It hasn’t been an easy visit for Sri Lanka in the land of the long white cloud. They lost the T20I series 2-1, only claiming a win in the dead-rubber third game, and they were badly routed in the first ODI.
They will be desperate to show a bit of steel in the second ODI which starts in Hamilton on Wednesday.
In ODIs, Hamilton is a bat-second venue. Of the last 16 ODIs played here, the side batting second has won ten, the side batting first just five. There has also been one no result.
This is a curious series as it forms a key part of New Zealand’s preparation for the Champions Trophy which is set to run from 19 February to 9 March.
New Zealand will be there despite playing just three ODIs in the last year – prior to the start of this series.
Sri Lanka meanwhile have failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy due to their abysmal showing at the 2023 World Cup.
Sri Lanka have however played plenty of ODI cricket in the last little while and been remarkably successful along the way winning five of the six series they have played – including a series win over India.
But they have played the bulk of these games at home and New Zealand is very different with seamer-friendly surfaces.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Second ODI | Wednesday 08 January 2025 | Hamilton | 03:00
New Zealand
As much as this is a key part of their preparation for the Champions Trophy, this remains very much a second-string Black Caps side given that they are without stars like Kane Williamson, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert – who are playing in either the SA20 or Big Bash tournaments.
Matt Henry picked up four wickets for 19 in the first ODI. He’s a man in good form and he is also a man who enjoys bowling in Hamilton. In the six innings he has bowled at the venue he has claimed 13 wickets at an average of just 14.92.
Will Young was in good shape with the bat in the first ODI as he banged an undefeated 90 from 86 balls in the Black Caps’ nine-wicket win. He also boasts a great record in Hamilton, averaging 103.5 from his three innings at the venue.
At number seven on the ICC’s list, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell is the highest-ranked batsman from either side in the series.
He didn’t even get a chance to come to the crease in the first ODI, such was the ease of New Zealand’s victory, but expect big things from him if he does appear.
He is ranked behind the likes of Babar Azam, Indian trio Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen – he’s in good company
Keep an eye out for Jacob Duffy who was excellent in the T20 series. With two for 39 from the Wellington game he brought that form with him to the ODI arena, and he will be looking for more scalps as New Zealand continue their preparation for the Champions Trophy.
To Win Match
New Zealand 42/100 | Tie 25/1 | Sri Lanka 39/20
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka are ranked 10 and 11 on the ICC ODI batting rankings but they both failed in the opening game of the series – scoring 9 and 0 respectively. They will be looking to show a little more resistance in game two.
If Sri Lanka are going to do well, they will need big contributions from their all-round duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamidu Wickramasinghe. The former is something of a veteran of the format with 59 caps to his name while the latter has played just two ODI’s.
But they are both handy cricketers who provide good options with the ball – Wickramasinghe took the only New Zealand wicket to fall in the first ODI and some solid hitting in the middle order.
Hasaranga’s highest ODI score is an undefeated 80 while young Wickramasinghe’s best effort in List A cricket is 83*.
Kamindu Mendis is something of an enigma – a Test cricket star with an average of 74 (he has the habit of scoring quickly in the red ball format as well) he has managed to score fifty just once in 15 innings, for an average of 26. Surely, he is due to come right?
Verdict: New Zealand
As much as this is a second-string New Zealand side they are made for the conditions and Sri Lanka aren’t. Expect another win for the Black Caps as their players give it their all to make the Champions Trophy squad.
