By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka’s 24-year old off spinner Maheesh Theekshana took a dream hat-trick in becoming the seventh Lankan bowler to achieve the milestone, but his effort could not stave off defeat as the Lankans were badly beaten by 113 runs in back to back triumphs by the hosts to already clinching the 3-match series at Seddon Park in Hamilton in a rain reduced 37 over game.

Incidentally, Theekshana achieved his hat-trick in his 50th ODI in his last two overs of the New Zealand innings when he had the host skipper Mitchell Santner caught by Chamindu Wickramasinghe for 20 and very next ball sent back Nathan Smith held by Kamindu Mendis in the last two balls of the 35th over and going on to remove Matt Henry in the first ball of the final over caught by substitute fielder M.B.K. Fernando for 1.

But by then the damage had been done upfront by Rachin Ravindra who struck a game turning 79 off 63 balls upped by 9 boundaries and a six, and Mark Chapman 62 off 52 with 5 boundaries and 2 sixes in an imposing score of 256 for 9 in the rain reduced 37 overs.

Sri Lanka in their turn flopped for 142 in just 30.2 overs having wilted to 22 for 4 wickets in a frontline tripping with only No. 4 Kamindu Mendis hauling the side with a noteworthy innings of 66 off 64 balls inclusive of 5 boundaries and a six after skipper Charith Asalanka had run himself out for 4 which is poor judgment when his stay there was crucial for Sri Lanka’s victory cause which went out of the window by that blemish.

Janith Liyanage was the only other batsman to resist scoring 22 off 31 with 2 boundaries and a six.

At the top Pathum Nissanka went for 1, Avishka Fernando 10, and Kusal Mendis 2 against a tight Kiwi attack led by Will O’Rourke’s 3 for 31 followed by Jacob Duffy 2 for 30, Mitchell Santner 1 for 14 and Nathan Smith 1 for 34.