Queenstown [New Zealand], April 8 : New Zealand registered a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I, taking the series 2-1 in Queenstown.
With the series levelled at 1-1 after the first two matches, the decider in Queenstown was rife with intrigue and drama as New Zealand secured a nervy final-over victory.
The third match in the series followed a similar pattern in the opening game, with the hosts involved in a high-scoring chase.
New Zealand won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat first. A solid opening stand between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis put the visitors on track and despite losing wickets at regular intervals, they managed to put up a daunting 182/6 in their 20 overs.
Mendis was the star, scoring 73 (48), including six fours and four sixes. The last few wickets hurt the Lankans, as they only managed 14 runs in the last two overs (three off the final one), which may have been decisive in the end.
New Zealand began in much the same fashion as the second T20I and were immediately cruising, the openers going at 10 runs an over.
Tim Seifert was at his usual destructive self and even after Chad Bowes' wicket continued plundering runs with Tom Latham.
The hosts appeared to be on track until the 15th over when Latham was bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, ending an 84-run second-wicket stand. New Zealand's chances were harmed further when Seifert was bowled two overs later, but with less than 30 runs needed, they would have expected to win easily.
The Lankans, on the other hand, refused to go down without a fight and bowled economically. The final over required 10 runs, and Mark Chapman hit a powerful six off Lahiru Kumara's first ball, reducing the equation to 4 from 5 balls with 7 wickets in hand, but that's when things got interesting.
Kumara then removed Chapman, Jimmy Neesham was run-out on the next ball on a wide delivery and Daryl Mitchell was caught trying to go big as the hosts lost three wickets on successive deliveries.
With 3 runs needed off 4 balls, Adam Milne sneaked in a bye, almost getting run-out in the process. Rachin Ravindra held his nerve eventually as New Zealand won the match with one ball to spare.
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