SL VS NZ - 1st ODI, New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka, 2024

So that's all from this ODI, a fairly comfortable win for Sri Lanka who continue their home dominance. The action shifts to Pallekele this Sunday for the second ODI. See you then, bye for now!

Charith Asalanka: (On being the golden arm for Sri Lanka) I can't say anything, thinking what should I say. During the drinks break, we said we need to break the partnership and bowl tight overs, that was the only way we will win the game. It was tough with the wet ball, but the bowlers did an amazing job. The toss was important because I wanted to bat first, it looked like a good, dry pitch. The best thing was both Avishka and Kusal got hundreds. When we started, we were short of a bowler and our plan was when the new batter comes in, I'll bowl a few overs. So that was the plan with our bowling.

Mitch Santner: When you lose two set guys, it can be a challenge to get started on these wickets. When you lose wickets in clumps, it is always a challenge. With the rain and dew and the outfield getting faster, we were fairly confident. It is one of those games where we did a lot of good things, but that five-over period while batting changed everything for us. We bowled pretty well, there was actually a great partnership from them to show us how to bat on this wicket. They bowled well in that five-over period and changed the game.

Kusal Mendis | Player of the Match: Nissanka got out early, and then me and Avishka batted well for the next 10 overs. The wicket was a bit slow, some balls were coming on slowly and some were straight. We wanted to take it slow. My game is generally to attack and score early runs.

Stats by Roshan Gede

Sri Lanka’s last ODI win against New Zealand was at Nelson in December 2015. In fact, that was their only win in their last 12 completed ODIs against the Blackcaps, a sequence that had started with the opening game of the 2015 World Cup in Christchurch.

Sri Lanka in ODIs at home in 2024
Matches: 13
Won: 10
Lost: 1
Tied: 1
NR: 1
The only calendar years in which they registered more ODI wins at home were 2001 and 2004 (12 each).

Maheesh Theekshana: I had a chat with the bowling coach and they told me to bowl the tight overs. And then we could get the part-timers if we got breakthoughs. Luckily, I got two wickets in that over. Our plan was to bowl tight and try to get some wickets, since the pacers Madushanka and Fernando were going for a few runs. (On Asalanka's bowling) He is a batter so he knows how a batter is thinking, so he will do what is needed. Really happy for all the bowlers.

23:19 Local Time, 17:49 GMT, 23:19 IST: A very comfortable win for Sri Lanka here in a game that didn't seem so straightforward when the second innings started. New Zealand got a great start through Will Young and debutant Tim Robinson, as they scored at more than six an over to stay in sync with the asking rate. However, Theekshana came in and got the first breakthough, and that triggered a mini collapse as New Zealand went from 88/0 to 110/5. The asking rate almost doubled after that period of dominance from the Sri Lankan bowlers, and New Zealand never really recovered. Bracewell couldn't really get going as Theekshana and Fernando delivered solid death over spells, while Madushanka returned to claim three wickets. Earlier in the day, Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis got centuries in a rain-marred first innings as Sri Lanka put on a big score. Stick around for the presentations...

Madushanka to Jacob Duffy, no run, slower bouncer to end the spell and the game, a swing and a miss for Jacob Duffy. Sri Lanka win by 45 runs.

Madushanka to Jacob Duffy, no run, full on off stump, slammed into the pitch and back to the bowler

Madushanka to Jacob Duffy, FOUR, another attempted in angling yorker, this time ends as a low full toss. Clipped through mid-wicket for a boundary by Duffy, Evades the hat-trick too in the process

Jacob Duffy, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Madushanka to Ish Sodhi, out Bowled!! Another one! Madushanka is on a hat-trick now. Almost an action replay of the previous delivery, this one angles in much more and takes down the leg stump. Sodhi made some room to try and drive this through the off side but totally played the wrong line. Ish Sodhi b Madushanka 0(1)

Madushanka to Ish Sodhi, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Ish Sodhi, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Madushanka to Nathan Smith, out Bowled!! Full and angling in towards the stumps. Strikes timber as Nathan Smith swung big across the line and totally missed the ball. New Zealand run the risk of being bowled out now! Nathan Smith b Madushanka 9(8) [4s-1]

Madushanka to Nathan Smith, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Madushanka to M Bracewell, 1 run, very full on off stump, slammed down to long-off for a single

Dilshan Madushanka [3.0-0-34-1] is back into the attack

Asitha Fernando to Nathan Smith, FOUR, low full toss on off. Nathan Smith heaves it across the line and gets it through cow corner for a boundary