NZ vs SL 3rd Match Prediction

NZ vs SL Team Previews

New Zealand

Ask any cricket watcher or analyst about who the ‘dark horse’ is for the cricket world cup 2019 and there is a good chance New Zealand will be mentioned. The Kiwis are a very good ODI side that is capable of beating any other side on its day.

New Zealand was beaten 4-1 by India in New Zealand, however, they have done much better while playing in their own conditions before that series. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and West Indies were all beaten easily without losing a single match.

New Zealand even managed to win two matches against England but lost the series 3-2.

New Zealand has a very strong batting lineup, easily better than Sri Lanka’s. Players like Colin Munro, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Colin de Grandhomme, and Jimmy Neesham are all very good ODI players.

New Zealand may opt to include Henry Nicholls at the top of the order in place of Colin Munro but that remains to be seen.

This is a top-7 where there is plenty of power, proven ability to score centuries, and most of the players are in good form. Ross Taylor is in the best ODI form of his life and will be looking to make a huge impact on the cricket world cup 2019 while Kane Williamson is always in the conversation as one of the best batsmen in the world.

The slot for the spinner will be a choice between Santner and Ish Sodhi. Wrist spinners may be the fashion but we expect Mitchell Santner to be picked ahead of Sodhi.

Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, and Matt Henry are the three fast-bowlers we think will start for New Zealand with Tim Southee being a very useful reserve if needed.

This is a New Zealand squad that has all bases covered and is experienced enough to know what it takes to win on the big stage.

Sri Lanka

No other team has had a more difficult build-up to CWC 2019 than Sri Lanka. The side has changed captains, made wholesale changes to their lineup, lost tournaments, dropped in rankings, and then repeated the whole process once again.

As a result, it is Dimuth Karunaratne that is going to be leading the Sri Lankan team for the ICC World Cup 2019. He will have some new and inexperienced names to call upon mixed with some of the familiar names we have seen over the years.

The batting will be led by Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Angelo Matthews, and Lahiru Thirimanne. Avishka Fernando is one of the youngsters to find a place in the squad and he is rated quite highly by the Sri Lankans. He could get a game as well.

Thisara Perera is the powerful all-rounder in the lower middle order while Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, and Nuwan Pradeep will lead the bowling attack. There is a lot of experience in the bowling attack but we don’t think they are going to be too successful.

Lasith Malinga just does not seem to have the fitness to be able to play the entire World Cup 2019 and there is no express fast bowler in the side.

Jeevan Mendia and Milind Siriwardene are the spin options in the side and neither of them can be termed as world-class. Add to that the fielding. This Sri Lankan side is one of the worst in the field that we have seen although a couple of players like Kusal Mendia and Dimuth Karunaratne are exceptions to that.

On paper, this Sri Lanka side cannot be termed as weak like a team like Ireland or Scotland. It is, however, one of the weakest squad’s in this edition of the cricket world cup and most teams will be expected to beat it easily.

The best chance that Sri Lanka has to win is to hope that one or more of its batsmen have the tournament of their dreams. That is the only way the weaknesses in its fielding and bowling will be covered up.