New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2022-23

Test matches (2): New Zealand 2 (24pts), Sri Lanka 0 (0pts)
One-day internationals (3): New Zealand 2 (25pts), Sri Lanka 0 (4pts)
Twenty20 internationals (3): New Zealand 2, Sri Lanka 1

Sri Lanka came to New Zealand with clear goals. If they swept the Test series, they might still make the final of the World Test Championship; blitz the one-day internationals, and they would guarantee qualification for the 50-over World Cup; triumph in the 20-over games, and there might be franchise contracts round the corner. The tourists looked chipper under coach Chris Silverwood - apparently more relaxed than when doing the job for England. And there would be a pleasing irony if he could take Sri Lanka to The Oval for the WTC decider.

New Zealand, meanwhile, were keen to extend their run of home Test series without defeat to 12. The two matches had contrasting conclusions. At Christchurch, another chapter of Kane Williamson genius ended in a narrow victory via the scampering of a last-ball bye. In Wellington, where he cracked his sixth Test double-hundred and put on 363 with Henry Nicholls, New Zealand enforced the follow-on, and won by an innings. Sri Lanka's hopes of making The Oval had long since evaporated.

The 2-0 scoreline was repeated in the ODIs, taking New Zealand top of the ICC Super League, and pushing their opponents down to tenth, which forced them into the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Neither game was especially close. New Zealand made 274 at Auckland, and needed less than 20 overs to scythe through Sri Lanka for 76. Then, after a Christchurch washout, the tourists were demolished at Hamilton for 157.

In his first internationals at home, seamer Henry Shipley took eight cheap wickets, including five for 31 at Auckland; his whippy action conceded barely four an over, while Matt Henry's economy-rate was just 1.62. Leading the batters was Will Young: he made an unbeaten 86 at Hamilton, adding 100 with Nicholls to clinch the series.

For Sri Lanka, the one-dayers offered little to write home about. Pathum Nissanka hit 57 in the last, while the seamers generally proved a handful. But the usually threatening spin of Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva had no success.

With the IPL starting as the one-day games gave way to the T20s, New Zealand Cricket had pragmatically allowed the likes of Williamson, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips to head to the subcontinent for their T20 fix. But the absences allowed a younger breed to be tested at international level, and they fared well. Williamson, though, sustained a serious knee injury in his first IPL outing for Gujarat, jeopardising his participation in the World Cup in October.

The T20 series was a genuine contest. Although New Zealand ran away with the second game, at Dunedin, the others were closer. In the first, at Auckland, the hosts bolstered their reputation for bodging super overs. In the last, at Queenstown, they won with a ball to spare - after losing three wickets in two legitimate balls in the final over (James Neesham was run out attempting a bye off a wide).

The home batting hero was Tim Seifert, restored to the team after almost 18 months. He followed a duck with scores of 79 not out from 43 balls, and 88 from 48. Adam Milne, bowling at pace, grabbed seven wickets in the series, including three in an over to end Sri Lanka's collapse at Dunedin, where their last eight fell in eight.

Kusal Perera, back after undergoing shoulder surgery, passed 30 in each innings, while Charith Asalanka set up the tourists' sole success, at Auckland; Kusal Mendis made 73 in the last game. In terms of economy, off-spinner M heesh Theekshana went for 5.16 an over, while no one else on either side cost under seven. If those performances might have hastened an IPL invitation, Sri Lanka otherwise missed all their goals.