30 October,2022 07:54 AM IST | Sydney | AFP
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips celebrates his match-winning century against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. Pics/AFP
Glenn Phillips smashed a powerhouse 104 and Trent Boult grabbed four wickets as New Zealand swept past Sri Lanka by 65 runs in Sydney on Saturday to put them in pole position to make the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. New Zealand batted first and posted 167-7 with Phillips rescuing his team after the top order was blown away, losing Finn Allen, Devon Conway and Kane Williamson for just 15 runs.
Boult and Tim Southee then reduced Sri Lanka to 4-8 in the chase and there was no way back as they crumbled to 102 all out. Boult ended with career-best figures of 4-13. Phillips hit 10 fours and four sixes in his 64-ball knock - the second century of the tournament.
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"Incredible, any hundred is amazing but the way he worked hard and put pressure on the opposition after our poor start. The boys executed the plans really well," skipper Williamson said.
Phillips said it was "absolutely indescribable" to score a century at the World Cup. "I try to entertain as much as possible, and today it worked out well," he added. Plenty was on the line with Group One wide open after both matches in Melbourne on Friday - Australia v England and Afghanistan v Ireland - were washed out.
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New Zealand's win gives them a two point buffer, and a superior run-rate, at the top of the table from England, Ireland and Australia with two games to play. They face a crunch game against England next in Brisbane on Tuesday while Sri Lanka face a must-win clash with Afghanistan on the same day.
Brief scores
New Zealand 167-7 in 20 overs (G Phillips 104, D Mitchell 22; K Rajitha 2-23) beat Sri Lanka 102 all out in 19.2 overs (D Shanaka 35, B Rajapaksa 34; T Boult 4-13) by 65 runs
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