SL looses
Cricket

New Zealand crush Sri Lanka to win by 65 runs

Glenn Phillips hammered a blazing 104 and Trent Boult took four wickets as New Zealand stormed over Sri Lanka by 65 runs in Sydney on Saturday, putting them well on their way to reach the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals.

New Zealand played first and made 167-7, with Phillips dominating, saving his team after the top order was totally destroyed for 15 runs, losing Finn Allen, Doug Conway, and Kane Williamson. After the Black Caps had fallen to 15-3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Phillips struck 104 runs off 64 balls to take his team to 167-7 before succumbing in the last over.

Boult and Tim Southee subsequently restricted Sri Lanka to 4-8 in the chase, and they crumpled to 102 all out. Boult finished with a career-high 4-13.

Sri Lanka got off to the worst possible beginning, losing three wickets for five runs.

Southee opened the game with a wicket-maiden, trapping Nissanka lbw, before long-time bowling mate Boult chimed in with two wickets in his first over.

Charith Asalanka also didn’t survive long, being caught by a leaping Allen as Boult took his third wicket. Shanaka struck a brave 35 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa 34, but it all in vain.

Phillips’ 64-ball knock included 10 fours and four sixes, giving him the tournament’s second century, following South African Rilee Rossouw’s 109 against Bangladesh, and just the 11th in T20 World Cup history.

NZ Captain Kane Williamson: “The wicket was different to what we were expecting. It was tennis ball-ey, got stuck on the surface, the cutters were really effective, little bit variable I think – as opposed to the last pitch we were on. So I guess trying to make those sort of adjustments on the same sort of grounds is important, and Sri Lanka were also really good at the top. And then Glenn Phillips and Daryll Mitchell put together a partnership, and it was an incredible knock to get a very very good total on this surface. Any hundred is amazing and you see it all the time on good surfaces, and here you see a guy trying to have to work really, really hard to get his team out of trouble. And then to try and move that pressure on to the opposition, and he just did it incredibly well.”

NZ winsSL Captain Dasun Shanaka: “I think we started really well, particularly in the first 10 overs. But credit to Glenn Phillips who played an outstanding knock. We also dropped a few catches. 160 is always a tough ask with their bowling attack, but also Boult and Southee bowled really well up front. There’s a way to chase big totals, and in the first couple of tables you have to give yourself a chance. We never got settled in the wicket. If we get a couple of wins, we’re still in with a chance of qualifying, so just looking forward to that.”

Glenn Phillips, Player of the Match for his 64-ball 104: “Me and Daryll were really clear we wanted to be as positive as possible, and try and make the right positive choice. On a pitch like that it was a little difficult to hit the slower ball, so it was just about getting through and trying to get to a competitive total. At the end of the day I think we were a little bit above par. I try to entertain as much possible, and today it worked out well. But the way the bowlers bowl and the catches that were taken, it was incredible from the team as well. It’s absolutely indescribable, but for it’s just about sticking to my process.”

New Zealand leads Group One with five points and a significant net run rate edge.

The Black Caps’ next opponent will be England on Tuesday, but even defeat would likely be insignificant as long as they avoid a surprise against Ireland in their final group encounter.

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