New Zealand’s cricket team faces a critical moment in their tour of Sri Lanka and will be desperate to avoid a series whitewash in the third and final One Day International at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on November 19.
Having already lost the series 0-2, the Blackcaps have struggled with batting inconsistencies and spin-friendly conditions. Their top-order has repeatedly failed to build substantial partnerships and managed just 209 runs in the rain-shortened second match.
Sri Lanka, in contrast, looks to secure their first series sweep against New Zealand since 2012. Kusal Mendis has been the series standout for Lankans, scoring an unbeaten 74 in the second ODI and a career-best 143 in the series opener.
Key players like Michael Bracewell (4-36 in the last match) and Captain Mitchell Santner will look to provide the first breakthrough for Kiwis on the tour.
SL vs NZ Head to Head Records- 3rd ODI, New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2024
| Stats | Matches | SL Won | NZ Won | NR | Tie |
| Overall | 104 | 43 | 52 | 8 | 1 |
| in Sri Lanka | 25 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| in New Zealand | 42 | 12 | 30 | 2 | |
| in Neutral Venues | 28 | 12 | 16 | ||
| In the last five matches | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| In Ongoing series | 2 | 2 | 0 |
SL vs NZ Head-to-Head Records: Key Statistics
New Zealand and Sri Lanka have faced off in several key ODI series over the years with New Zealand holding a strong edge in most encounters.
In the 1982/83 ODI series, New Zealand completed a 3-0 clean sweep in their home country and Blackcaps continued their dominance in the 1990/91 series and won 3-0. However, Sri Lanka managed a victory in 1992/93, winning 2-0 in their series.
Also read: SL vs NZ Match Preview- 3rd ODI, New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2024
In the 2000/01 ODI series, Sri Lanka won 4-1 in New Zealand, showing their strength. Recent contests have seen New Zealand maintaining their upper hand including a 4-2 win in the 2014/15 series. The most recent series in 2022/23 ended with New Zealand winning 2-0.
SL vs NZ Head-to-Head Records: The last 5 matches
Both teams are at par in the last five matches while the Lankans have dominated this series, the black caps have got better of the island nation in the tournament play and recently defeated them in the Cricket World Cup 2023 held in India.
SL vs NZ Head-to-Head Records: Best performers
Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for most wickets against New Zealand, with 74 wickets from 41 matches at an impressive average of 17.94.
On the other hand, Kumar Sangakkara has scored the most runs against New Zealand, amassing 1,568 runs at an average of 40.20. For New Zealand, Ross Taylor has the most runs against Sri Lanka, with 881 runs from 34 matches at an average of 33.88.
Conclusion
The SL vs NZ head-to-head record shows that both teams have been competitive in the rivalry with New Zealand holding slightly over the Lankans but the Sri Lanka team under Sanath Jayasuriya has made some resurgence and has dominated the Kiwis in ongoing series.