Sri Lanka take series 2-0 after Pallekele ODI called off due to rain

The third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was called off due to rain. Only 21 overs of play was possible on Sunday in the dead-rubber contest at the Pallekele International Stadium, in which New Zealand scored 112 for 1.

New Zealand, who had already conceded the series after having lost the first two games, elected to bat after winning the toss. After having made a brisk start, punching and cutting Dilshan Madhushanka for boundaries in the opening over, Tim Robinson was dismissed in the fourth over of the innings.

Robinson leaned into a drive and toe-ended the ball to the mid off fielder, handing Mohamed Shiraz his maiden ODI wicket. However, despite the early loss, Will Young kept cashing in on the errors in lengths by the bowlers, stroking Shiraz and Chamindu Wickramasinghe for two boundaries each in consecutive overs.

Henry Nicholls, on the other hand, used the laps and sweeps to good effect. The duo kept rotating the strike through the course of their unbeaten 88-run partnership. Young notched up his eighth ODI fifty just before rain ended play and Sri Lanka finished the three-match series with a 2-0 margin.

@B0$s: New Zealand 112/1 (Will Young 56*, Henry Nicholls 46*) vs Sri Lanka. Match was abandoned due to rain