Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 10 : A sublime four-wicket haul from Lea Tahuhu and half-century from Suzie Bates guided New Zealand to eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the three-match series on Monday. They wrapped up the series 2-0.
Having lost the ODI series 2-1, New Zealand staged a comeback by reaching their target in 18.4 overs.
Chasing target of 119, Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhout added 48 for the first wicket. Bates was the reliable half of their combination, although she attacked with Amelia Kerr in their 59-run second-wicket collaboration. Bates achieved her 26th half-century in T20Is during the process. She was inventive in her strokeplay, using the scoop and paddle to good advantage, and used her feet against the spinners.
Inoka Ranaweera was able to see the back of Bates, but Kerr and Sophie Devine quickly finished the job.
After being put to bat first, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was run out in the third over. She started on an imaginary run while turning an Eden Carson delivery in the direction of Vishmi Gunaratne, the non-striker.
Later, Tahuhu struck twice in her first over. She forced Gunaratne to chop on while attempting a drive and then trapped Kavisha Dilhari lbw after two balls.
A 57-run fourth-wicket partnership between Hasini Perera, who top-scored with 33, and Harshitha Samarawickrama, who produced a clean cover drive off her first delivery to get things going, helped Sri Lanka recover after a brief rain delay. But the two fell pretty quickly apart.
Sri Lanka crossed 100 after Anushka Sanjeewani and Nilakshi de Silva took 13 off a Leigh Kasperek over, but the total was never going to be enough.
Brief score: Sri Lanka 118/6 (Hasini Perera 33, Harshitha Madavi 23; Lea Tahuhu 4-21) vs New Zealand 119/2 (Suzie Bates 52, Melie Kerr 33*; Kavisha Dilhari 1-22).
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