NZ vs SL 2nd T20I: Milne, Seifert rampage help Kiwis thump Sri Lanka

Seifert smashed six sixes in his 43-ball blitz as New Zealand romped home with 5.2 overs to spare in a 142-run chase to level the three-match series on Wednesday.

Published : Apr 05, 2023 10:18 IST - 2 MINS READ

Adam Milne claimed a career-best 5-26 to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 141 in 19 overs,
Adam Milne claimed a career-best 5-26 to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 141 in 19 overs, | Photo Credit: Getty Images
infoIcon

Adam Milne claimed a career-best 5-26 to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 141 in 19 overs, | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Adam Milne’s five-wicket haul and Tim Seifert’s unbeaten 79 set up New Zealand’s nine-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, with the match also earning female umpire Kim Cotton a place in history.

Seifert smashed six sixes in his 43-ball blitz as New Zealand romped home with 5.2 overs to spare to level the three-match series and gain a psychological edge ahead of Saturday’s decider in Queenstown.

Auckland-born Cotton became the first female umpire to stand in a men’s international match between two International Cricket Council full-member countries.

Earlier, Milne claimed a career-best 5-26 to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 141 in 19 overs, which proved below-par at Dunedin’s University Oval, which has relatively short boundaries.

Sri Lanka lost its openers cheaply and after Kusal Perera (35), Dhananjaya de Silva (37) and Charith Asalanka (24) shored it up, the wheels came off its innings in the second half.

Sri Lanka, which had won the opening match on Sunday via Super Over, lost its last eight wickets for 50 runs with Milne claiming three in the final over.

New Zealand’s chase got off to a blazing start with Chad Bowes (31) hitting Dilshan Madushanka for four boundaries in the second over, including three in a row, throwing the seamer out of the attack.

Seifert ensured there was no respite for the tourist even after Bowes fell as he tore into the Sri Lankan attack, sealing New Zealand’s victory with back-to-back sixes.

Sri Lanka’s sloppy catching did not help its cause either as it dropped both Seifert and home captain Tom Latham, who remained unbeaten on 20.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment