Matt Henry’s four-wicket haul and Will Young’s unbeaten 90 guided New Zealand to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first One-Day International on Sunday at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
After being put in to bat in challenging, windy conditions, Sri Lanka crumbled to 23-4 within 10 overs and were eventually bowled out for 178 in 44 overs. New Zealand chased down the target comfortably in just 26.2 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Henry’s Bowling Masterclass
Henry exploited the seam-friendly conditions to perfection, dismantling Sri Lanka’s top order early. He dismissed opener Pathum Nissanka for nine and returned to clean up the tail, finishing with impressive figures of 4-19 from his 10 overs.
Seamers Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy also impressed, taking two wickets each and making full use of the bouncy track. Captain Mitchell Santner credited the bowlers’ patience, stating, “The boys up front did the job with the ball… All four seamers did a hell of a job.”
Fernando and Liyanage Offer Resistance
Opener Avishka Fernando top-scored for Sri Lanka with a brisk 56 off 63 balls, featuring six fours and a six. He shared an 87-run partnership with Janith Liyanage (36), stabilizing the innings after the early collapse.
Late contributions from Wanindu Hasaranga (35) and Chamidu Wickramasinghe (22) added some respectability to the total before Henry struck again to wrap up the innings.
Young and Ravindra Shine in Chase
Will Young anchored New Zealand’s chase with a composed 86-ball 90, featuring 12 boundaries. He added 93 runs for the opening wicket with Rachin Ravindra, who contributed 45 before being caught on the deep square leg boundary off Wickramasinghe.
Mark Chapman added an unbeaten 29 as New Zealand reached the target with ease, showcasing their dominance in all departments.
Sri Lanka Skipper Reflects
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka admitted his team was outplayed but refused to blame the challenging conditions. “We knew when we came here it’s too windy… but that is not the reason we lost,” he said. “They bowled really nicely up front, and it’s hard for us to come back.”
Next Match
The second ODI is scheduled for Wednesday in Hamilton, with Sri Lanka aiming to bounce back. New Zealand earlier secured the Twenty20 series 2-1 and continues to display strong form in the ongoing tour.
