Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (Credits: Twitter)

Sri Lanka has been fined for slow over-rate in their 5-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the first T20 International at Pallekele on Sunday night. Actually, it would have been a ban on Lasith Malinga but the change in rules by the officials recently has seen every member of the team facing the fine while Malinga escaped suspension.

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minor over-rate offences, all players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

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Lasith Malinga and Co Accepted Charges:

Sri Lanka team delivered a couple of overs short in the stipulated time, which saw every player of the team being fined with 40% of their match fees. The skipper Lasith Malinga accepted the sanction on behalf of the team, which means that there is no requirement of the formal hearing regarding the issue.

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Lasith Malinga
AFP

Malinga pleaded guilty to the offence after the end of the match and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing, the ICC said in a statement.

Coming to the game review, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in a close affair at Pallekele International Stadium. Chasing a target of 175, New Zealand were on the back foot losing their openers cheaply. Lasith Malinga sent Colin Munro packing for a golden duck in the first over of his innings.

Lasith Malinga
Twitter

Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert struggled in the middle as run chase kept climbing. However, it was the fourth-wicket partnership of 79 runs between Colin de Grandhomme (44) and Ross Taylor (48) that brought Blackcaps back into the game.

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Though Lasith Malinga brought back Sri Lanka into the game,  Daryl Mitchell (25) and Mitchell Santner (14) held their nerves to guide New Zealand home with three balls to spare. Earlier, Sri Lankan skipper won the toss and elected to bat first. Kusal Mendis’ 53-ball 79 and Isuru Udana’s cameo takes Sri Lanka to 171 for 4 in the first innings. All in all, it was a perfect game to watch for cricket fanatics.

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