For the second time in three days, Sri Lanka's middle order let them down, losing seven wickets for 14 runs to flounder in their chase of 187 against New Zealand.
In the first T20I, Sri Lanka had slipped badly in a 173-run chase, bungling a position of strength at 121-0 to lose eight wickets for 38. Favourites at one point, they lost the match by eight runs, with one Jacob Duffy over resulting in three wickets.
On Monday, Duffy ripped through Sri Lanka's middle order yet again, claiming career-best T20I figures of 4-15 as Sri Lanka, once again, botched up their chase. Placed at 97-2 in their chase of 187 in the 12th over, they lost their last eight wickets for 44 runs, and the last seven for 14 runs. Barring the top three, only one batter – captain Charith Asalanka – was able to cross double-digits, as New Zealand made their way back into the game.
Match 2nd T20I, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka
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The final margin of 45 runs highlighted just how badly Sri Lanka's chase had derailed. Duffy's figures are the third-best by a New Zealand fast bowler in a T20I against Sri Lanka.
After the game, Asalanka did not hide his disappointment at Sri Lanka's batting in the first two games.
"Disappointed with the results and the middle-order batting," he said after the game. "We should have done better. It's about adapting to the conditions. But at the same time, they [NZ] were brilliant. It's important to finish the game, no matter how you started. In the first game we were almost there. Again, disappointed."
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