As Sri Lanka prepares to take on New Zealand in the third match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, a strong start is imperative for the Lankans. Failing to do so could lead to a forgettable World Cup campaign.

Sri Lanka is currently going through one of the most challenging phases in their cricketing history. They are coming off the back of consecutive losses to South Africa and New Zealand. Despite a victory against Scotland, they faced defeats in both their practice matches. In the first warm-up game, they managed to score only 251, while South Africa posted a formidable 338. In the second game, Sri Lanka was restricted to 239, leading to a five-wicket loss to Australia.

On the contrary, New Zealand has shown more promising performances. Apart from a 4-1 loss to India, the team has been in good form. They convincingly won their first match against India, but were unable to counter the exceptional batting display from the West Indies in their second warm-up match, resulting in a substantial 91-run loss after the Windies posted a staggering 421 runs.

Out of the 90 matches played between the two teams, New Zealand has emerged victorious in 48, while Sri Lanka has won 41. However, it’s important to note that these statistics primarily reflect past encounters.

In the most recent series between the two sides, New Zealand dominated with a 3-0 victory, largely thanks to Ross Taylor, who registered one century and two half-centuries.

Let’s take a look at the probable starting XIs for both teams:

New Zealand – Henry Nicholls, Martin Guptill, Tom Blundell, Jimmy Neesham, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi

Sri Lanka – Kusal Perera,Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana, Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva,  Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal

Cricket Betting Tips and Match Predictions:

Winner: New Zealand

Top Batsmen (Runs Scored): Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Ross Taylor (New Zealand)

Top Bowlers (Wickets Taken): Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Most Sixes: Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka), Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Projected Team Scores Batting First: Sri Lanka 270+, New Zealand 320+