Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

The two captains receive the cheque first and then collect the trophy as they pose for the photographs. Sri Lanka won quite comfortably yesterday after bowling out their opponents for 135. A hobbling Hasaranga bowled beautifully today to take a 4-for as the hosts skittled out NZ for 108. Sri Lanka were the favourites at that stage but the Kiwis fought back brilliantly with the ball to square the series. Curtains down on this 2-match T20I series. The 3-match ODI series commences on Wednesday. We'll bring you all the action. Until then, it's goodbye...

Mitchell Santner: At the change of innings, I just wanted us to fight as a unit. There was a bit there for both seam and spin. We talked about taking wickets up top and apply pressure and thought we did that extremely well. We would have liked a few more runs with the bat, but it was a tricky?surface. We knew if we could put the ball in the right area for long time and let the pitch do its work and tried to take wickets up top. Lockie and the seamers bowled extremely well. (On Ferguson) He's a world-class bowler for us. Anytime someone can bowl thunderbolts like that, it's not easy to face.
That?was his role tonight - try and get a few wickets in the middle and beak up the spin a little. It spins a lot here, look forward to the ODIs now. We have to find a method and dig in. Today we probably went a little bit hard too early and thought the par score might have been more. We've got a few days, we'll see what the pitch has got for us. GP has probably bowled more this series than he has in white ball, so nice to throw him the ball and get some wickets at the end for us.

Charith Asalanka: (Sri Lanka's game to lose?) I agree. Full credit goes to them, undone by good bowling and good fielding. We could have batted a little bit?better. Only today we struggled?(against spin), basically we are playing spin well. We have to get the right options on these tracks. I think we have a settled team right now. This kind of games can happen anytime at any point in this journey. I just believe in my bunch, just go and play good cricket. It's very important for us to climb in the rankings, the guys are in really good mood to play the one-dayers.

Wanindu Hasaranga | Player of the Series: (On his hamstring) Finally I can have a few weeks break after this match. I think it's bad. I wanted to bowl my four overs to cut down their total. I can't run, so I tried to maximise (with the bat) but I got out. I wanted to bowl the stumps' line with the 5-metre length, I tried to do my basic things.

Lockie Ferguson | Player of the Match: It was a full team effort. Pretty scrappy, I am not sure where that fits in all time defending totals, but certainly the lowest I have defended as a group. Nice to be out there. Unfortunate to come off with only two overs bowled. GP bowled a lovely death over there to get us over the line, he can probably bowl there from now. That's the job - try and bowl quick, I was happy to get a couple tonight. When you get a bit of swing, it's nice and it helps. It spun a lot and from our point of view, as quick bowlers, it's just trying to hold up an end, take wickets whenever we can and allow the spinners to do what they can do.

22:56 Local Time, 17:26 GMT, 22:56 IST: New Zealand win by 5 runs and level the series 1-1. This is the lowest total successfully defended by NZ in T20Is. They have defended 108! Captain Santer struck early with the new ball and then Lockie Ferguson - coming into the XI - bagged a hat-trick which saw the hosts getting reduced to 34/4. Just when it looked like Nissanka and Rajapaksa were steadying the ship, Bracewell broke the partnership by removing the latter. Hasaranga and Wellalage couldn't make an impact. But Sri Lanka were in the game as long as Nissanka was out in the middle. The opener, despite losing wickets at the other end, compiled a half-ton and ensured that the asking rate didn't swell. Theekshana scored a boundary in the penultimate over which brought the equation down to eight needed off the final over. Ferguson's injury meant he could bowl only two overs and Phillips was summoned to bowl the final over. And GP delivered. Three wickets in five balls and New Zealand won a humdinger.

Phillips to Theekshana, out Caught by Mitch Hay!! The keeper calls for it, runs towards the midwicket region and catches it. Quick offie on a length, Theekshana gets down on one leg to slogsweep and only manages to get a top-edge. Mitch Hay runs to his left and takes a safe catch. Theekshana c Mitch Hay b Phillips 14(16) [4s-1]

Phillips to Theekshana, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

6 runs | 2 balls.

Phillips to N Thushara, 1 run, 96kph, baseball stance from Thushara who swings hard against this full delivery. Doesn't time it well and the ball falls well short of long-off

Nuwan Thushara, right handed bat, comes to the crease

7 runs | 3 balls. Just 1 wicket in hand and Phillips is on a hat-trick!

Phillips to Pathirana, out Stumped!! Two in two for Phillips! 93kph, Pathirana gets forward to push this fullish ball through the off-side. The ball doesn't spin and goes past the outside edge. Mitch Hay gathers it cleanly and is quick to break the stumps and Pathirana is out of his crease. Pathirana st Mitch Hay b Phillips 0(1)

Phillips to Pathirana, THATS OUT!! Stumped!!

Matheesha Pathirana, right handed bat, comes to the crease

7 runs | 4 balls.

Phillips to Nissanka, out Caught by (sub)Nicholls!! In the air and taken! Is this the killer blow? 93kph, full and outside off, Nissanka gets down on one leg to slogsweep over midwicket. Goes straighter than he eyes and hits it straight down long-on's throat. Nissanka, the half-centurion, is distraight as he takes the long walk back. Nissanka c (sub)Nicholls b Phillips 52(51) [4s-6]

Phillips to Nissanka, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Lockie Ferguson left the field due to an injury and hence has bowled just two overs! Calf injury, says Danny Morrison on air

7 runs | 5 balls.