NZ vs SL 2024-25: Kusal Perera's whirlwind ton gives Sri Lanka consolation win in high-scoring third T20I

Sri Lanka eked out a seven-run win in the inconsequential third T20I against New Zealand at the Saxton Oval in Nelson on Thursday, January 02, to avoid a series whitewash. The BlackCaps won the three-match series 2-1.

On Thursday, Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to field first. The tourists lost their openers inside the powerplay, but they managed to score 49 runs. Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando stitched an enterprising 41-run partnership off 26 balls for the third wicket. However, the best partnership came between Perera and captain Charith Asalanka after Avishka departed for a 12-ball 17.

Perera and Asalanka smashed the Kiwi bowlers all around the park and forged a 100-run stand from a mere 45 deliveries. The latter departed after scoring 46 off 24 balls, hitting one four and five sixes. Meanwhile, Perera reached the three-figure mark off just 44 balls when he hit Matt Henry for a six to end the 18th over. The southpaw lost his wicket in the following over after belting 101 runs off 46 balls. He hit 13 fours and four sixes during his exhilarating knock.

The Lankans eventually finished at 218/5 in their 20 overs. Jacob Duffy was once again the standout bowler for the Blackcaps as he finished with figures of 1/30 in four overs amid all the carnage.

BlackCaps go down fighting

Chasing the mammoth target, the Kiwis needed to get off to a quick start. Their openers came out all guns blazing and added 81 runs inside the first eight overs. Tim Robinson was the first Kiwi batter to get dismissed after he had scored 37 off 21 balls. However, fellow opener Rachin Ravindra continued his onslaught. Asalanka took the ball and brought Sri Lanka back in the game by taking the wickets of Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips in quick succession. However, the best was yet to come as the part-time off-spinner accounted for the wicket of the rampaging Ravindra after he had amassed 69 runs off 39 deliveries.

Daryl Mitchell played a blinder as he scored 35 off 17 balls, hitting one four and four sixes. He kept the hosts in the chase with his glorious knock. However, wickets kept falling from the other end, as Mitchell Hay and Michael Bracewell departed for single-digit scores. After Nuwan Thushara got the wicket of Daryl, the hosts slumped to 170/7, needing another 49 runs to win off just 22 balls.

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Santner and Zakary Foulkes could only manage 41 runs off the remaining 3.4 overs, as New Zealand lost by seven runs, where Perera was rightly adjudged the Player of the Match. Overs 16, 17, and 18 yielded only 15 runs and that dented New Zealand's progress. This was a morale-boosting result for Sri Lanka ahead of the ODI series.