SL VS NZ 3RD ODI

Right then, this marks the end of New Zealand's long tour in the sub-continent and it has ended as it began as rain called off their one-off Test against Afghanistan and it has now washed out their final game in Sri Lanka as well. Sri Lanka on the other hand end the home season with just one ODI loss in 2024 and have swept all five home ODI series. Next up for the Lankans, they travel to South Africa to play a couple of Test matches as the Kiwis fly home to welcome England for a three-match Test series as well. Hope you enjoyed our coverage of this series and you can switch tabs and check all the latest fixtures and coverage. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Charith Asalanka now goes on to collect the series-winning trophy and hands it over to some of the new guys as the Lankan players rejoice at the podium and pose for a team photograph.

Charith Asalanka, the captain of Sri Lanka is handed the series-winner check and he then comes up for a chat. He says that he is really pleased with the ODI calendar and it is not easy to win five series on the bounce even at home. Adds that they gave the players a chance and individually, they did really well. Reckons that the team seems settled right now but they can still improve on a few things. Mentions that he is enjoying captaincy and ends up lauding the efforts of Kusal Mendis, the bowlers and the fielding as well.

The captain of New Zealand, Mitchell Santner says that it was going to be challenging to play here as the conditions are different from what they have at home. Feels that his players would have learned a lot from this tour. Mentions that it is a shame that the rain came in and we could never resume but you expect that in this part of the world. Tells that Young and Nicholls did a good job and the way the wicket was playing, they were eying a big score. Shares that it has been a different experience to captain the side and the new faces brought a lot of energy to the team. Concludes that they have played a lot in the last few months but can now enjoy a few days of rest before the Test series against England.

Kusal Mendis is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for his brilliance with the bat. Since he has been released from the squad, Avishka Fernando collects the award on his behalf.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier, the toss went Mitchell Santner's way, and New Zealand opted to put runs on the board. Tim Robinson fell early, but Will Young and Henry Nicholls started promisingly, aided by some indisciplined bowling from the Lankan pacers. The introduction of spin helped the hosts bring the scoring rate down, but the search for a second wicket continued before the heavens opened up, 21 overs into the game. After that, the rain stopped a couple of times but before we could get a resumption time, it was back on and the umpires had to give in and Sri Lanka end up winning the ODI series 2-0.

UPDATE - 2.18 pm GMT - Well then, the news we all dreaded is here and the 3rd ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand has been ABANDONED DUE TO RAIN! It's a shame as this match would have been a great way for both teams to gauge the depth of their bench and allow a few fringe players to make a mark but the persistent rain has played spoilsport.

UPDATE - 2.07 pm GMT - Uh oh.....yes, you guessed it right! The rain has returned. It’s been that kind of day. The waiting game continues!

UPDATE - 1.53 pm GMT - Great news! According to one of the on-air commentators, Roshan Abeysinghe, the rain has stopped, and the ground staff should soon begin their work to get the ground ready for play, starting with removing the excess water from the covers. Let’s hope the rain doesn’t return and spoil the hard work of the ground staff.

UPDATE - 1.34 pm GMT - Unfortunately, it is still raining, and all we can do at the moment is hope that it relents soon enough for us to resume the action. Given the efficiency of the ground staff, we can hope for a quick turnaround, but for that, the rain needs to stop first.

In case you missed it, Sri Lanka today announced a 17-man squad for their upcoming two-match Test series in South Africa. The Dhananjaya de Silva-led squad is largely as expected, with some notable returnees in the bowling department. Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya returns to the squad, as does right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha. The series kicks off with the first Test in Durban on 27th November, followed by the second Test in Gqeberha on 5th December. With Sri Lanka in 3rd place and South Africa in 5th in the World Test Championship standings, this series is crucial for both teams' aspirations to reach the final.

UPDATE - 12.50 pm GMT - It continues to rain in Pallekele, and the entire ground remains covered. So far, we have lost 2 hours and 20 minutes, but there’s still plenty of time left for a result in this game. Let's hope the rain subsides soon!

UPDATE - 12.29 pm GMT - Oh, no! The rain is back, and so are the covers. Just as the scheduled inspection was about to take place, the heavens opened up. While it started as a drizzle, it has picked up in intensity over the last couple of minutes. We will have to wait a little longer for the action to resume.

UPDATE - 12.13 pm GMT - There is an inspection scheduled for 12.30 pm GMT! It seems the rainfall was really heavy and there might be water on the outfield. The Lankan ground staff are always really efficient, so, there is hope of a prompt resumption after the inspection.

UPDATE - 12.05 pm GMT - All covers have been removed and we are inching closer to the resumption. We should have an official update soon regarding the resumption.

UPDATE - 11.49 am GMT - An even more promising update than the previous one - the covers are coming off! Thanks to the efficient ground staff in this part of the world, the entire ground is well-covered, meaning the outfield doesn’t require as much work as some other venues might need. We might not be too far from a resumption, though the overs could be reduced. We await official confirmation. Stay tuned.

UPDATE - 11.34 am GMT - Good news! It has stopped raining. The standing water on top of the covers will take some time to be cleared before the covers can be taken off. Let's hope that the rain stays away, allowing the ground staff to complete the mop-up work. Stick around for more news.

UPDATE - 11.15 am GMT - Not much to report from the ground as it is still raining in Pallekele according to a few sources. And although we have a buffer of 60 minutes, we will certainly lose overs as even if the rain stops immediately the mop-up work will take some time. We can only hope for the best, stay tuned.

UPDATE - 10.43 am GMT - Just before the broadcasters go off for a break, scenes in the background depict heavy rain. In all likeliness, this is going to be a bit of a long delay but there's plenty of time left in the game, so, there's no need to worry yet. Stick around as we bring you the latest updates from Pallekele.