Gros Islet (St Lucia): Sri Lanka concluded their tournament campaign with a dominant performance, dismantling the Netherlands by 83 runs to record their only win in the Group D match of the T20 World Cup at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.
The Dutch team, harbouring hopes of sneaking into the Super Eights, faced a dual blow as Bangladesh’s victory over Nepal simultaneously sealed their progression and dashed the Netherlands’ aspirations.
Winning the toss and electing to field, the Netherlands started on a positive note, with Paul van Meekeren dismissing Kamindu Mendis in the sixth over, leaving Sri Lanka at 45/2. Despite the setback, Sri Lanka maintained their composure. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva built a strong partnership, driving the team to 74/2 at the halfway mark of the innings.
Mendis’ departure for 46 off 29 balls did little to slow the Sri Lankan charge. But, De Silva’s quick boundaries and Charith Asalanka’s aggressive stroke play propelled Sri Lanka past the 100-run mark in the 13th over.
Even as Tim Pringle claimed de Silva’s wicket in the 15th over, Sri Lanka kept pressing forward. Asalanka and Angelo Mathews added crucial runs, ensuring a strong finish.
Asalanka’s departure for 46 off 21 balls in the 18th over paved the way for skipper Winindu Hasaranga and Mathews to pile on the runs, closing the innings at 201/6.
Mathews remained unbeaten on 30 off 15 balls, and Sri Lanka registered 201 for 6 in 20 overs– the joint-highest total of the tournament
The Netherlands, faced with a daunting target, started their innings with determination. Openers Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd managed to extract maximum runs from the Powerplay, reaching 47/2.
However, the tide turned as Sri Lanka’s bowlers struck back. Vikramjit Singh’s dismissal in the seventh over triggered a collapse, with Sybrand Engelbrecht and other key batsmen falling swiftly.
Hasaranga led from the front, claiming two wickets at the innings’ midpoint and stumping Tim Pringle in the 12th over. This five-over period saw the Netherlands lose five wickets, reducing to 83/7 with eight overs remaining.
Captain Scott Edwards offered some resistance, top-scoring with 31 runs off 24 balls, but his dismissal in the 17th over ended any remaining hopes for the Dutch side.
Sri Lanka wrapped up the match efficiently, dismissing the Netherlands for 118 in 17.2 overs. This convincing victory, though insufficient to progress further, provided Sri Lanka with a morale-boosting end to their World Cup campaign.
For the Netherlands, despite their spirited effort, the dream of advancing to the Super Eights was over, with Bangladesh joining South Africa in the second round from Group D.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 201 for 6 in 20 overs (Charith Asalanka 46, Kusal Mendis 46; Logan van Beek 2-45, Vivian Kingma 1-23) beat The Netherlands 118 all out in 16.4 overs (Michael Levitt 31, Scott Edwards 31; Nuwan Thushara 3-24, Matheesha Pathirana 2-12) by 83 runs.
–IANS