New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra plays a shot during the second one-day international cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Seddon Park in Hamilton on January 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman made half centuries in a 112-run second-wicket partnership which helped New Zealand to a 113-run win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international on Wednesday and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Ravindra made 79 from 63 balls and Chapman scored 62 from 52 as New Zealand reached 255-9 batting first in a match reduced by rain to 37 overs per side.

Maheesh Theekshana became the seventh Sri Lanka player to take an ODI hat trick when he dismissed Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith and Matt Henry with consecutive deliveries across two overs late in the innings.

Sri Lanka slumped to 22-4 but Kamindu Mendis made a career-best 64 before the team was dismissed for 142 in 30.2 overs.

Mendis put on 57 for the fifth wicket with Janith Liyanage (22) and 47 for the sixth wicket with Chamidu Wickramasinghe (17) in a key partnership which was cut short by the second run-out of the Sri Lanka innings.

Sri Lanka struggled against the pace and bounce of the New Zealand attack and its run rate required had crept up to almost 15 by the end.

Showers and a wet outfield delayed the start of play by two hours. When Sri Lanka won the toss it made the natural decision to bowl on a greenish pitch at Seddon Park with the possibility of more showers to come.

New Zealand lost Will Young for 16 and was 31-1 when Chapman joined Ravindra. Together they kept the score ticking over steadily, reaching their 50 partnership from 44 balls and their century partnership from only 79 deliveries.

The pair rotated the strike and worked the ball often into the onside where there were larger gaps in the field. Ravindra also showed he was in form with an early straight drive which was a perfect example of the shot.

“I think it’s a nice natural tempo to go out there and play cricket shots, even in the shortened game,” Ravindra said. “I do enjoy the ODI format, although you don’t see many matches happening any more.

“It’s a format I grew up watching and I think it suits the way I bat.”

There were signs Ravindra was coming into form when he hit 69 from 38 balls in the third Twenty20 between the teams and 45 from 36 balls in the first match of the ODI series on Sunday which New Zealand won by nine wickets.

He found his timing early on Wednesday and hit nine fours and a six. Chapman hit five fours and two sixes, playing with increasing confidence at No. 3.

Both players reached their half centuries with sixes, Ravindra from the bowling of Wanindu Hasaranga and Chapman from Eshan Malinga.

New Zealand lost momentum after Ravindra and Chapman were out. Daryl Mitchell made 38, Glenn Phillips 22 and Santner 20 but New Zealand couldn’t get back on top of the bowling.

The third ODI is on Saturday at Auckland.

New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Kusal Janith Perera during the second Twenty20 cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

New Zealand’s hat-trick hero Lockie Ferguson said defending a total of 108 to win the second Twenty20 match and draw the series against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on Sunday (November 10, 2024) was “massive” for an inexperienced Black Caps team.

Trailing 1-0 in the series after a four-wicket loss at the same ground on Saturday (November 10, 2024), New Zealand were only able to put a modest score on the board as Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took 4-17 despite being clearly hampered by injury.

Ferguson struck to dismiss Kusal Perera at the end of Sri Lanka’s sixth over, however, and sent back Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka with the first two balls of the eighth to become the sixth New Zealander to take a T20 hat-trick.

“Obviously it was split over two overs, so there probably wasn’t the same excitement you would normally get around a hat- trick,” paceman Ferguson said.

“I probably bowled the worst ball for the actual hat-trick ball, a little strangle down leg side, but I’ll definitely take it.”

A calf injury brought Ferguson’s evening to an end soon afterwards but all-rounder Glenn Phillips chipped in with three wickets from four balls in the final over, including that of opener Pathum Nissanka for 52, to dismiss Sri Lanka for 103. It was the lowest tally the Black Caps had ever successfully defended in a T20 international and added to an upbeat mood in New Zealand cricket after the test side stunned India with a series sweep and the women’s team won the T20 World Cup.

“It was insane, really,” Ferguson said of the victory by five runs. “I guess when we went out to bowl, (captain Mitch Santner) said, ‘let’s make them work really hard for it’. It was a pretty amazing victory.”

Wicketkeeper Mitch Hay, playing only his second match for his country, also had a night to remember with five catches and a stumping to claim the record for the most dismissals in a T20 international.

Ferguson said drawing the series was a real achievement for the young squad.

“It’s massive,” the 33-year-old said. “Winning overseas, particularly in this part of the world, is so difficult because the conditions are so different to what we’re used to at home.

“I think coming here, the attitude’s been fantastic throughout, and they’ve really got into the fight early and competed really hard.” (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)