• Last Update 2024-03-29 14:36:00

SL in NZ: 2nd ODI washed out by Christchurch rain

Sport

(Agency) - The second one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was washed out by persistent Christchurch rain on Tuesday in a further blow to the tourists' slender hopes of automatic qualification for this year's World Cup.

Sri Lanka, world champions in 1996, will receive only five points from the abandoned match, rather than the 10 they could have earned for a win, as they jockey with South Africa and West Indies for the final automatic slot.

Hosts India and seven other teams will directly qualify for the tournament with two more punching their tickets via a 10-team competition in Zimbabwe in June and July.

New Zealand won the opening match in the series by a thumping 198 runs at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday. The third and final match takes place at Hamilton on Friday.

Rain having played spoilsport meant Sri Lanka missed the chance to strengthen their claims of qualifying directly for this year's Cricket World Cup and now face the prospect of having to qualify via the Qualifier tournament set to be played in Zimbabwe during June and July.

Sri Lanka only have one match remaining in the Super League, with their clash against New Zealand in the third and final ODI in Hamilton on Friday their last chance to overtake the West Indies and into a critical top-eight place to qualify automatically for this year's tournament.

But even if Sri Lanka do win that final ODI against New Zealand to earn an extra 10 Super League points and rise into eighth spot on the standings, they could still be forced into the Qualifier in Zimbabwe as 10th placed South Africa have enough matches in hand to overtake them.

South Africa have two matches left of their postponed ODI series against the Netherlands and wins in both of those contests would see the Proteas jump in front of both Sri Lanka and the West Indies and into the pivotal eighth place.
Eleventh-placed Ireland could also still qualify automatically, given they have three matches remaining against Bangladesh in May.

New Zealand currently sit at the top of the Super League standings with 165 points and also have one match left to play in the series.

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