CRICKET POLL

New Zealand went up 2-0 against Sri Lanka to clinch the three-match T20I series with a match to spare. Starring for the hosts was pacer Jacob Duffy who struck at regular intervals to completely derail the chase, leaving Sri Lanka 45 short in the chase of 186.

New Zealand had a more rounded batting performance in the second game which was an improvement from the first. Being put in to bat, they lost Rachin Ravindra in only the third over but both Tim Robinson and Mark Chapman kept up the attack. Their 69-run stand off 47 balls built up a good base for New Zealand in the first half of the innings.

On a pitch that wasn't easy for strokeplay, this proved to be invaluable. Both batters got the early boundaries when Maheesh Theekshana erred in lengths inside the powerplay with Chapman even surviving an LBW review in the same over. Chapman had slices of luck being put down once but kept going at a healthy rate. Robinson slog-swept Wanindu Hasaranga for a a six before being done in by the googly in the same over. It resulted in a couple of quiet overs before Glenn Phillips got going with back-to-back boundaries against Pathirana.

Theekshana proved to be an easier bowler to go after and both Phillips and Chapman helped themselves to a six each in the following over. But just as they were settling in, Hasaranga struck with his googly once more, having Chapman out stumped. Phillips too fell quickly thereafter leaving New Zealand wobbling at 122-4. But a mindful Daryl Mitchell steadied the ship at that point. The innings got a big fillip in the final three overs where Mitchell Hay went berserk. Theekshana was taken for 17 runs in the penultimate over with Hay smacking a couple of sixes followed by two boundaries in the final over from Binura Fernando. The 34 runs in that last two effectively put Sri Lanka on the backfoot straightway.

They, however, started on a good note. The top order gave them a good base to mount a challenge but the lower-order fell away like ninepins as Jacon Duffy finished with a four-wicket haul. It was Mitchell Santner who gave the hosts a breakthrough after the openers had been going steadily at eight an over for the first four overs of the innings. Kusal Mendis could not keep a drive down and he was out caught off the first ball bowled by Santner.

Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka steadied the ship allowing for a breather. But the latter was deceived by a slower one from Duffy who struck around the halfway stage of the innings for the first time in the day. Kusal, meanwhile, took a liking for the spinners attacking both Bracewell and Phillips. But New Zealand were able to strike at regular intervals even then with Bracewell accounting for Kamindu soon after. Kusal and Charith Asalanka put on some quick runs before the innings went downhill in the final five overs. Duffy who had figures of 2-0-7-1 in his first spell got rid of Kusal with his first ball, yorking the well-set batter. Santner complemented that by prising out Asalanka in the following over. Duffy struck twice more in the penultimate over to finish with figures of 4-15 in New Zealand's series-sealing victory.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 186/5 (Mark Chapman 42, Tim Robinson 41, Mitchell Hay 41) beat Sri Lanka 141 (Kusal Perera 48; Jacob Duffy 4-15) by 45runs