Sri Lanka are through to the next stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after fending off the Netherlands to win by 16 runs.
Led by an equal career-best 79 from Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka powered to 6-162 after electing to bat first at Geelong’s Kardinia Park on Thursday.
Netherlands opener Max O’Dowd hit a superb unbeaten 71, taking the chase to the final over, but the Dutch fell short to send the enthusiastic Sri Lankan crowd home happy.
The Lions’ second win of the qualifying part of tournament guarantees them a passage through to the Super 12 stage, despite their shock loss to Namibia in the opening match.
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“We have to focus mentally, but it’s not a problem for us whichever group we’re in (for the Super 12 stage),” Mendis told reporters. “We’ve played well in Australia before. We’ve got four players injured, but we’ve shown that we can play here.”
(Photo by Graham Denholm-ICC/ICC via Getty Images,)
The Netherlands faced a nervous wait to find out if they would join Sri Lanka in the next stage.
But the UAE did the Dutch a favour and recorded their first win of the tournament, beating Namibia in the second game in Geelong on Thursday evening, to send the Netherlands into the Super 12.
Sri Lanka were made to work hard for their second win of the World Cup, with the Dutch giving a brave account of themselves with bat and ball.
Mendis was the clear standout for the Lions to claim player-of-the-match honours, with Charith Asalanka striking a crucial 31 as Sri Lanka recorded their highest total of the tournament.
Spinner Wanindu Hasaranga caused major problems for the Netherlands batters to claim figures of 3-28.
Earlier, Sri Lanka suffered a big double blow, with paceman Dushmantha Chameera and batsman Danushka Gunathilaka sent home because of injury.
Chameera tore through the UAE top order in Tuesday night’s win with three wickets, but he pulled up as he ran in to bowl later in the innings. He immediately hobbled off the field and is out with a torn left calf muscle.
Kasun Rajitha, who is in Sri Lanka, is his replacement. Gunathilaka sat out the UAE game due to a left hamstring tear, with travelling reserve Ashen Bandara taking his place.
In Friday’s matches, West Indies take on Ireland and Scotland face Zimbabwe in a double-header at Hobart. With all four teams holding a 1-1 record, the winning team of each of the two matches will progress.
Namibia fairytale falls short
The underdog story of Namibia has come to a dramatic end at the Twenty20 World Cup, falling to fellow associate nation UAE in a seven-run thriller.
Namibia, who upset Test nation Sri Lanka in their opening game, needed to beat UAE to secure their spot in the tournament’s Super 12 stage.
But chasing UAE’s 3-148, Namibia were left to rue a slow start under lights at Geelong’s Kardinia Park on Thursday night and finished on 8-141.
Not even the highest eighth-wicket partnership in the history of the T20 World Cup – 70 runs between David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann – could get Namibia over the line.
The experienced Wiese compiled a nerveless 55 but was caught on the boundary at long-on to end Namibia’s hopes.
UAE allrounder Basil Hameed backed up a crucial unbeaten 25 to open the bowling and claim figures of 2-17 to set-up his team’s first T20 World Cup win and crush Namibia’s chances.
After winning their first game, Namibia miss out on qualifying for the next round of the tournament and the Netherlands move through.
Namibia suffered a five-wicket loss to the Netherlands on Tuesday after their stunning triumph over Sri Lanka, but a win over UAE would have allowed them to progress and end the tournament of the Dutch team.
UAE opener Muhammad Waseem made an explosive start to the match as he smashed 50 from 41 balls, including three giant sixes. Waseem and captain Chundangapoyil Rizwan (43 not out) helped power UAE to their biggest total of the tournament.
Veteran quick Zahoor Khan backed up Hameed’s opening spell with a ferocious cameo of 2-20 to further dent Namibia’s chances, with Wiese’s heroics proving not quite enough.
Jofra storming down comeback trail
Jofra Archer could be back bowling in an England shirt by the end of next month, with the possibility of playing some part in an internal Test match warm-up in Abu Dhabi.
Archer has not played international cricket for more than 18 months, suffering with a longstanding elbow injury followed by a stress fracture of the back while on the comeback trail this summer.
But the 27-year-old is making good progress with his rehabilitation and will travel to the United Arab Emirates at the start of November to continue his training and recovery work with the England Lions squad alongside fellow seamers Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood.
The 2019 World Cup winner is not expected to make a competitive comeback until the new year.
Yet team management are considering putting him through his paces during a three-day tune-up between the senior England side and the second-string Lions starting on November 23 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
ECB performance director Mo Bobat said on Thursday: “He’ll be playing a meaningful part in all of our practice and let’s hope he can play some sort of part in the game at the back end of the trip.
“We’ll have to see where that lands and where he gets to. We’ll try and build him up safely. He’s very much ready to get out there and bowl on grass and starting to think competitive rather than just about his action and physical feel. We’re excited but trying to make sure we’re patient.”
Bobat revealed that Archer, a player who has only scratched the surface of his immense potential on the international stage and who would be a huge asset for next year’s Ashes, was delighted to get the call.
But despite the widespread enthusiasm that news of his gradual return is likely to bring, there is also plenty of caution over asking him to do too much, too soon.
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