With the T20I series done and dusted, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will now be taking on each other in the three-match NZ vs SL ODI series. The first ODI of the series will be played at the Basin Reserve, Wellington on Sunday (January 5, 2025).
The T20I series ended at 2-1 in the favour of New Zealand. The Black Caps won the first game by 8 runs before registering a 45-run win in the second T20I to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. In the third NZ vs SL game, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 7 runs to end the series on a winning note.
Kusal Perera’s blazing knock of 101 runs propelled Sri Lanka to a big total of 218/5 in the allotted 20 overs. Captain Charith Asalanka did well with the bat as well, scoring 46 runs off just 24 balls.
Set a target of 219 runs, New Zealand finished their innings on 211/7. While they ended up losing the game, the performance of their opener Rachin Ravindra was a big positive for them. After struggling to do well with the bat in recent times, Ravindra top-scored for his side in the third T20I, scoring 69 runs off 39 balls.
With both the teams now set for the first ODI of the NZ vs SL three-match series, we are taking a look at the weather and pitch report.
NZ vs SL Weather Report And Pitch Report Of the Basin Reserve, Wellington – 1st ODI, Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2024-25:
NZ vs SL Weather Report Of Wellington:
The weather could play spoilsport during the first NZ vs SL ODI. New Zealand vs Sri Lanka match is scheduled to be played in Wellington on Sunday and the weather forecast is not very promising. The weather forecast has predicted strong wind and drizzle on the match day.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka game will be starting at 11:00 AM local time and the chance of rain at that time is more than 55 percent. The chance of rain is as high as 80 percent early in the morning. So the start of the game is likely to be delayed due to rain or a wet outfield. The chance of rain is around 50 percent throughout the day.
NZ vs SL Pitch report:
Here are the stats of the Basin Reserve, Wellington:
First ODI Match | 09/03/1975 |
Last ODI Match | 26/03/2021 |
Matches Played | 30 |
Matches Won by Home Side | 13 (43.33%) |
Matches Won by Touring Side | 11 (36.67%) |
Matches Won by Neutral Side | 3 (10.00%) |
Matches Won Batting First | 16 (48.48%) |
Matches Won Batting Second | 11 (33.33%) |
Matches Won Winning Toss | 12 (36.36%) |
Matches Won Losing Toss | 15 (45.45%) |
Matches Tied | 0 (0.00%) |
Matches with No Result | 3 (10.00%) |
Highest Team Innings | 318/6 (New Zealand) |
Lowest Team Innings | 74 (New Zealand) |
Highest Run Chase Achieved | 254/4 (New Zealand) |
Average Runs per Wicket | 26.71 |
Average Runs per Over | 4.52 |
Average Score Batting First | 200 |
The surface at the Basin Reserve is expected to be a typical pitch in New Zealand that will assist the pacers. The fast bowlers will get good swing and bounce especially with the new ball. However, the batsmen will also enjoy the speed at which the ball will come onto the bat.
After the initial phase, batsmen are likely to have a bigger say in the proceedings. The venue will be hosting an ODI for the first time since 2021 and the last game played at this venue was between New Zealand and Bangladesh. In that game, New Zealand had scored 318 runs before bowling out Bangladesh for 154.
The average first innings total at the Basin Reserve is 200 runs. So anything above 250 will be a very competitive total.
Conclusion:
With the weather forecast predicting rain on Sunday in Wellington, both teams are likely to bowl first after winning the toss. With the DLS method expected to come into play, the teams will be looking to chase rather than batting first.