Following Sri Lanka’s 20-over total of 218-5, New Zealand responded with 211-7.
In Thursday’s 3rd and final T20 encounter against New Zealand in Nelson, Sri Lanka won by a consoling seven runs thanks to a career-best 101 off just 46 balls from Kusal Perera. In their 20 overs, Sri Lanka scored 218-5, while New Zealand responded with 211-7. When Sri Lanka’s middle order failed to produce, New Zealand had already won the first two games by eight and forty-five runs, respectively, and had already secured the series.
As he hammered four sixes and thirteen fours to record the fastest century by a Sri Lankan in T20 internationals, Perera was determined to demonstrate that the visitors had a fighting spirit.
Dropping him on 15 and 60 helped him, and in the last over, Rachin Ravindra got him at point off Daryl Mitchell.
The first ball he encountered, which was pushed towards third man by Zak Foulkes, also unsettled him.
“It was a wake-up call so I had to back myself and try to execute my normal game,” Perera stated.”The coach had said ‘once you get a start you have to finish the game’, so that’s why I was trying to do my best.”
Despite the first two defeats, Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka stated he always believed his team could defeat New Zealand.
“We have a good victory. We have played good cricket throughout the series, but we were unable to secure a victory until we did,” he remarked.
Asalanka hit 46 off just 24 deliveries with five sixes and one four, and Perera was part of partnerships of 41 with Avishka Fernando (17) and 100 with Asalanka.For the first time in the series, Sri Lanka opened the batting and had 24 runs in three overs before Mitchell Hay made a spectacular catch and Pathum Nissanka was dismissed for 14.
Hay, the wicketkeeper, had to run back to the boundary to catch the top-edge, then toss it in the air as he crossed it, before coming back to finish the removal.
With 69 runs off of 39 balls from Ravindra, New Zealand was able to sustain the necessary 11 runs per over for 15 overs.Daryl Mitchell hit 35 off 17 runs, including four sixes, in the last over of Asalanka, while Tim Robinson added 37 off 21.
Asalanka concluded with 3-50 after taking 3-25 off his opening three overs as a part-time bowler.
In Wellington on Sunday, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will play the first of three one-day international matches.
