CWC 2023, NZ vs SL: NZ strengthen semis bid with big win over SL

CWC 2023, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Trent Boult's 3-37, Lockie Ferguson's 2-35 and Rachin Ravindra's 2-21 & 42 are top performances. New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and all but confirm their semi-final spot in World Cup 2023.

CWC 2023, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and inch closer to semi-final berth | Walking Wicket (Images_ ©X_Twitter) — New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and inch closer to semi-final (Images: ©X/Twitter)

Brief Score- New Zealand (Conway 45, Daryl Mitchell 43, Mathews 2/29) beat Sri Lanka (Kusal Perera 51, Boult 3/37, Rachin Ravindra 2/21) by 5 wickets.

New Zealand and Sri Lanka face off each other at M Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore where the former register a convincing win. New Zealand, looking a little dicey mid-way in the tournament, have returned to their winning ways. With this comprehensive win by the Kiwis, the two Asian teams other than Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are also almost all out of the semi-final race of the tournament.

Player Of The Match: Trent Boult (3/37)

Talking Points For New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Poor show by Sri Lanka batters

The Sri Lankan batting performance in the CWC 2023 has emerged as a major concern, especially in the absence of Shanaka. Despite an impressive innings of 51 runs in 28 balls from opener Perera, the team struggled to find support from other batters. Pathum Nissanka's early exit after scoring just 2 runs highlighted his lacklustre performance. The tailender, Maheesh Theekshana, registered himself as the second-highest scorer in the match against New Zealand, underscoring the team's overall batting struggles.

Skipper Kusal Mendis, who initially entered the World Cup in superb form, has faced a significant dip since taking over the captaincy role. Despite starting with a splendid half-century against South Africa, Mendis' form declined rapidly. Since assuming captaincy, he managed only 96 runs in the next seven innings, with a top score of 39 against Afghanistan. Mendis' captaincy stint has been marked by a stark contrast from his initial success in the tournament.

Top performances from the New Zealand vs Sri Lanka game in CWC 2023

CWC 2023, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka_ Trent Boult took 3-37 against Sri Lanka and helped New Zealand win _ Walking Wicket (Images_ ©X_Twitter) — Boult's 3-37 helped New Zealand win (Images: ©X/Twitter)

The Exceptional Bowling Performance by Trent Boult

New Zealand's talented pacer, Trent Boult, registered three scalps in his 10-over spell against Sri Lanka with an impressive economy rate of 3.70. The left-hander bowled three maidens to push the opponent further, with Sri Lanka on the back foot in the match.

With his significant performance, the left-hander reached a notable milestone in his ODI career by securing 50 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Boult's remarkable feat makes him the first New Zealand player to achieve this in the global event.

Furthermore, he now stands as the third left-arm pacer in ODI World Cup history to claim 50 or more wickets. Boult follows in the footsteps of Mitchell Starc from Australia, who leads the chart with 59 wickets. Boult's journey places him among the elite club of bowlers with 50-plus ODI World Cup wickets, showcasing his consistent prowess in the tournament over the years.

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023_ Rachin Ravindra scored century (123_) on his World Cup debut_ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©ICC_Twitter) — Rachin scored 42 and took 2-21 against Sri Lanka (Photo: ©ICC/Twitter)

Rachin Ravindra adds another 42 to his impressive steals

The talk of the tournament, Rachin Ravindra continues to make waves with his bat, providing the Kiwis with another stellar start in their pursuit of 172 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. The batter scored a quick 42 runs in 34 balls and ensured the Kiwis registered a win with a solid margin. The youngster was impressed with the bat and clinched two wickets (2-21) while bowling.

Notably, Ravindra achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the highest number of runs scored in a World Cup edition before the age of 25. Tendulkar, who scored 523 runs in the 1996 World Cup, was overtaken by Ravindra, who has now accumulated over 550 runs in the current tournament.

With a total of 578 runs from nine matches at an impressive average of 70.62, Ravindra is on track to surpass Kane Williamson's 2019 World Cup record for the second-highest runs in a World Cup edition for New Zealand.

Lockie Ferguson stages a remarkable comeback

Lockie Ferguson, a key asset for New Zealand, was notably absent in the last couple of matches due to a right Achilles injury. But the right-arm pacer made an impressive comeback against Sri Lanka.

In a short duel with Sri Lanka's Perera, Ferguson emerged triumphant as Perera's attempted loft over the covers landed safely in the hands of Santner. Making a powerful comeback, Ferguson disrupted Maheesh Theekshana's rhythm with a well-aimed delivery to his arm. He wreaked havoc among the late-order batters with his searing pace, securing a wicket. The renowned right-arm pacer, known for his record-breaking fastballs, showcased his prowess in his return, claiming 2 wickets while conceding only 35 runs in a stellar 10-over spell, including two maidens.

Statistical Highlights For New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, CWC 2023

The 43-run partnership between Theekshana and Madushanka is the highest 10th-wicket partnership for Sri Lanka in the World Cup.
New Zealand spinner Mitch Santner is the second-highest wicket-taker in the middle overs (11-40) of the World Cup 2023.
Rachin Ravindra is currently the leading run-scorer in the 2023 World Cup.
Sri Lanka has lost the most wickets in the first 10 overs in the ongoing World Cup.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table

Points Table & What next?

With this win, New Zealand have almost qualified for the semi-final, only if Pakistan or Afghanistan do not register a complete one-sided win in their upcoming match.

Sri Lanka, who were playing for some moral boost, will bid its farewell on a very poor note, a tournament to forget for the Asian team.