After losing the first match in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, Sri Lanka made a great comeback. They beat the Netherlands by 16 runs. With this win, the hopes of the 2014 champion Sri Lankan team entering the Super-12 have increased. Sri Lanka has won two matches in three matches and has two points in their account. The Netherlands also has two points with two wins and one loss.
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 162 runs on Thursday. Kusal Mendis played a half-century for him. Charit Aslanka scored 31 and Bhanuka Rajapakse scored 19 runs. Meerken and Leid got two wickets each, while Klaasen-Guggen got one wicket each.
In retaliation, the Netherlands team could only score 146 runs for nine wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. On his behalf, opener Max O’Dowd fought the fort alone. He scored 71 runs. The rest of the batsmen could not do much. Wanindu Hasranga got three wickets. Mahesh Teekshana got two wickets. Lahiru Kumara and Binura Fernande got one wicket each.
SL vs NEL: Sri Lanka’s wickets fell like this
- First: Pathum Nisanka (14) was bowled by Meekren.
- Second: In the very next ball, Van Meeckeren made De Silva LBW.
- Third: Charit Aslanka tries to hit the ball going out. The ball took the edge and went into the gloves of the wicketkeeper.
- Fourth: Bhanuka Rajapakse caught Pringle on the lead ball.
Half-century partnership between Aslanka-Mendis
The partnership between wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Mendis and Charit Aslanka was crucial in Sri Lanka’s score. There was a partnership of 59 runs for the third wicket between the two. Here Aslanka is out. Earlier, the team had lost the second wicket with a score of 36.
Van Meeckeren took two consecutive wickets
Fast bowler Van Meeckeren has bowled accurately. He gave Sri Lanka two blows in the 7th over. Meekren took two consecutive wickets. He spent 25 runs in his quota of four overs.
