In our feature series - Who would have predicted that? – we are looking back at matches where there were big upsets or extraordinary individual performances that turned matches on their head.

 

Sri Lanka and New Zealand put on an exhibition during the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012 as the two teams took the match into a Super Over. The Super Eights clash was tied with both teams scoring 174 and the deadlock had to be broken in the one-over eliminator.

You wouldn’t have predicted that this match would go to the one-over eliminator. Cricket is a funny old game, and similar to baccarat, it may be your go-to game. There are three possible outcomes in cricket ,as there are in Baccarat— win, lose tie/draw in cricket and a player win, a banker win and a tie in baccarat — as in Baccarat India the dealer would deal out the cards face up—two each for the player and banker—and whichever hand totals closest to nine wins. If you had been watching Sri Lanka and New Zealand it would have been like playing Baccarat.

 

 

Match Summary

New Zealand 174/7 (20 Overs) - Rob Nicol58 (40), Martin Guptill 38 (30); Akila Dananjaya 2/32 (4), Nuwan Kulasekara 2/33 (4)

Sri Lanka 174/6 (20 Overs) - Tillakaratne Dilshan 76 (53), Mahela Jayawardene 44 (26); James Franklin 2/34 (4), Jacob Oram 1/26 (3)

Result - Match tied (Sri Lanka won the one-over eliminator)

 

Choosing to bat first, New Zealand were given a breezy start by Rob Nicol (58) and Martin Guptill (38) as they scored 174 in 20 overs. While the effort was a good one, given the excellent bating surface at the Pallekele International Stadium, it was not a safe score.

 

Sri Lanka's debutant spinner Akila Dananjaya, who became the youngest Sri Lankan to play in a Twenty20 international, made a memorable debut bagging two for 32 while pacer Nuwan Kulasekara also picked two for 33.

 

Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Martin Guptill, 7.3 ov), 2-99 (Brendon McCullum, 12.2 ov), 3-137 (Rob Nicol, 15.4 ov), 4-154 (Ross Taylor, 17.2 ov), 5-159 (Jacob Oram, 17.6 ov), 6-164 (Nathan McCullum, 18.5 ov), 7-174 (Kane Williamson, 19.6 ov)

 

When Tillekaratne Dilshan tore apart the New Zealand bowling with his 53-ball 76, including five fours and three sixes, the result of the match looked a mere formality. He added 80 with skipper Mahela Jayawardene (44) to keep Sri Lanka on course.

 

From 119/1 in 12 overs, the chase faltered. Lahiru Thirimanne was run out in a freakish way on the last ball to see both the teams tied at 174 and the match went into the Super Over. In the one-over eliminator, Sri Lanka scored 13 runs off Tim Southee. The Black Caps though could manage only seven after Lasith Malinga bowled a tight over.

Fall of wickets: 1-80 (Mahela Jayawardene, 7.2 ov), 2-119 (Kumar Sangakkara, 12.1 ov), 3-131 (Jeevan Mendis, 14.4 ov), 4-161 (Tillakaratne Dilshan, 18.2 ov), 5-167 (Thisara Perera, 18.6 ov), 6-174 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 19.6 ov)

 

Teams

 

Sri Lanka - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene (c), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Akila Dananjaya

 

New Zealand - Martin Guptill, James Franklin, Brendon McCullum (wk), Ross Taylor (c), Kane Williamson, Rob Nicol, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills

 

Match Details

 

Match: SL vs NZ, 13th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 (C1 v D2), ICC World T20 2012

Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012

Toss: New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat

Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Simon Taufel

Third Umpire: Steve Davis

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath

 

Sri Lanka went on to qualify for the final of the competition but were beaten by the West Indies in an extraordinary final.

Commenting on the match, Alastair Symondson, Head of Media at Cricket World reported: ‘Having chosen to bat first in the 2012 tournament decider on Sri Lankan soil, the Windies were immediately on the back foot when they were reduced to 2-14 at the end of the PowerPlay, dragging along at a run rate of a mere 2.33 per over. Marlon Samuels had contributed to the sluggish start and was 26 from 37 balls at end of the 12th over as the Windies ambled at a run rate of just 4.

It was then that Samuels exploded, hitting T20 star Lasith Malinga for three sixes in five balls and followed it up with 19 off Malinga's next over. All this, despite wickets falling periodically at the other end. By the time the batsman fell for 78 from 56 balls, hitting six of the eight sixes that were scored in the match, he had done his job.

West Indies posted 137/6 from their 20 overs, which might look like a small total, but given the nerves of the final, it proved to be more than enough.’

 

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