New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Highlights, 3rd T20I: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 7 runs

Michael Bracewell to Kusal Perera, FOUR! A difficult chance goes begging. Tossed up on off, Kusal Perera goes for the sweep. Gets a leading edge just behind backward square leg. The fielder runs backward and dives to pouch this one but the ball strikes him in his hands and pops out only to race away to the fence. 

Michael Bracewell is into the attack now, replacing Santner.

Michael Bracewell to Kusal Perera, FOUR! Innovative and effective from Kusal. Tossed up around leg, Kusal Perera reverse sweeps this up an over the backward point fielder for a boundary. Kusal Perera read the field well and played this accordingly. 

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Perera, On a length around off, Kusal Perera pushes this gently towards mid off and takes a quick single to close the Power Play. 

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Perera, FOUR! Up and over for four. Pitched-up around off, Kusal Perera gets width to play with and he manages to loft this over cover for a boundary.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Perera, On a length around leg, Kusal Perera tucks this to mid on for no run. 

Zakary Foulkes to Avishka Fernando, Good length on off, Avishka Fernando punches this towards off for a single. 

Zakary Foulkes to Avishka Fernando, Bumper, wide of off, Avishka Fernando shadows the pull. 

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Perera, On a length, angling down the leg, Kusal Perera goes for the flick away on leg but gets an outside edge towards the third man region for one. 

A bit of movement and grip for the bowlers here. It is not easily coming onto the bat. Both the Lankan openers are into the sheds now. 

Avishka Fernando is in at number 3.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Mendis, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Mitchell Santner strikes in his very first over and a huge wicket for New Zealand as Kusal Mendis departs! Santner drops a flighted-delivery and lands it on off with a bit of a turn. It lands and just holds onto the surface for a bit and comes late on the bat. Kusal Mendis is early into his pull shot and tries to play it aerially. Goes through the shot, but mistimes it behind mid-wicket. Michael Bracewell at mid-wicket runs to his right, locks his eyes on the ball by backtracking it and takes a sharp catch while tumbling over. Sri Lanka lose their second wicket as Kusal Mendis 22 off 16.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Mendis, Flatter and at 85.1 kph, on a good length, outside off, Mendis hangs back and punches it to mid off.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Perera, Length ball drifting in at the pads. Perera tucks it to the right of short fine for a single.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Perera, FOUR! Good shot! Slower through the air and outside off, Kusal Perera rocks back and cuts it between cover-point for a boundary.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Mendis, Tossed up, full and around off, Kusal Mendis gets on the front foot and drills it down to long off for a single.

Mitchell Santner to Kusal Mendis, Nice and full, on off, Mendis leans on and pushes it gently to the bowler.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, Short and outside off, tossed up and pushed through. Mendis pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single to retain strike.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, Back of a length, goes straight on and outside off, Kusal Mendis pokes at it but it zips past the outside edge.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, An inswinger on a length and at the stumps. Mendis barely with any footwork, lofts it over Daryl Mitchell at mid on for a couple of runs. The ball just plugs into the surface as Mitchell chases it.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Nice shot! Back of a length and an inswinger at the pads. Mendis turns it away behind square for a boundary at deep backward square leg.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, Hard length outside off, and nips back in sharply into the off stump. Mendis pushes it to short cover off the back foot.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Cut away neatly! Back of a length, nipping away from off, Kusal Mendis stays back and cuts it square through cover-point for a cracking boundary.

Zakary Foulkes to Kusal Mendis, Zakary Foulkes almost struck first ball but his dream became a nightmare as soon as the umpire signaled it as a NO BALL! Zakary Foulkes bowls it from over the stumps and gets a huge inward curve which slides down leg, Kusal Mendis tries to pull the ball and swivels to go through the shot. Gets a faint edge off the blade and Mitchell Hay does extremely well to grab it low and left of him. FREE HIT TO FOLLOW NOW!

Matt Henry to Kusal Perera, On a length angling down the leg, Kusal Mendis looks to flick this on the leg side but gets closes the bat face early and the ball is deflected towards the third man region for a single. 

Kusal Perera walks out next to bat. 

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! New Zealand get their first breakthrough, but just for a brief moment, Mitchell Hay almost ran into the fence with the ball in hand. A well-directed short-pitched bumper from Henry, on the middle stump line. Pathum Nissanka swivels for another pull shot but plays a bit too close to the body. He does go through the shot and gets a thick top edge. It sails behind the keeper as Mitchell Hay tracks it backward. Locks his eyes on the ball and pouches it safely. He, however, keeps on running towards the fence with the momentum. As soon as he realises that he is about to cross the ropes, he lobs the ball up in the air, comes back into the field of play and grabs it safely. Nissanka departs and Sri Lanka are 30/1.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, SIX! WHAT A SHOT! A genuine loosener from Henry, on a shortish bit of a length, on the stumps, Pathum Nissanka gets the bounce at a comfortable height and pulls it behind deep backward square leg for a huge six. That was timed to perfection from Nissanka!

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! Cracked away! Short and on middle, Pathum Nissanka pulls it off the back foot to the vacant deep square leg region for a boundary.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, IN THE AIR...DROPS SAFE! On the fuller length from Henry, on middle, Pathum Nissanka clears the front leg and lofts it in the air. Tries to go downtown but mistimes it aerially. It sails and lands to wide of long off with the two fielders chasing it. Two taken.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, Fuller and angling on middle, Pathum Nissanka gets across and flicks it to mid-wicket.

Jacob Duffy to Kusal Mendis, SIX! Pulled away! Short boundaries and Mendis makes the most of it! Short and on the middle and leg, Kusal Mendis reads the length early, gets in position quickly and pulls it aerially behind deep square leg for the first six of the match.

Jacob Duffy to Pathum Nissanka, Had to hurry there! Full and at the stumps now, with a tinge of an away movement. Nissanka gets forward and pushes it between mid on and mid off for a quick single.

Jacob Duffy to Pathum Nissanka, BEAUTY! A conventional outswinger from Duffy now, on a fuller length, well outside off, Pathum Nissanka is lured with the width offered and goes for a cover drive but the ball zips past the outside edge.

Jacob Duffy to Pathum Nissanka, Nagging length, aiming and slanting onto the pads, Pathum Nissanka gets a bit across and tucks it to short fine.

Jacob Duffy to Kusal Mendis, Drop and run! Hard length, nipping away sharply from off, Kusal Mendis waits for it to arrive and knocks it between cover-point for a single.

Jacob Duffy to Kusal Mendis, Starts it from over the stumps and bowls it on back of a length, outside off. It lands and keeps nibbling away from the angle. Kusal Mendis goes for a square cut but misses.

Jacob Duffy to operate from the far end.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, Length-delivery, around off, Nissanka leans back to punch it through covers but mistimes it on the bounce to the cover fielder. A decent start for both sides.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, Short of a good length, on middle, Pathum Nissanka goes for a pull shot but gets it off the bottom end and the ball drops onto the pitch.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, Back of a length around off. Pathum Nissanka punches off the back foot to cover.

Matt Henry to Kusal Mendis, BUZZERS! Back of a length, jagging a touch back in the pads, Kusal Mendis gets a thick inside edge onto the pads as he looks to work and glance it across to the leg side. The ball thuds on his thigh pad and rolls to the square leg region. Both rush for a single quickly. A direct hit at the non-striker's end and the ball ricochets to the off side which allows them to get two more.

Matt Henry to Kusal Mendis, Good areas there from Henry! Outside off, nibbling away on a good length, Kusal Mendis feels for it initially but opts out of the shot as the ball deviates away from him.

Matt Henry to Pathum Nissanka, Henry starts from over the wickets and lands it right on the money. Gets some away shape from a good length, just outside off. Pathum Nissanka hops on the back foot and guides the ball to deep third for single. Nissanka and Sri Lanka are underway!

Well then, all in preparedness for the commencement of the third and final T20I. A sell-out crowd at the Saxton Oval, Nelson as well. Also, pleasing scenes as the sun is peeking out of the clouds. There's a fair share of thick cloud cover at one end, but, for the bare minimum, it is least threatening for the match to start now. The two umpires walk out to the middle, and the New Zealand players also scatter out to the field. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka are the two Sri Lankan openers who walk out to the crease. It will be Matt Henry to kick off the proceedings with the new ball. All players and the crowd are requested to observe a minute of silence as a tribute to the passing away of Senior Sergeant, Lyn Fleming with the personnel from the Nelson police force also present at the boundary side. Well then, all in readiness. Off we go...