Colombo, Feb 25 (IANS) Skipper Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie produced one of the greatest lower-order recoveries in Men’s T20 World Cup history to lift New Zealand to 168/7 in their 20 overs against Sri Lanka in their Super Eights clash at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
The pair added 84 runs for the seventh wicket, the highest stand for that position in the tournament’s history, surpassing the 74-run partnership between Michael Hussey and Steve Smith against Bangladesh at Bridgetown in 2010. Their effort – Santner making 47 and McConchie hitting 31 not out – came after New Zealand had slumped to 98/6 in 16 overs.
Santner and McConchie plundered 70 runs in the final four overs, punishing Sri Lanka’s bowlers for bowling a string of full tosses and loose deliveries at the death. McConchie’s clean hitting silenced the Colombo crowd, while Santner provided crucial support with timely boundaries to take the Blackcaps to a competitive score.
For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera picked 3-30 and 3-38 respectively, but they will wonder if the damage done in the last four overs would bite them hard. In the start, New Zealand’s top order faltered after a brisk start from Finn Allen, who hit four boundaries in the first three overs.
But after that, Sri Lanka’s bowling show began – Allen chipped tamely back to Theekshana for a caught and bowled dismissal, while Tim Seifert pulled to deep square leg off Chameera. Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips hit a few boundaries in a brief partnership.
But Sri Lanka continued to chip away – Phillips was castled by a ripper from Chameera, while Ravindra cut straight to backward point off Theekshana, who clean bowled Mark Chapman, while Dunith Wellalage dismissed Daryl Mitchell in the same fashion.
At that stage, Sri Lanka looked set to restrict New Zealand to a below-par total. But an 18-run 17th over off Chameera swung momentum back New Zealand’s way, and Santner and McConchie drove home the advantage by amassing 21, 19 and 12 runs in final three overs to change the way New Zealand ended their innings.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 168/7 in 20 overs (Mitchell Santner 47, Rachin Ravindra 32; Maheesh Theekshana 3-30, Dushmantha Chameera 3-38) against Sri Lanka
–IANS
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