SYDNEY: New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips stroked a magnificent century before left-arm pacer Trent Boult wreaked havoc over Sri Lanka to bolster their side to a resounding 65-run victory in an all-important Super 12s fixture of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
Set to chase 168, the Sri Lankan batting lineup endured an onslaught from the Kiwi bowlers and crumbled out for a paltry 102 in the 20th over.
The Asian champions had a deplorable start to the run chase as the side lost four wickets for a mere eight runs.
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa attempted to fight back with their gritty knocks, however, no support from the rest of the batters, resulted in Sri Lanka falling 67 runs short.
Shanaka top-scored for his side with 35 off 32 balls, while Rajapaksa could score 34 in just 22 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and two sixes.
The rest of the Sri Lankan batters failed to contribute significantly in the run chase and could not get into the double figures.
Left-arm pacer Boult was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand as he returned with magnificent figures of 4/13, while Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi bagged two wickets each.
Batting first, New Zealand finished at a decent 167/7 in their quota of 20 overs, thanks to their right-handed batter Phillips.
The Blackcaps were off to a dismal start as they lost three wickets for a paltry 15 runs in four overs as openers Finn Allen (1), Devon Conway (1), and skipper Kane Williamson (8) perished cheaply.
Following the slump, Phillips and Daryll Mitchell stitched a gritty partnership for the fourth wicket and added 84 runs to the total to anchor the innings.
Phillips was the main aggressor in the all-important partnership, while Mitchell was holding his ground firm before Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva castled him in the 15th over.
The right-handed batter could score 22 off 24 deliveries.
Phillips, however, seemed unaffected by Mithcell’s dismissal and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly and turned his brilliance into a century in the 19th over.
He top-scored for his side with a terrific knock of 104 off just 64 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and four sixes.
New Zealand’s spinning all-rounder Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten with a handy 11 off just five deliveries, which included a vital six in the final over.
The rest of the New Zealand batters, however, could not amass double figures.
Kasun Rajitha led the bowling attack for Sri Lanka with 2/23, while Maheesh Theekshana, Hasaranga de Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lahiru Kumara struck out a batter each.
