At Eden Park, New Zealand loses badly in the third ODI
Following two series openers where everything went according to plan, the Black Caps suffered a crushing defeat in the series decider.
At Eden Park on Saturday, Sri Lanka concluded their trip with a 140-run victory. They dominated tiny boundaries to amass 290-8 before firmly denying their opponents the same chance. New Zealand had to put up with a game where four of their first-choice top six combined for three runs. Additionally, they still have at least two more games to hone their skills before the Champions Trophy begins, including a tri-series against South Africa and Pakistan the following month.
It was a disappointing way to end the home summer, though, considering Pakistan will be visiting for eight limited-overs games in the fall. It was also the complete opposite of a form-boosting send-off before a chance to win some hardware. Perhaps the only Black Cap who was eager on the pitch was Mark Chapman (81 off 81). The 30-year-old, who began his career wearing the Hong Kong colors, stood alone with the bat and scored his highest score in New Zealand while playing his 110th international.