The World Test Championship Cycle of 2021-23 saw one of the craziest run chases in the history of Test cricket. With a berth in the finals at stake, New Zealand and Sri Lanka clashed at Hagley Oval in Christchurch in March 2023.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field first at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. The visitors got off to a shaky start as Oshada Fernando went out early at 14. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kushal Mendis stabilised the innings with a 100-run partnership as both batters hit half-centuries. Matt Henry and Tim Southee gave a double blow to the Lankan side on 151 as both the set batters went to the pavilion.
Contributions from Mathews, Chandimal and Dhananjay De Silva took Sri Lanka past the 300-run mark. Tum Southee’s 5-wicket haul and Matt Henry’s four wickets helped New Zealand restrict Sri Lanka to the score of 355 runs.
The hosts were off to a good start in their first innings as Tom Latham and David Conway put up a 67-run stand. Then, New Zealand started losing wickets in quick succession, and it was all-rounder Daryl Mitchell and fast bowler Matt Henry’s heroics that enabled New Zealand to scramble past Sri Lanka’s score.
Daryl Mitchell scored a ton and Matt Henry impressed the crowd with his batting skills with a 72-run innings. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped four wickets for the Lankans.
Sri Lanka rallied past the 300-run mark in their second innings with Mathews scoring 102 runs. Chandimal and Dhananjay De Silva made important contributions down the order. New Zealand, hence required 282 runs to affirm their place in the WTC finals on the final day of the test match.
The rain disrupted the first two sessions on the fifth day. However, umpires determined that at least 53 overs would need to be played in the evening session. This set a challenging target for New Zealand, requiring them to chase the target while making nearly 5 runs an over.
After a cautious start by the openers, Kane Williamson and Daryl took charge when the scoreboard read 90-3. Mitchell increased the scoring rate with his power-hitting abilities. Their partnership of 142 runs in just 26 overs for the fourth wicket laid the foundation for the rest of the chase.
Kane Williamson took advantage of his dropped chance as he went on to score his 27th ton. In an edge-of-seat thriller, the only Sri Lankans not stationed at the boundary during the final 10 overs were the bowler and wicket keeper, as New Zealand successfully chased down their target of 285 in the last over of the match. Requiring one off the last ball, Kane missed his hook shot off a short delivery. However, he scrambled for a run and dived home to complete a memorable win, remaining unbeaten in 121.
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