Lucknow, Oct 21 (UNI) Sri Lanka shone with the ball in their bowling innings and showed discipline with the bat to take their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup encounter against Netherlands by five wickets here at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium here on Saturday.
Sri Lanka began the chase positively but were rocked by two quick blows from Aryan Dutt in the first Powerplay. However, they made strong progress thereafter on the back of positive knocks from Sadeera Samarawickrama (91*), Pathum Nissanka (54) and Charith Asalanka (44).
Earlier, feisty fifties from Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek helped Netherlands to a competitive total against Sri Lanka in Lucknow. Kasun Rajitha (4/50) and Dilshan Madushanka (4/49) starred with the ball for Sri Lanka.
Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka ensured that Sri Lanka marched ahead towards their target without too many hiccups after the 25-over mark. Despite losing Asalanka for 44 in the 34th over, Sri Lanka were well-placed to win the game.
A solid 76-run stand between Samarawickrama and Dhananjaya de Silva helped them close in on the target. They won the game in the 49th over.
Aryan Dutt’s accurate bowling troubled Sri Lanka during their chase of 263. Kusal Perera fell early when he failed to gain the elevation while going for a cut, and played one straight to the short third man.
While Pathum Nissanka hit a brisk, boundary-clad knock to keep Sri Lanka in the chase, Dutt struck yet again in the final over of the Powerplay. This time he got Kusal Mendis, who fell to a mistimed sweep which went up in the air and was grasped by Paul van Meekeren at short fine leg.
Nissanka continued in aggressive fashion and hit a brisk fifty in the 15th over. In that over, Sri Lanka took 16 runs off Bas de Leede. However, van Meekeren struck back for the Dutch in the 17th over and removed Nissanka for 54.
Asalanka arrived at No.5 to hold the innings together with a patient knock, even as Samarawickrama went for his shots.
In the morning, after early damage from Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka had Netherlands reeling at 91/6, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek put together a crucial partnership for the Dutch.
They added 130 runs for the seventh wicket, which was a Cricket World Cup record for that wicket. Both batemen got to their career-best scores: Engelbrecht getting to 70, while van Beek finished on 59.
Dilshan Madushanka (4/49) struck back for Sri Lanka in a brilliant final spell. He accounted for Engelbrecht and Roelof van der Merwe.
Rajitha did the early damage with three wickets while pace partner Dilshan Madushanka later ensured Sri Lanka remained on top with two scalps of his own.
The Sri Lanka spinners then came on to control the middle overs as Maheesh Theekshana claimed the key wicket of Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards (16) who had won the toss and elected to bat first.
The Dutch had to battle through a difficult early period as Sri Lanka quicks Rajitha and Madushanka moved the ball through the air.
After several close calls Sri Lanka eventually struck when Rajitha trapped Netherlands opener Vikramjit Singh (4) in front of his stumps, then backed it up when knocking down Max O’Dowd’s (16) castle at the end of the Powerplay.
Netherlands were in deeper trouble when Colin Ackermann (29) nicked a wide ball to Kusal Mendis behind the stumps off the bowling of Rajitha with the total on 54.
Rajitha finished his opening spell of seven overs – the longest so far at this Cricket World Cup – with 3/27 to put Sri Lanka in command.
Madushanka returned to dismiss Bas de Leede (6) when Kusal Perera took a sharp catch in the deep, and soon had Teja Nidamanuru (9) stranded in front of his stumps.
