Ross Taylor continued his brilliant run of form as the 34-year-old scored 137 off 131 balls to guide New Zealand to a 115-run win over Sri Lanka in the third ODI encounter in Nelson on Tuesday.
Taylor became the first New Zealand cricketer to score 20 centuries in a single format and continued a great run of form which has seen him score 181 not out, 80, 86 not out, 54, 90 and 137 in his last six ODI innings.
As a result, he also overshadowed Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli when it comes to scoring 50+ scores in ODI cricket. This was Taylor’s 6th 50+ score in the 50-over format, hence going past the Indian pair of Kohli and Tendulkar who both have done so on 5 occasions.
Taylor has now equalled Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson (2015), and Andrew Jones as the record holders for New Zealand. Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf, West Indies’ Gordon Greenidge and Australia’s Mark Waugh are all tied at six each while the record belongs to Pakistan’s Javed Miandad (9 times in 1987).
New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 115 runs to complete a series whitewash in the third one-day international in Nelson on Tuesday.
Chasing a mammoth target of 365, the tourists were all out for 249 in the 42nd over, with Thisara Perera the best of the visitors’ batsmen on 80.
Ross Taylor top-scored for the New Zealanders with 137, and Henry Nicholls was unbeaten on 124 off just 80 balls after the Black Caps lost the toss and were sent in to bat.