WC 2023: New Zealand’s Knockout Hopes Alive as They Dominate Sri Lanka
Bengaluru, 9th November 2023: In the 41st match of the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka faced off against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. For New Zealand, this match was essentially a virtual final, as they needed a victory to enhance their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament. New Zealand indeed emerged triumphant, defeating Sri Lanka by 5 wickets with a substantial 27 overs remaining. The Kiwis ensured a comprehensive win to boost their net run rate.
New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first. Sri Lanka’s batting order struggled to make an impact, with Kusal Perera scoring a brisk 51 off 28 balls before being caught by Mitchell Santner off Lockie Ferguson’s delivery. The rest of the Sri Lankan batsmen failed to impress. Bowler Maheesh Theekshana, however, played a surprisingly slow innings, scoring 38 off 91 balls while remaining not out. Sri Lanka posted a total of 171 runs before being all out in the 47th over.
In the bowling department, Trent Boult took 3 wickets in his 10 overs, conceding 37 runs. Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra each secured 2 wickets, while Tim Southee claimed 1 wicket.
Chasing a target of 172 runs, New Zealand aimed for a quick victory to bolster their net run rate. Devon Conway scored 45 off 42 runs before being caught by Dhananjaya de Silva on Dushmantha Chameera’s delivery. Rachin Ravindra contributed 42 runs off 34 balls before being caught by Dhananjaya de Silva, this time on Maheesh Theekshana’s delivery. Daryl Mitchell added 43 runs off 31 balls before being caught by Charith Asalanka on Angelo Mathews’ delivery. With significant contributions from other batsmen, New Zealand comfortably reached the target in the 24th over, winning the match by 5 wickets with around 27 overs to spare.
In Sri Lanka’s bowling department, Angelo Mathews claimed 2 wickets, while Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana took 1 wicket each.
The victory was crucial for New Zealand’s hopes of qualifying for the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 playoffs. They now hold the fourth position in the points table. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain contenders for the playoffs, but New Zealand has an advantage due to their superior net run rate. India, South Africa, and Australia have already secured qualification.
In the upcoming 42nd ODI of the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, South Africa will face Afghanistan. Afghanistan must not only win the match but also do so by a significant margin to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate and secure a chance to qualify for the tournament’s knockout stage. The match will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This task presents a challenge for Afghanistan, as South Africa has already qualified and currently holds the second position in the points table.
