New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

After claiming a tense victory in the first Twenty20, hosts New Zealand cannot lose the series against Sri Lanka as the two teams conclude their tour with the final meeting in Auckland.

Date: Sunday, January 10, 2016

Time: 3 p.m. local (2 a.m. GMT)

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Sky Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), NowTV (UK, subscription required), Willow TV (U.S., subscription required)

Weather:  AccuWeather.com predicts and all-clear day with mild temperatures in the low 20 degrees Celsius range. There will, however, be plenty of rain in the build up to this match, so expect some assistance for the seamers. 

Overview

It took Sri Lanka until the third one-day international of this tour to show some fight. In that match, they claimed their first win of the tour but have not won again since.

They have, however, pushed New Zealand a bit closer. In the first T20, they very nearly chased down the 183-run target set for them by the Black Caps. Worryingly, though, their senior players have not fired.

In the one-day series, Dinesh Chandimal managed 91 runs in five matches and Tillakaratne Dilshan contributed just 112. Neither of these two passed double figures in the first T20.

From a bowling perspective, Nuwan Kulasekara put in a decent effort in the first T20 with two wickets at an average of 13.00, but Sri Lanka will need somebody to support him if they want to finish this tour on a high.

For New Zealand, it's been the usual suspects who have helped them get over the line. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson each hit half-centuries in the T20, while Trent Boult nabbed three wickets at an eye-watering economy rate of just 5.25.

New Zealand certainly have the momentum behind them, but they will need to ensure they remain focused and finish this series the same way they started it: by dominating.

Key players

New Zealand

Nothing and no one seems to be able to stop Williamson at the moment. He is thriving in the captaincy role, and his performances with the bat are only getting better. His effort at the top of the order will be central to the Black Caps getting a good foundation to build form.

Sri Lanka

The Auckland wicket might have something in it for the seamers, and if Kulasekara can build from his performance in the first T20 and get a few early breakthroughs, Sri Lanka might have a chance.

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Matt Hendy, Ross Taylor

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt/wk), Dushmantha Chameera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Danushka Gunathilaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Milinda Siriwardana, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Kithuruwan Vithanage