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SL vs NZ: Sri Lanka’s opening Test match against the New Zealand cricket team at Galle next month has been allocated six days, unlike the regular 5 days. The opening Test match includes a rest day which is to accommodate the country’s presidential election.
SL vs NZ Series To Have Six-Day Test Match
The first Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand will kickstart on September 18th, and a rest day is planned for September 21st. The decision is aligned with the “Presidential Election of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka”, stated an ICC release on Friday.
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This will be the first time in over two decades that Sri Lanka is hosting a six-day Test match. The last time such an incident took place was in Colombo against Zimbabwe in 2001, where a rest day was scheduled because of Poya Day, which is a full moon day.
A rest day during the first #SLvNZ match 👀
Sri Lanka have confirmed the dates for hosting New Zealand for the #WTC25 Tests 👇https://t.co/l2IimGLqSy
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2024
It has to be noted that the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is a part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. Currently, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are ranked third and fourth respectively in the World Test Championships (WTC) standings.
The second Test match is scheduled to be played at the same venue from September 26-30.
What Is Rest Day In Cricket?
Another thing to be noted is that the rest or off days concept is not a new thing in the longest format of the game, with several matches in the cricketing world being played across six days with Sunday usually being an off day. Bangladesh has also been a part of a similar six-day Test match scenario during their series against Sri Lanka in December 2008 when they had a rest day because of parliamentary elections.
SL vs NZ Schedule:
The first Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand will kickstart on September 18th.
The second Test match is scheduled to be played at the same venue from September 26-30.
