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New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Prediction & Betting Tips - World Test Championship
by Devesh Jaganath in Cricket Predictions
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will lock horns on Thursday in the second and final test at the Basin Reserve, and if it’s anything like the previous match, it’s going to be an entertaining one to watch. It’s extremely rare to see a test match end in the manner that the first test did. After rain threatened to cut the match short, skipper Kane Williamson returned to the crease after a lengthy delay and managed to navigate his side to a win off the very last ball of the innings with an incredible century and match-winning performance. Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell were the other headliners with the bat in the first innings, scoring 67 and 102, respectively, while Tim Southee and Matt Henry were the picks of the bowlers, bagging 7 wickets each in the match. With that win, New Zealand ended any hopes of Sri Lanka reaching the WTC Finals, and they will do everything possible to complete the clean sweep in this one.
Sri Lanka fought valiantly over the five days and looked like they were in charge of the match for large periods. They got off to an excellent start in their first innings, with Karunaratne and Mendis both putting on half-centuries, supported by the ever-reliable Angelo Matthews, who scored 47 and then added a massive 115 runs in the second innings. Asitha Fernando was head and shoulders above the rest in the bowling department with seven wickets across the two innings. With the ODI and T20 series yet to come, Sri Lanka needs a win in this match to carry some momentum into the limited-overs format, though it may be a little difficult to do with the WTC disappointment still fresh in their minds.
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New Zealand - Sri Lanka Key Points
- New Zealand has only lost one of their last five test matches
- Both of New Zealand’s opening pace bowlers took seven wickets each in the opening test
- Tim Southee took five wickets in the first innings of the first test match
- New Zealand has won each of the last three test series against Sri Lanka at home
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Our New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Prediction
It doesn’t get much closer than what we experienced in the first test between these sides, with the match going down to the last ball after five days of battle. This perhaps shows how close these sides are and how difficult it is to choose an outright winner. The Basin Reserve is known to favour the quicks, especially in the first innings, while the pitch is still fairly green. Therefore, we expect the seam attack of the hosts to shine. Our New Zealand v Sri Lanka prediction is for Tim Southee to take over 5 wickets in the match.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
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