SL vs NZ 1st Test Predictions – 18/09/2024
New Zealand face a tough challenge against Sri Lanka with spin to dominate at Galle
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are set to lock horns in the first Test at Galle International Stadium from Wednesday, September 18. The two teams will look to get a crucial lead in the first of the two-match series, with the action starting at 10:00 AM IST.
Check out our analysis for the first Test with the top betting tips and prediction.
SL vs NZ Prediction – 1st Test – Best Bets
Here are some of the best bets for this Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test match.
Kane Williamson to be the top NZ batter – Dafabet @ 3.80, BET HERE
Kane Williamson has amassed 1098 runs in the last 10 Test matches at an excellent average of 64.59. Given his class and ability to play spin, you can back him to come good in this game.
Kamindu Mendis to score over 29.5 runs – 10cric @ 1.85, BET HERE
Kamindu Mendis has had an incredible start to his Test career, scoring 695 runs at an average of 77.22, including three centuries and four half centuries.
Prabath Jayasuriya to be the top SL bowler – Stake @ 2.35, BET HERE
Prabath Jayasuriya has terrific numbers in Test cricket at home, having picked 63 wickets from just eight games at 24.28 apiece. He has seven five-wicket hauls playing at home.
Venue and Pitch Analysis
The pitches at Galle International Stadium are known to favour spinners from the first session as is the case with a typical subcontinent turner. Batters, who can tackle spin well, can still make big scores here. The average first and second innings scores here read 365 and 314 respectively.
SL vs NZ 1st Test Odds
SL vs NZ 1st Test Betting Bonus Offers
- ₹1,000
Head-to-Head Record SL vs NZ
Sri Lanka and New Zealand have faced each other 38 times in Test cricket, with the latter leading the scoreline. New Zealand have won 18 encounters while Sri Lanka have been victorious eight times, with 11 games getting drawn.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka are fifth on the World Test Championship table with 42.86 points win percentage, having won three and lost four games. Recently they toured England for a three-match series, where they lost the first two games before winning the third game by eight wickets.
New Zealand
New Zealand are third on the WTC table with a points win percentage of 50, winning three and losing as many Tests. They were scheduled to play one Test against Afghanistan last week but it was abandoned. New Zealand last played Tests in February-March in Australia, where they lost both the games.
Where to Watch SL vs NZ 1st Test
Check out the details of where to watch the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test match.
- The Indian viewers can watch the Test series on the FanCode application with a paid subscription.
- For those in New Zealand, you can catch all the live action on Sky Sports NZ.
Toss Prediction
Galle International Stadium has hosted 44 Test matches, of which the team batting first has won 23 games. The pitches deteriorate and get harder to bat on. Expect the team winning the toss to bat first.
SL vs NZ 1st Test – Key Points
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup and favourites to get a better picture of the match.
Weather conditions
The weather could play a big role in this match as rain is likely to fall in intervals throughout the duration of the match. There is over a 60% chance of precipitation on four of the five playing days.
Favourites to win the match – Sri Lanka
The bookmakers have Sri Lanka as favourites to win this Test match. New Zealand lead the recent head-to-head record but Sri Lanka at home are more suited for the conditions.
Key matchup
Kane Williamson has scored 90 runs against Prabath Jayasuriya in Test cricket while getting dismissed once.
