha.

Lakshan Sandakan, the left-arm wrist-spinner, is the lead spin bowler and Seekkunge Prasanna will bowl with him. Dasun Shanaka makes a good fast-bowling all-rounder. Sri Lanka were humbled by England at home during their last ODI series and will look to begin their 2019 on a good note.

Key players

Kane Williamson (New Zealand): Williamson has been in good form lately with notable series-winning performances in the Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and with the ability to switch gears according to formats quite quickly may be the No.1 threat for Sri Lanka.

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka): The new captain and veteran fast bowler has rejuvenated himself since the Asia Cup 2018, where he made his return to international cricket after being out of the team owing to various reasons including injuries and will look to refurbish the Sri Lanka line-up with the same energy that had made them win the 2014 World T20 under his captaincy.

Conditions

A warm, sunny day is expected in Tauranga with 70% humidity. The last ODI played at the Bay Oval was in February 2018 where England bowled New Zealand out for 223. As is the case with wickets in New Zealand, there may be some assistance for the fast bowlers throughout the game but specially in the first 10 overs where there's usually some swing on offer.

Teams

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Niroshan Dickwella(w), Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga(c), Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan

New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tim Seifert(w), James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/964905
 
Feels like a year since Guptill played.

Not so sure about the new shirts.
 
Probably would be a good thing if Munro doesn't make the squad. He's not reliable at all in ODIs.
 
Good batting by these two so far. SL already staring at a huge total. Both these players are known to score big.
 
Guptill and Kane set, should look to score 380 today.

2 set batsmen and plenty of hitting to come.
 
Unlucky dismissal for Kane, man he's thrown away a lot of 100s.
 
This is something else :)))

Poor performance from the middle order, really need to get it together.
 
Neesham 47 off 14 - 6 sixes.

He might just have gotten himself into the WC squad.

Munro is close to missing out/losing his spot in the team.
 
Dickwella playing well, SL can win this, pitch looks like a road
 
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101-0 (15)

Lankans chasing decently, but are behind the run rate. I dont think they will chase this
 
112 . 0

17 overs

Very solid start by Lanka. If these two can continue for another 10 overs , Kiwis will be under pressure
 
Atrocious pitch where even 371 appears inadequate .
SL are playing without fear because they've got nothing to lose here, it's still unlikely they chase this down. We only need 2 wickets.
 
lankans are just inconsistent otherwise there is no dearth of talent there..
 
Gunaratne and Chandimal should take a bow. All time great innings while chasing 370 odd
 
Martin Guptill's brilliant 138 and Jimmy Neesham's all-round show on comeback helped New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 45 runs in the first one-day international in Mount Maunganui on Thursday, 3 January.

Sri Lanka could manage only 326 in reply to New Zealand's 371/7, thereby conceding the game and a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series to the hosts.

Chasing a daunting target of 372 runs, Sri Lanka got off to the best possible start, with openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella adding 119 runs in just under 18 overs. Seventy runs were collected in the first Powerplay and Sri Lanka's 50 was up in just the seventh over.

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham smashed an incredible 34 runs in one over in the first #NZvSL ODI!

Dickwella notched up his fifty off just 33 balls with six fours and two sixes and helped Sri Lanka cross the 100-run mark in the 15th over. Neesham, though, brought New Zealand back in the game, first by getting Gunathilaka caught behind for 43 and then bowling Dickwella for 76.

Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis (18) added 52 runs for the third wicket before Mendis was sent back by Ish Sodhi. And when Dinesh Chandimal (10) was caught by Ross Taylor off Neesham, it left Sri Lanka in a fix at 211/4.

Kusal Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with a counter-attacking 102 Kusal Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with a counter-attacking 102
Kusal soldiered on and hit Trent Boult for two boundaries in the last over before the third Powerplay began, having brought up his half-century off just 41 balls with seven fours. It left Sri Lanka with 106 runs to get from the final 10 overs.

With the pressure of the chase mounting, Asela Gunaratne, who found himself stuck on 11 off 22, tried to break free by slogging Sodhi over wide long-on but holed out to Lockie Ferguson.

Thisara Perera, with a career strike-rate of 110, held Sri Lanka's hopes in the swing of his bat. But Ferguson mixed his pace well, leading to Thisara slicing one in the air, only for Colin Munro to get under the ball at third man.

Kusal, meanwhile, reached his fourth ODI hundred with consecutive boundaries off Matt Henry in the 44th over. It took him 82 balls and contained 13 fours and a six.

But, 75 runs off the last five overs proved to be too much for Sri Lanka. Kusal's wicket in the 46th, caught by Tim Seifert off Boult, rang the knell. Neesham finished with three wickets while Boult, Sodhi and Ferguson got two wickets apiece. Seifert, debuting behind the stumps, was involved in four dismissals.

Earlier, after New Zealand chose to bat, Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka captain, struck in the fifth over to send back opening bat Munro for 13. But that wicket was the only one they would get in a long time as Guptill and captain Kane Williamson added 163 runs for the second wicket.

Guptill starred with a magnificent 138 at the top of the order Guptill starred with a magnificent 138 at the top of the order
Guptill hit six fours and a six to bring up his half-century off 54 balls, even as New Zealand reached the team 50 in the eighth over and 100 in the 18th. Williamson wasn't far behind, getting to fifty off just 52 balls.

By the half-way stage, the hosts were cruising at almost six runs per over.

The breakthrough came when Williamson was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep in the 31st, but there was little respite for the Lankans. Ross Taylor blasted his way to a 37-ball 54 with six fours and two sixes, while Guptill's century came off 111 balls.

Neesham hit 34 runs off one over from Thisara Perera Neesham hit 34 runs off one over from Thisara Perera
While a 300-plus score looked likely, the arrival of Neesham, playing his first ODI since June 2017, changed things dramatically. Guptill and Taylor fell in quick succession, leaving the home side at 294/4, before a late onslaught by Neesham in the 49th over resulted in 34 runs off Thisara Perera.

Neesham went 6, 6, 6, 6, 2nb, 6, 1 in the penultimate over of the innings and finished unbeaten on 47 off just 13 balls, with five sixes, at a strike-rate of 361.53.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/966814
 
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