Tahuhu and Bates wrap up T20I series for New Zealand
The fast bowler picked up her second four-for in T20Is before the opening batter hit her 26th half-century in the format
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Jul-2023
Lea Tahuhu picked up her second four-for in T20Is • Getty Images
New Zealand 119 for 2 (Bates 52, A Kerr 33*) beat Sri Lanka 118 for 6 (Hasini 33, Tahuhu 4-21) by eight wickets
A four-wicket haul from Lea Tahuhu and a steady half-century from Suzie Bates helped New Zealand wrap up the T20I series against Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket win in the second match in Colombo on Monday. After restricting Sri Lanka to 118, New Zealand got to their target in 18.4 overs, completing a comeback after a 2-1 loss in the ODI series.
Bates combined with Bernadine Bezuidenhout to add 48 for the opening wicket. She was the steady partner in their partnership but attacked in the 59-run second-wicket alliance with Amelia Kerr. In the process, Bates scored her 26th half-century in T20Is. She used her feet to the spinners to put them off and was innovative in her strokeplay - using the scoop and paddle to good effect.
Inoka Ranaweera managed to see the back of Bates when she had her holing out to long-on for 52 off 53 balls, but Kerr and Sophie Devine finished the job without fuss.
Earlier, after being put in, Sri Lanka were jolted early when captain Chamari Athapaththu was run-out in the third over. She turned an Eden Carson delivery towards the left of the non-striker, Vishmi Gunaratne, and set off for a non-existent run.
Tahuhu then struck twice in her opening over - she first had Gunaratne chopping on when attempting a drive before trapping Kavisha Dilhari lbw two balls later.
After a brief rain stoppage, Sri Lanka were revived by a 57-run fourth-wicket partnership between Harshitha Samarawickrama - who played a crisp cover drive off her first ball to get going - and Hasini Perera, who top-scored with 33. But the two fell in relatively quick succession to deny Sri Lanka the momentum they needed.
Anushka Sanjeewani and Nilakshi de Silva propelled Sri Lanka past 100, with the two taking 13 off a Leigh Kasperek over, but the total was never going to be enough.