The State of Play
New Zealand can still qualify for the semi-finals but they need to win their final game against Sri Lanka and then sit back and see where they stand on net run-rate. The Black Caps have lost their last four games and, on the face of it, appear out of form. However, they can feel hard done to to have lost against Pakistan on Saturday having smashed 401 for six from their 50 overs before rain intervened, handing their opponents the win via DLS.
Sri Lanka, like so many other sides, have switched their attention from World Cup semi-final qualification to a top-eight finish and an automatic place at the 2025 Champions Trophy. Sri Lanka currently lie eighth in the table – they’ve won two of their eight games – but have played a game more than the two teams beneath them, England and the Netherlands.
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Team News
New Zealand will be hoping paceman Lockie Ferguson has recovered from an Achilles problem. Kyle Jamieson, a replacement for the injured Matt Henry, could come in at the expense of Ish Sodhi who struggled against Pakistan.
It’s a relatively short turnaround for Sri Lanka following their controversial loss to Bangladesh on Monday – a match overshadowed by the incident that saw veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews become the first player to be given out ‘timed out’ in international cricket. There are some injuries in the squad so they could go with the same XI.
Expected Line-ups
New Zealand: Conway, Ravindra, Williamson (c), Mitchell, Chapman, Phillips, Santner, Latham (wk), Southee, Jamieson, Boult
Sri Lanka: Nissanka, Perera, Mendis (c, wk), Samarawickrama, Asalanka, Mathews, De Silva, Theekshana, Chameera, Rajitha, Madushanka
What They Said
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the clash with Sri Lanka
“The approach will be very similar. We can’t rely on other teams as you get down to some small margins of whether it’s run rate or your last match. Our focus is very much still on the cricket that we want to keep playing and adjusting to what’s in front of us.
“We’ve done that in really positive ways and also being challenged at certain times which you fully expect in these sorts of competitions.”
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis on the progress of his team
“I’m happy that Pathum [Nissanka], Sadeera [Samarawickrama] and Dilshan [Madushanka] are coming through. I think in the future we’ll have a very good team which shows promise. We had a couple of injuries [against Bangladesh], and that was the reason we had so many changes and newcomers.”
Prediction
Expect the Black Caps to make up for the disappointment of the Pakistan wash-out and take out their frustration on Sri Lanka. Their desperation for a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive should give them the edge.
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