Tue Nov 19 20:39:03 UTC 2024: ## Rain Washes Out Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand ODI, Series Concludes with Lankan Victory

**Pallekele, Sri Lanka –** The third and final One Day International (ODI) between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was abandoned due to persistent rain on Tuesday, bringing a premature end to the series. The match, already a dead rubber after Sri Lanka’s 2-0 series victory on Sunday, was called off at 19:45 local time (14:15 GMT) after just 21 overs of play.

Sri Lanka, who secured their fifth ODI series win of 2024, celebrated their series triumph with Charith Asalanka receiving the trophy and Kusal Mendis being named Player of the Series. Asalanka expressed his delight with the team’s performance, highlighting their consistent success and the individual contributions of players like Mendis and the bowling attack.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenging conditions and the learning experience for his team. He noted the promising start by Will Young and Henry Nicholls before the rain intervened, and expressed disappointment at the washout.

The rain delays began early in the match, with intermittent showers causing multiple stoppages and the eventual abandonment. Despite periods where the covers were removed and hopes for a resumption rose, the persistent downpour ultimately proved too much. The abandonment concludes New Zealand’s tour of the subcontinent, which saw their one-off Test against Afghanistan also washed out.

Sri Lanka will now travel to South Africa for a two-match Test series, while New Zealand returns home to prepare for a three-match Test series against England.

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