In their last group stage encounter of the T20 World Cup in St Lucia, Sri Lanka defeated the Netherlands by an innings margin, 83 runs to none.
In an insignificant last group D league game of the T20 World Cup in St Lucia, Sri Lanka finally found their groove, thrashing the Netherlands by a massive 83 runs. The Netherlands, who had a much lower net run-rate than Bangladesh, had no chance at all after Bangladesh defeated Nepal by 21 runs in the other group league match. Wanindu Hasaranga’s team bowled them out for 118 while attempting to chase a very unlikely total of 202.
All three units shot in synchrony, but the Sri Lankans were eliminated from contention for the Super Eights, so it was too late to bring their A game to the fore.
Veteran Angelo Mathews (30 off 15 balls) and captain Hasaranga (20 off 10 balls) steadied the scoring rate in the middle order for Sri Lanka, but left-hander Charith Asalanka’s 21-ball-46 was the major difference in their innings. As Sri Lanka reached 200 runs, Asalanka blasted five sixes.
With little to no footwork and all of his might, Asalanka destroyed the Netherlands bowlers, maintaining a steady foundation that let him go straight for the kill.
“We relished the conditions here, which are significantly better than those in the USA. Getting in at number five might be difficult. We simply followed the rules,” Asalanka, who won “Player of the Match,” remarked.
“I am aware that I need to be a little more reliable. We are generally a little let down by the outcomes of the first two games. However, we played well here in the end,” the southpaw remarked.
The Netherlands’ opening pair, Michael Levitt (31) and Max O’Dowd (11) put up 45 runs in only 4.2 overs during the chase, but when Maheesh Theekshana removed the former, the remaining batsmen offered little resistance.
The best bowler for Sri Lanka was Slinger Nuwan Thushara (3/24), while Matheesha Pathirana (2/12), a standout for the Chennai Super Kings, was equally precise during his overs, often striking the blockhole.
With the ball coming into the bat wonderfully, there was very little space for error on one of the top courses in the USA and the Caribbean islands. Experienced batsman Kusal Mendis set the tone for the attack with a brilliant 46 off 29 balls during the Powerplay.
Asalanka, Mathews, and Hasaranga were able to aggressively pursue the back-end as a result.
“This victory is incredibly good for us after the poor performances in the first two games. The wicket was excellent; our goal was to score between 160 and 170 on it. Anything above 160 will be defendable with our attack. Within the first six overs of the first two games, we lost two or three wickets.
The Netherlands’ performance in this format was a little lackluster, considering how well they had performed during their 50-over global campaign in India the previous year. Even their captain, Scott Edwards, who was born in Australia and finished the day with 31 runs, acknowledged that his side fell short against teams of higher caliber.
“During the tournament, we had moments when we had a decent opportunity to win three or more of those games. However, something wasn’t quite right, and you can’t afford that when it comes to high-quality sides.
We were unable to provide the huge innings that we required from someone in the batting. supporting our lads to return with a bang.”
Read More: Cassius Chaney Ready To Greet Michael Hunter At The Crossroads
