The cricketing rivalry that exists between the nations of Sri Lanka and New Zealand is without a doubt, the most unique and entertaining rivalry in world cricket. These two teams are quite familiar with each other as they have played all the three forms of the game and provided a lot of entertainment. In this piece, we take an in-depth look at the match these two teams have had over the course of cricketing history in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. The article will try to narrate the records, stats and previous head to head matchups to better understand this cricket middle.
Head-to-Head Stats: Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team
Test Matches
- Total Matches Played: 38
- Sri Lanka Wins: 9
- New Zealand Wins: 16
- Ties: 13
Win Percentage:
- Sri Lanka: 23.68%
- New Zealand: 42.11%
Highest Team Total:
- Sri Lanka: 730/6 in 1997 (During a Test series against New Zealand in Colombo)
- New Zealand: 578 in 1991 (Wellington Tied Test)
Notable Performances:
- Highest Run Scored by a Player: Brendon McCullum scored 302 in a test match against New Zealand in 2014.
- Best Bowling Performance: Muttiah Muralitharan 951 in Kandy in 2001
One-Day Internationals (ODIs)
- Total Matches Played: 100
- Sri Lanka Wins: 49
- New Zealand Wins: 48
- Ties: 1
- No Result: 1
Winning Percentages:
- Sri Lanka: 49.00%
- New Zealand: 49.00%
Highest Team Total:
- Sri Lanka: 398/5 against in Triangular Series, Edinburg 2015)
- New Zealand: 397/5 (Dunedin 2015)
Notable Performances:
- Top Individual Score: Martin Guptill from New Zealand scored 237 Asterisk stars scores during a game in Wellington while n the year 2015. Mins 5 Gps World Cup.
- Best Bowling Chaminda Vaas markets up an impressive 8/19 in Colombo, 2001.
Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)
- Total Matches Played: 22 Won
- Sri Lanka Wins: 8
- New Zealand Wins: 10
- Matches Tied : 1
- no result : 3
Win Percentage:
- Sri Lanka: 38.10%
- New Zealand: 47.62%
Highest Team Total:
- Sri Lanka: recorded total of 215/4 back in 2019.
- New Zealand recorded total of 243/5 back in 2016.
Notable Performances:
- The highest score achieved by an individual is 108* which was achieved by Glenn Phillips’s at the Mount Maunganui in 2020.
- Bowling figures were the best at 5/6 which were taken by Lasith Malinga at Pallekele in 2019.
Historical highlights
Memorable Matches
- Sri lankas victory over New Zealand during the World Cup Semifinal played in 1996 opened new doors for the county as they went on to win the World Cup for the first time, all due to De Silva’s performance.
- Sri Lanka’s bowlers were lead by Angelo Matthews and managed to deliver an impressive performance during the 2014 T20 Semi finals.
Iconic Players
Sri Lanka:
- Kumar Sangakkara is an impressive left handed player whae has scored in excess of 2000 runs across all formats against New Zealand.
- Muttiah Muralitharan gifted new zealnd is another of the spin wizard who has made life difficult for New Zealand batters with his consistency and guile.
New Zealand:
- Kane Williamson: He is stylish, confident and a capable cricketer that has proved to be problematic for Sri Lanka of late.
- Trent Boult: He has been responsible for the destruction of Sri Lanka’s top order through his left-arm swing bowling.
Venue Statistics
Most Matches Played:
- Wellington (New Zealand) and Colombo (Sri Lanka).
Win Distribution:
- Sri Lanka are strong at their backyard but new Zealand are comfortable at theirs.
Comparative Analysis
Batting Strengths
- Sri Lanka: Sri Lankans are traditionally good against spin but have difficulty dealing with seamers due to their predominantly spinner friendly home pitches.
- New Zealand: Pitches favour pace and seam, but batsmen are competent facing fast bowlers; they have trouble facing well presented bowl spins.
Bowling Attack
- Sri Lanka: Spin bowling has been a part of their traditions, with Muralitharan and Herath being the notable names among them.
- New Zealand: Have plenty of fast bowlers, including Boult and Southee that are always dangerous.
Recent Performances
2023 ODI World Cup
- Sri Lanka: Had a tough time managing the more powerful teams but did well against the associate ones.
- New Zealand: Was on semi finals after a superb Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner performance.
Bilateral Series
- The latest bilateral series began New Zealand’s sweet assesment in both ODIs and T20s demonstrating how competitive they are.
Conclusion
The Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand rivalry is an example of the essence of cricket because one never quite knows how each game is likely to play out. New Zealand has been on top of the mountain in the past years, but Sri Lanka’s game changing capabilities still bring excitement in every match. The stats, records, and historical moments reflect the very competitive rivalry that exists between these teams, thus ensuring that in the coming years the cricket fans will be treated to competitive drama filled matches.
Also read:- South Africa National Cricket Team vs West Indies Cricket Team Match Scorecard
