Almost 600 runs scored in a one-dayer belied a gusty spring day at Hagley Oval as New Zealand A made it 2-0 in their four-match List A series against Sri Lanka A.
The nailbiter was a marked step up for the visitors after their comprehensive opening loss at the same venue two days earlier. Right on target for most of their chase to hunt down New Zealand A’s solid 305/4, they had been poised for retribution — at the very least, a last-over thriller — until Kithuruwan Vithanage was left kicking himself after his wicket, in the 44th over, triggered a messy and costly late collapse.
It was a bitter turn of events for the 24-year-old number three, who had posted his maiden List A century, a crackling 120 off 104 balls, before Sri Lanka A lost 6-13 in just four overs to lose a game that was there for the taking, dismissed 15 runs short with 1.3 overs to spare.
Hamish Rutherford's side was unperturbed at being sent in
Sent in, New Zealand A had earlier set themselves up with another sweetly paced batting performance, opener Michael Pollard laying down a 61-ball half century and George Worker adding a further 40 before Michael Bracewell and Henry Nicholls began a fiery charge at the 30-over mark.
After consecutive boundaries marked both Bracewell's 50 and the New Zealand 200 in the 40th over, Nicholls emulated his partner with a 48-ball half-century and helped him blast out a critical 30 runs in the space of two overs. His unbeaten 79 off 65 balls was eclipsed in New Zealand A’s total only by Bracewell’s swift 83 as they poured on a 132-run fourth-wicket stand from just 102 balls.
Faced with a 300-plus chase, Sri Lanka A came out with bats blazing and, despite a rattling early run out, kept their cool against the demands of spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi to post their first hundred shortly after drinks — still only one wicket down.
Danushka Gunathilaka (65) busted his second six to raise his half century in his 119-run stand with Vithanage, who then powered on, after Gunathilaka’s dismissal, to ensure the equation from the last 10 overs would be a gettable 68 runs — bringing up his century en route in true landmark style with his first six of the day, off Neil Wagner.
However, the return of zinging pace in the form of Adam Milne, who bookended the innings, was Vithanage’s undoing, triggering the late order domino effect as Milne cashed in for a haul of 3-49.
The teams head to Lincoln for Saturday’s third encounter on the limited overs section of the tour, which Sri Lanka must now fight to draw.
