Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled like a fragile house of cards against New Zealand in a crucial match in Bangalore. Both teams were vying for a semi-final spot, with New Zealand aiming to secure it and Sri Lanka striving for Champions Trophy qualification.
The Lions lost five wickets within the first powerplay, forcing Angelo Mathews, the number six batter, to step in as early as the ninth over.
Amidst the chaos on the field, there was a moment when all eyes were on Angelo Mathews for reasons that went beyond the ongoing match. In the previous game against Bangladesh, Mathews had been called upon to rescue the team from a similar precarious situation with the score at 135/4.
However, in a bizarre twist of fate, he was timed out without even facing a ball, becoming the first batter in the sport’s 146-year history to experience such an occurrence. This time, Mathews made sure there were no such lapses, arriving on the field with ample time to spare.
Kane Williamson asking Angelo Mathews if he had checked his Helmet strap when he came to bat. 😂😂😂#NZvsSL #WorldCup2023india #ICCWorldCup #AngeloMatthews pic.twitter.com/cHbdneWEZ8
— Saber (@SabirCafe) November 9, 2023
As he walked past Trent Boult, the two players exchanged words and shared a laugh before Mathews made his way to the pitch, where Kane Williamson awaited him. The Kiwi captain whispered something to the 35-year-old, eliciting more laughter from Mathews, presumably in good-natured teasing about the previous game’s incident.