New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in the second match of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday to get an unassailable lead of 2-0. Tim Southee was declared Man of the Match for his figures of 2 for 18.
Southee’s companion, Seth Rance claimed three wickets as New Zealand kept down Sri Lanka to 161 in the stipulated quota of 20 overs.
At the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, the hosts lost regular wickets after electing to bat first in their bid to stay alive in the three-match series led by New Zealand.
Avishka Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella put on 68 runs for a crucial third-wicket stand but the rest of the batting did not make an impression. Niroshan Dickwella with 39 runs was the highest run-scorer for the Lankans.
During the chase, New Zealand at one point were 38 for 3 but a century partnership (109 runs) between Colin de Grandhomme (59) and Tom Bruce (53) helped New Zealand win the nail-biter with two balls to spare.
Winning skipper Southee said: “Got a bit tight towards the end but we back our batters down till the end. We have some power till the end. It’s pleasing for us to see different people step up. Colin was excellent and did well with Tom to set things up after those early wickets. We’ll enjoy the series win tonight and then shift our focus to the last game.”
The third game between the two sides will be played at the same venue on Friday.