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A thriller at Eden Park and a one-sided affair at the University Oval. What does the final T20I have in store? You'll have to join us on Saturday, April 8, to find out. Do return for our coverage of the final game of the tour right here on Sportskeeda while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from around the globe on this very platform, including the Indian Premier League. For the moment though, this is the duo of Pragadeesh and Sooryanarayanan taking your leave. Thanking you so much for tuning in today as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you around soon - buh-bye for now!
Match summary: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets to level the series 1-1.
Tim Seifert 79* (43) | Adam Milne 5/26 (4) Dhananjaya de Silva 37 (26) | Kasun Rajitha 1/25 (2)
They came, they saw, they conquered. It was as simple as a morning walk for the Blackcaps as they've made light weather of a straightforward target on a belter of a batting surface. It was set up by Adam Milne's five-for that dismantled Sri Lanka's batting lineup as they were rolled over for 141 and thereafter, it was the Tim Seifert show.
Of course, it was Chad Bowes who started the carnage as he tore into Dilshan Madushanka and dispatched the loose ones without breaking a sweat. Seifert took his time and watched from the best seat in the house as Bowes went about his business in seamless fashion. He couldn't convert his start into a big one but had set the tone for his opening partner to take over.
Seifert flicked a switch and picked up pace, showing equal assurance against both spin and pace. He unleashed his full range of strokes, seamlessly switching hands and playing the odd reverse hit. Sri Lanka were left clueless and barring Maheesh Theekshana and to an extent, Wanindu Hasaranga, the rest bowled all over the place.
It was always going to be a question of when and not if given how Seifert was going about his work. Skipper Tom Latham played second fiddle throughout the chase and left it to Seifert to get the job done with plenty of time to spare as New Zealand managed to draw level in clinical fashion. This now takes the series into a decider at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown on Saturday with everything to play for.
Done. And. Dusted. In an absolute canter at that! What a knock this has been from Tim Seifert and the Blackcaps have annihilated the Sri Lankans to draw level in some style. Wow!
14.4 Dhananjaya de Silva to Tim Seifert, SIX! SEIFERT SEALS IT IN STYLE! New Zealand steamroll the visitors to level the series. DdS tries to angle this across but this is Seifert's day and every thing he touches turns to gold. Reverse hit has been his trademark shot of this innings and he plays another one in the gap and the ball lands over the deep cover fence
Why go for the reverse-hit when you can slog it as powerfully as that? My word that is gigantic. An enormous hit and New Zealand are just 2 runs away now...
14.3 Dhananjaya de Silva to Tim Seifert, SIX! GEEZ, THIS IS MONSTROUS. Full outside leg-stump, Seifert goes down to one knee and hammers the slog sweep over deep square leg. The ball goes high and handsome for a maximum. What a batting spectacle he is putting here at Dunedin
I guess the next challenge for Seifert is to attempt batting as a left-hander.
14.2 Dhananjaya de Silva to Tim Seifert, reverses his stance even before the bowler released the ball. It was pitched up and he plays a lofted hit wide of long-on and gets a couple
There's one. Just 10 runs away now!
14.1 Dhananjaya de Silva to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Brings his innovation into play to attack DDS. On a short length angling across, Seifert plays a switch hit and it goes over backward square leg for a boundary
Around the wicket.
Dhananjaya de Silva [1.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack
Seifert continues to throw a lot of muscle into his strokes as he seeks to finish this off at the earliest. The hosts are just 14 runs away from drawing level in the series and this could well be the last over of the chase if Seifert can find the fence early.
14
overs
128/1score
0
2
2
1
1
1
runs
Tim Seifert*
61(39)
Tom Latham
20(30)
Wanindu Hasaranga
0/22
13.6 Wanindu Hasaranga to Tim Seifert, pitched up angling on off-stump, Seifert sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single
13.5 Wanindu Hasaranga to Tom Latham, comes down the track and helps the back of a length delivery to short fine leg. One run
13.4 Wanindu Hasaranga to Tim Seifert, short of a length outside off-stump, Seifert slaps it to long-off for a single
13.3 Wanindu Hasaranga to Tim Seifert, back of a length and it's been punched wide of sweeper cover for a couple
Goodness me that would have been a scorcher from Nissanka! Full props to his commitment there.
13.2 Wanindu Hasaranga to Tim Seifert, DROPPED! Short of a length outside off-stump, Seifert backs away and punches it wide of sweeper cover. Nissanka didn't give up as he moves to his right, puts in a full-blooded dive but couldn't cling onto it