Cricket Twenty20 International Prediction

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - Match Preview

🏏 8 April 2023 - 5:00 GMT +0

Following a thumping win in the second T20I, New Zealand will seek to claim a series-sealing win in the third and final game of their series against Sri Lanka. The Blackcaps have dominated the final series of their 2022/23 summer, with their loss in the opening T20I their first after maintaining an unbeaten record in the ODIs and Tests against the Lions. The truly picturesque John Davies Oval in Queenstown will take centre stage for a men’s international for almost a decade, having previously hosted nine ODIs from 2003 to 2014.

New Zealand was utterly dominant in the second T20I, bowling their visitors out for only 141 after they stood in a tough position at 91/2. Adam Milne (5/26) dominated, but of the six bowlers used by Blackcaps skipper Tom Latham, only Ish Sodhi went wicketless. It could be a good sign for the bowlers, as it marks the first time in ten matches that the Kiwis have bowled out their opposition, having taken more than six wickets on only three occasions in that period.

It has been a similar story of struggle with bat in hand. They have been bowled out three times in their last seven matches and also posted a tortoise-like total of 99/8 from a full 20 overs against India. However, this series may again point to a turnaround, as the home side posted a thumping 196/8 in the opening game and ran down Sri Lanka’s total with nine wickets and more than five overs to spare in the second T20I.

Sri Lanka has only won a T20I series once in eight completed attempts against the Blackcaps, having also drawn on two other occasions. The stats do not indicate a positive trend heading into game three of this particular series - they have lost nine of their last ten away T20I series, with the last triumph being a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan.

The last time they bowled out their opposition was twelve matches ago when they dismissed the lowly UAE for 73 during the opening round of the T20 World Cup. Since then, they have conceded three totals in excess of 190. Their thrilling Super Over win in the opening game of this series was just their third victory in seven matches. They are ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ with the bat in hand, having posted two totals in excess of 190 in their last five matches, but having been bowled out in the other three.

⚡ Players to watch: Following his side’s win in game two, New Zealand skipper Tom Latham now has an average of 41.12 in 42 internationals as captain of his country. However, he has a strike rate of only 105.73 from 17 T20I internationals and will want to boost that against a Sri Lankan attack that has struggled throughout the limited-overs portion of the tour.

Although he went wicketless in game two, Wanindu Hasaranga showed signs of improvement in New Zealand conditions in game one with 21 from only 11 balls with the bat and 2/30 with the ball in hand. He now averages 18.93 in away matches with a tally of 31 wickets when touring.

📋 Stat attack: New Zealand won six of their seven completed internationals in Queenstown.

• The John Davies Oval hosted four matches across the last two editions of New Zealand’s T20 Super Smash tournament but had an average run rate of just 7.36rpo across all innings.
• Tim Seifert has cleared 20+ runs in just one of his last seven T20I innings.
• On the other hand, Kusal Mendis has passed 20 in six of his last seven T20I innings.
• Five of New Zealand’s last eight opening partnerships in T20Is were worth fewer than ten runs.
• That said, New Zealand have struck the highest opening stand in three of the last four H2H matches.
• From the 11 balls Henry Shipley has bowled to Dasun Shanaka across the ODIs and T20Is, he has accumulated H2H figures of 3/13.
• Adam Milne has dismissed Pathum Nissanka in both games of this series for H2H figures of 2/8 from nine balls bowled.