The penultimate match of the ongoing NZ vs SL tri ODI series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be held on Wednesday (January 8, 2025). The 2nd ODI match is scheduled at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
New Zealand can win the NZ vs SL series if they win the upcoming match. The Black Caps have a 1-0 lead in the series after a 9-wicket win in the first series. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, must win the match at any cost to keep the streak alive.
Batting first, the visitors were bowled out for a paltry total of 178 runs. Opener Avishka Fernando top-scored for his side, scoring 56 runs, while Matt Henry picked up 4 wickets for just 19 runs for the hosts. In reply, New Zealand chased down the total in less than 27 overs losing just 1 wicket. Opener Will Young impressed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 90.
With both the teams now set for the second ODI, we look at their respective record in ODIs.
NZ vs SL Head to Head Records – 2nd ODI, Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand 2024-25:
| Statistics | Matches | NZ won | SL won | Tie | NO |
| All in all | 106 | 53 | 43 | 1 | 9 |
| At Seddon Park, Hamilton | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| In the last 5 games | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| In an ongoing series | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| In New Zealand | 46 | 31 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| In the year 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Head-to-head records between NZ and SL: key stats
According to New Zealand vs Sri Lanka head to head records in ODIs, both the teams have faced each other in 106 ODIs so far. New Zealand have the upper hand in this rivalry so far.
The Black Caps have won 53 of the 106 ODIs they have played against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, the Islanders have emerged victorious in 43 ODIs, while 1 match has ended in a draw and 9 matches have yielded no result.
New Zealand have a great record in home ODIs against the Islanders. They have won 31 out of 46 ODIs against Sri Lanka at their home ground. On the other hand, Sri Lanka managed to win only 12 matches against New Zealand in New Zealand.
In Hamilton, both teams have faced each other in 6 ODIs so far. Out of those 6 matches, New Zealand won 3 while Sri Lanka won 2 and 1 match ended in no result. Sri Lanka have a decent record in Hamilton and will take confidence from that.
NZ vs SL Head-to-Head Records: Last 5 Matches
In the last five ODIs, New Zealand won 2, Sri Lanka won 2 while 1 match ended in no result.
NZ vs SL Head-to-Head Records: Top Performers
The record for scoring the most runs in NZ vs SL ODIs is held by former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara. The legendary batsman played 47 ODIs against New Zealand and scored 1568 runs with the help of 2 centuries and 12 half-centuries.
Only batsmen from Sri Lanka feature in the top five on this list. The record for most ODI runs against Sri Lanka by a New Zealand player is held by Ross Taylor. Taylor played 34 ODIs against Sri Lanka and scored 881 runs with 2 centuries and 5 fifties.
Among the bowlers, the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan has the most wickets in this match. The former spin leader in Sri Lanka played 41 ODIs against the Black Caps and took 74 wickets, including 2 five-wicket hauls. For New Zealand, the record is held by Kyle Mills who took 32 wickets in 21 games against the Islanders.
Conclusion
New Zealand maintained their superior head-to-head record against Sri Lanka with a win in the first game and will be eyeing another victory. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be desperate to win the upcoming match to improve their record.
