New Zealand to tour Sri Lanka after World Cup; will play two Tests, three T20Is in August

Colombo: New Zealand will tour Sri Lanka after the ongoing World Cup and play two Tests and three Twenty20 matches starting early next month, the island nation’s cricket board said on Friday.

The visitors will also be the first foreign sporting team to tour Sri Lanka after the Easter Sunday suicide attacks that killed 258 people, including 45 foreign nationals.

Local Islamic radicals hit three churches and three hotels on 21 April. Since then, Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency which gives sweeping powers to police and troops to arrest and detain suspects.

The first Test between New Zealand and their hosts will begin on  14 August in Galle while the final Test match will be played in Colombo’s P. Sara Oval stadium from 22 August, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

The first two T20 games will be in Colombo on 31 August and 2 September at the Premadasa Stadium while the final match will be on 6 September in Kandy.

Test

First Test: 14 - 18 August, Galle

Second Test: 22 - 26 August, P. Sara Oval, Colombo

T20Is

First T20I: 31 August, Premadasa Stadium

Second T20I: 2 September, Premadasa Stadium

Third T20I: 6 September, Kandy