SL vs NZ 2019: Lasith Malinga Takes a Fifer – Dismantles New Zealand Batting

Lasith Malinga, the speedster of Sri Lanka has claimed a hat-trick in the ongoing Twenty20 International match against New Zealand. Batting first, Sri Lanka put up 125 with the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted overs. However, Malinga took four consecutive wickets in the 3rd over and left the Kiwis struggling at 15 for 4.

New Zealand openers Colin Munro and Tim Seifert got off to a steady start but it was Malinga who first dismissed Muno by a yorker. The full in-swinger cleared the leg stump of Munro and he fell for 12. With this dismissal, Malinga completed his 100 T20I wickets.

The next delivery trapped Hamish Rutherford before the stumps. It was another in-swinger and Rutherford missed while trying to flick. He fell for a duck. Lasith Malinga completed his hat-trick while he bowled Colin de Grandhomme in the following delivery. This was full, swinging in at first, but then suddenly it pitched up and crashed the stump.

https://twitter.com/PitchedInLine/status/1170005017346105345?s=20

However, this was not the end. The final ball of the over was seen another dismissal. Another yorker was seen the dismissal of Ross Taylor when his experience failed to judge Malinga’s delivery. However, this was not the first time for Malinga to take four for four, although it was in One Day International against South Africa. Rashid Khan, however, took four wickets in four balls against Ireland in 2019.

On the other hand, with this hat-trick, Lasith Malinga became the player to have the most hat-trick in International Cricket – 3 in ODIs and 2 in T20Is, surpassing Wasim Akram, who had 2 in Tests and 2 in ODIs.

Malinga, however, dismissed Seifert in the 5th over when he got a thick edge while trying to hit the outside off delivery and Gunathilaka did no mistake to take the catch. Seifert fell for 8 and Malinga completed his 5-wicket haul in the 5th over of the innings.