The Sri Lankan team has missed out on direct qualification for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 to be played in India in October-November this year after they lost the third and final ODI to New Zealand in Hamilton on March 31, 2023.
Sri Lanka had lost the first ODI in Auckland by a massive 198 runs after they were bowled out for 76 in a chase of 274 runs. The second ODI in Christchurch was abandoned due to rain and Sri Lanka needed to win the third and final ODI to stay in contention for World Cup 2023.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka managed only 158 runs with Pathum Nissanka (57 off 64), Dasun Shanaka (31 off 36), and Chamika Karunaratne (24 off 42) being the only batters to show some resistance. For New Zealand, Matt Henry (3/14), Henry Shipley (3/32) and Daryl Mitchell (3/32) were all outstanding with the ball.
In reply, New Zealand faltered a bit in their chase losing openers Chad Bowes and Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham for single-digit scores. But then Will Young (86*) and Henry Nicholls (44*) added 100* for the fifth wicket for BlackCaps.
With the victory in Hamilton, New Zealand secured a 2-0 win in the three-match ODI series.
Sri Lanka To Now Play In ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier In Zimbabwe In June
Sri Lanka received five points following the abandoned second ODI rather than the 10 a win would have offered and was also docked a point for maintaining a slow over-rate during their 198-run defeat in the opener.
They end their CWCSL campaign on 81 points and failed to overtake West Indies (88 points). This means that the 1996 World Cup winners will have to travel to Zimbabwe in June to compete in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier and look to secure their place in World Cup 2023.
India and six other teams have booked their spots in the World Cup starting in October, with the West Indies occupying the final automatic qualification place in the Super League standings.
However, the Caribbean side can be pipped in the race for the eighth spot by South Africa (78 points) and Ireland (68 points). Proteas will play a two-ODI series against Netherlands and Ireland will clash in a three-ODI series against Bangladesh in May.