 "22 runs were needed in 6 balls, the bowler turned the bet like this….. – News-Patiala Punjabi")
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 7 runs in the third and last T20 match. The first T20 international match of the year 2025 was very exciting. In this high-scoring match, the result of the match had to wait till the last over. New Zealand needed 22 runs to win in the last over. But Sri Lankan bowler Binura Fernando dashed New Zealand’s hopes.
Binura scored 14 runs off the last 6 balls of the match. In this match both the teams scored 429 runs which included 25 sixes. Despite winning the last T20 match, the Sri Lankan team lost the 3-match series 1-2. In this victory of Sri Lanka, where Binura bowled brilliantly in the last over, at the same time Kusal Perera created a storm in the batting by scoring a century, he became the first batsman to score an international century in the year 2025.
In the third and final Test of the series played at Sexton Oval, Nelson, New Zealand won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat first. Sri Lanka scored 218 for 5 thanks to Kusal Perera’s first century of T20 international career. Captain Charit Asalanka scored 46 runs in 24 balls while wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis was dismissed after scoring 22 runs. Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Foulkes, Santner and Daryl Mitchell took one wicket each for New Zealand. Perera hit 13 fours and 4 sixes in 46 balls.
The New Zealand team could score only 211 runs for 7 wickets
Chasing a target of 219 runs, the New Zealand team could score only 211 runs for 7 wickets and Rachin Ravindra played the highest innings of 69 runs. Opener Tim Robinson was dismissed after scoring 37 runs. Daryl Mitchell returned to the pavilion after playing an innings of 35 runs. Captain Mitchell Santner played an unbeaten innings of 14 runs while Zachary Fox played an unbeaten innings of 21 runs off 13 balls. The opening pair of Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra shared a partnership of 81 runs.
The batsmen of the host team could not score 22 runs in 6 balls
New Zealand needed 22 runs off 6 balls to win. Mitchell Santner and Zachary Fox were at the crease. Binura Fernando bowled the last over of the match. Santner took 2 runs on the first ball of Fernando’s over while the next ball was a wide. After this, 2 runs were scored on the third legal ball. Fox hits a six off the fourth ball. After this, the Kiwi team needed 10 runs off 2 balls. But only two runs could be scored on the last two balls.