Thisara Perera hit thirteen sixers … indeed more SIXERs than Fours (13 is to 8 fours) in an amazing innings of 140 runs in 74 balls in a losing cause in the ODI match vs the Kiwis at Mount Maunganui today 5th January 2019 …. . Note this running commentary by the ESPN ‘reporters’
It’s been 160 runs since Sri Lanka lost their seventh wicket!
II = THOUGHTS from KEEN CKT-WATCHERS
Thisara Perera is the Man of the Match.
ChrisNZ: “Stoked that we can break the ‘rule’ of only giving MoM to the winning team. Well deserved for a spectacular knock.”
Jamie: “Whew! I thought I was going to be to blame for an NZ loss there – when Perera was in the 90s, I said to the TV “Don’t get him out just yet boys, let him get to three figures first…””
Pathum: “We had hope for word cup. 2019 well done boys”
UJack: “Great match! Would have been a cake walk if NZ were tidy – 13 wides and 5 dropped catches. On the other hand, the lower order fightback of SL was inspiring – hoping the top order will fight just the same in the next game!”
Vikram Rathore: “That was one of the best ODI knocks we will ever see. Shame it ended in a losing cause, but my god, can this bloke bat!”
Hashim: “What a fight back from Srilanka. Who would have thought they will reach 298. Once they were 128/7.”
Aashu: “Just like last January (Marcus Stoinis’ 146 against NZ), this January also produces a magnificent inning by an all rounder in a losing cause. ”
Braden : “Apparently there have been reports of a meteor shower across the Bay of Plenty. Surely just some of Thisara Perera’s sixes. “
Saurav: “NOOOOOOOOOOOO”
*** ****
III = Andrew Fidel Fernando on the first half of the match .… ESPNcricinfo ….. http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18812/report/1153841/new-zealand-vs-sri-lanka-2nd-odi-sri-lanka-in-nz-2018-19
A better Sri Lanka bowling performance in the final 10 overs saw New Zealand score only 97 in that phase of the innings, but they nevertheless mustered a commanding 319 for 7, with Colin Munro and and Ross Taylor providing more than half the team total between them, as well as the innings’ definitive partnership.
New Zealand had lost two wickets in the Powerplay when the pair came together, but their 112-run stand off 108 balls set the hosts on track to their eventual big total. Munro made 87 – his first half century in 11 innings – Taylor hit 90 to continue a rich vein of ODI form, and as had been the case on Thursday, James Neesham attacked successfully at the death, collecting 64 from 37 balls this time.
Sri Lanka once again lacked penetration through the middle overs, but this time prevented New Zealand by running away from them by effecting no fewer than four run outs, three of which, crucially, ended the innings of a half-centurion. Munro was the victim of a miscommunication with Taylor that saw him charge halfway down the pitch before turning back to the non-striker’s end, too late. Taylor was out at the death attempting to steal a second off the throw of Kusal Perera from fine leg. Later, in the penultimate over, Neesham was out to a direct hit from Nuwan Pradeep, who had delivered an excellent bouncer, then turned to throw down the non-striker’s stumps as the batsmen attempted a quick single. Wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert was also run out off the last ball of the innings.
Without those run out dismissals, Sri Lanka might have been in even worse trouble. Lasith Malinga was their best bowler, taking 2 for 45 from his 10 overs, and Pradeep had struck in the Powerplay to have Kane Williamson mis-hitting a pull to fine leg, but beyond their opening quicks, no Sri Lankan bowlers mustered a breakthrough. Legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna should have had a wicket to his name, however, had Dinesh Chandimal not misjudged Munro’s strike down the ground in the 20th over. Chandimal ran in from the long on boundary upon seeing the ball fly towards him, but had not accounted for the wind which was aiding the ball’s flight. He tried to backpedal late, but wound up only palming the ball for four. Munro would go on to make 27 further runs after that reprieve.
Earlier, in the second over of the innings, there had been signs that this would be a fruitful day for Munro. He struck three fours off Pradeep’s first over, drilling him down the ground, crashing him over midwicket, then carving him through the covers, as Pradeep strained to find his line on a surface offering little seam movement. Munro had been dismissed by a Lasith Malinga slower ball in the first ODI, but was wise to the slower ones in this innings, at times even cracking them to the boundary when they were misdirected.
Neesham was in obviously outstanding touch when he arrived at the crease, and he would go on to score heavily off Thisara Perera again. He wasn’t quite as severe on Thisara as he had been in the last game (when he clubbed 34 off a Perera over), but it wasn’t far off – Neesham reaping 26 from the 8 balls Thisara sent at him.
The remainder of Sri Lanka’s death bowling went as well as could be expected, given the opposition waltzed into the 40th over at 222 for 4. This is a slower pitch, but Sri Lanka will at least heave a sigh of relief that their target does not exceed 350 this time.
**** ****
ADDENDUM: an EMAILCOMMENT from a KIWI PAL
Perera’s knock was fabulous: hard to believe he’s played so many One Dayers, and this is his first century (mind you, he had an explanation for that at the after-match.)
And some of those 6s went miles both up and in length.
As for the Kiwi fielding….. incomprehensible. People like Guptill and Williamson, who NEVER drop catches…. and then the whole game ended with Boult’s brilliant effort (after dropping a much easier one earlier.)
I thought Jimmy Neasham’s over off Perera in the previous match was pretty impressive… and then after the NZ first innings, one of the commentators pointed out that Perera’s last 4 overs at the end of 2 Kiwi innings had gone for something like 84, or 88.
After that, to come out and give back as good as he got….. Terrific.
M
Big conference now. They need to stop that single.