Wanindu Hasaranga’s Sri Lanka registered their first win of T20 World Cup 2024 before heading home. Sri Lanka became the second team to post a 200-plus total in the ongoing tournament after Australia. Netherlands were not up to the task in the run chase of 202 and got bowled out for 118, losing the match by 83 runs. This is Sri Lanka’s biggest victory by runs in T20 World Cups since the inaugural edition when they beat Kenya by 172 runs.
Steady start after dull powerplay overs
Earlier, Scott Edwards won the toss and opted to field first. Vivian Kingma proved him right with the wicket of Pathum Nissanka off the second ball of the match. Sri Lanka could not use the powerplay overs well. Kamindu Mendis succumbed to the pressure and departed for a 20-ball 17 in the sixth over. At the halfway stage, they were 74/2. Kusal Mendis batted well but missed his fifty as he departed for a 29-ball 46 to Aryan Dutt. The acceleration came in the 13th over when Dhananjaya de Silva hit Van Meekeren for a couple of fours and a six. But Dhananjaya could not carry on and was dismissed by Tim Pringle for a 26 ball-34.
All out attack
Charith Asalanka broke free in the slog overs. Angelo Mathews joined him as well making Pringle's last over a 19-run one. Asalanka hit Logan van Beek for a couple of sixes before getting caught in the deep. He scored 46 runs from 21 balls including one four and five sixes. On the next delivery, Dasun Shanaka got out caught behind. Mathews hit a six in the penultimate over. Skipper Hasaranga hit a couple of sixes in the final over and helped his side post 201/6. This is the joint-highest total in T20 World Cups without a fifty.
Fiery start
Netherlands openers got the run chase off to an ideal start. Michael Levitt hit Nuwan Thushara for the first six of the innings. Mathews erred and bowled a no ball. He conceded two sixes in the third over. Maheesh Theekshana bowled a 13-run over as Levitt attacked him. Thushara got the breakthrough with Max ODowd's wicket. Theekshana came back well in his next over getting Levitt stumped for a 23-ball 31. Netherlands were 47/2 after powerplay overs.
Batting collapse in middle overs
The wickets tumbled in the middle overs. Shanaka dismissed Vikramjit Singh, Matheesha Pathirana got rid of Sybrand Engelbrecht. Then Hasaranga got the wicket of Bas de Leede followed by a run out. Netherlands were 71/6 after 10 overs. Hasaranga in his second over got Pringle stumped. The collapse continued. Dutt got knocked over Pathirana. Skipper Edwards ran out of partners. He lost his wicket to Thushara for a 24-ball 31. In the 17th over, Thushara got the last wicket to bowl out Netherlands for 118. Sri Lanka won the match by a comfortable margin of 83 runs.
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