New Zealand v Sri Lanka Tour Preview
New Zealand host Sri Lanka in March 2024 for three One Day Internationals followed by three T20 Internationals.
Head to Head:
There have been thirteen ODI matches between these teams, New Zealand with a healthy 11-2 record. It is even more stark in T20 Internationals, the White Ferns lead 9-0.
Rankings:
Sri Lanka hold a slight advantage in the TAWC ODI Rankings, currently in eighth spot while New Zealand are ninth. In T20 Internationals, once again the two teams are neck and neck, with New Zealand fifth and Sri Lanka sixth.
New Zealand
Squad:
Suzie Bates (c), Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Isabella Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Emma McLeod, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Sharp
A White Ferns team without both Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr does put a bit of a cloud over the home team (matching the weather) but times like these are opportunities to introduce some new blood and that is what the selectors have chosen to do.
Suzie Bates will lead the team and will need to show the way with her bat, for the batting looks mighty thin on paper. Experienced hands in Brooke Halliday, Lauren Down and Maddy Green must step up. I’d be inclined to push Jess Kerr further up the order.
One presumes Hannah Rowe will share the new ball with Kerr in the ODIs, with addition of Rosemary Mair for the T20s. Eden Carson and Fran Jonas are likely to carry the spin bowling. Will they play newcomers Emma McLeod (allrounder) or Bree Illing (left arm medium)? An opportunity exists for at least one of them to make a debut.
A big challenge awaits Suzie Bates and her White Ferns team.
Sri Lanka
Squad:
Chamari Athapaththu (c), Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Madavi, Manudi Nanayakkara, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Rashmika Sewwandi, Nilakshika Silva, Chethana Vimukthi
The last 18 months have been quite fruitful for Chamari Athapaththu and her team, save for a couple of blips in the second half of 2024. The improvement for Sri Lanka has been on the back of better resources provided for the women’s team and that has born fruit with players that were previously underperforming at international level. No longer the case of “Chamari or bust.”
One of those players to step up has been Harshitha Madavi who scored a century in this format against Ireland in August 2024. Another is the exciting young opener, Vishmi Gunarathne who also scored a century against Ireland. The significance here is that those are the only two players to have scored a century in this format, apart from the skipper who has scored nine.
Wicket keeper Anushka Sanjeewani has also been a shining light with the bat, giving the middle order a level of solidarity Sri Lanka had not had previously.
I’m less enthusiastic about the bowling. They do have the experience of Inoshi Priyadharshani and Udeshika Prabodhani, but most likely wicket taker is Sugandika Kumari – problem is all of these players are nearing the end of their careers and I’m seeing the improvement in the bowling as much as the batting. Will right-arm pace bowler Chethana Vimukthi make her debut?
Summary
This is a key series for both teams with much on the line. It is a new look White Ferns outfit with their two best players unavailable for the series. That said, they are on their home turf and will know the conditions well, and at the same time coming off their domestic season with many of these players in good form at the right time. Big question mark over the batting.
Sri Lanka are in good nick and are a good travelling team – that is, they are quick to adapt to foreign conditions. The batting unit has stepped up big time over the last couple of years and they have an excellent keeper. They are the more settled of the two teams. Big question mark over the bowling.
