*SRILANKA WOMEN VS NEWZEALAND WOMEN 2nd T20I IN A 3-MATCH T20 SERIES 2023*
*THE BUILD-UP:*
After a competitive ODI series, triumphed by the Lankans came to a closure, the Kiwis decided to rock the hosts early with their display in the first T20I as they cruised to a 5 wicket win. Sophie Devine would be proud of how clinical her bowlers were, with none of them going over the 7 run per over mark and keeping the likes of Gunaratne,Athapaththu and Nikashi in check. As a result, the Srilankan score was kept to a mere 106 which was atleast 30 short of what could have been a competitive total at the end. On the batting front, Bates and Melie Kerr eased the nerves in the camp and pounced on anything lose. They set out with a clear intention of going over the finishing line and even though, the two couldn’t do it- they had laid a perfect base for it to happen. The other Blackcaps simply marched on that path and completed the job.
The Lankans have been given a reality check, and this is something that will boost them to come out stronger and more agile. They did well to drag the game till the 19th over despite putting a meagre total on board and what were refreshing were the returns of Priyadharshani who bagged a three wicket haul and leaked just 17 in the process. Even Kavisha Dilhari was a decent bet with the bowl having leaked just 17 off 3 and picked up a wicket as well. Their batting however was abysmal and the sight became sorry seeing Athapaththu depart for a first ball duck. Expect a cracking contest tomorrow.
*NZL PROBABLE XI:*
Sophie Devine(c), Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Bernadine Bezuidenhout (wk), Leigh kasperek, Lea Tahuhu, Hannah Rowe, Eden Carson, Brooke Halliday
Even though Tahuhu bowled just 2 overs the other day, gone wicketless, I will be backing her to deliver. She has come clutch for the Kiwis when it has mattered the most and now when they are aiming to seal the deal with a win here, she could be a trump pick.
The skipper, Sophie Devine, had an outing to forget as he marched her way to a two ball disappointing duck in Game 1. What makes her case beautiful is how a good player she is, to stay quiet for long so placing your bet on her alongside Melie Kerr and Bates won’t be a bad option. This troika could wreck havoc on this Srilankan side and hand them their second defeat in a row.
*SL PROBABLE XI:*
Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu(c)(wk),Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Hansima Karunaratne, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadarshani
With somebody of Athapaththu’s class up their sleeves, don’t discount Lanka. She holds the powers in her to drive her side to a victory at her own peril and she’d be extra anticipated to return to form after that duck first game. Her matchup with Tahuhu will keep me glued to my screen.
Ranaweera and Ranasinghe, who bowled 7 overs in total were expected to deliver and perform better. They leaked 51 collectively and went wicketless as well, a poor sight for any bowler. If these two click, the SL bowling looks strong enough to choke any opponent, let alone NZL who were seen struggling at times during the chase last time around. Priyadharshani, with her impressive returns would be raring and pumped up to go out there and repeat her heroics after ofcourse, wearing a badge of pride on her sleeves.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR NZL:*
Highest run getter- Suzie Bates/Melie Kerr
Highest wicket taker- Eden Carson/Tahuhu
*FOR SL:*
Highest run getter- Chamari Athapaththu/Vishmi Gunaratne
Highest wicket taker- O Ranasinghe/Priyadharshani
*FOR THE GAME:*
SL W to bounce back