Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
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Sri Lanka T20 Captain Wanindu Hasaranga hits one of his five
consecutive sixes
Sri Lanka continued to struggle against spin of Netherland’s Aryan Dutt who finished with 3/20
Netherlands celebrate their victory over Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga slammed five consecutive sixes in an over, but the Netherlands had the last laugh as they pulled off a 20-run win over the former T20 World Cup champions in a warm-up match played at Lauderhill, Florida on Tuesday.
In reply to the Netherlands total of 181-5, Sri Lanka were all out for 161 in 18.5 overs to hand the Dutch a morale boosting win ahead of the T20 World Cup which starts on 2 June. The two teams will meet again in their final Group D game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in St. Lucia on 17 June.
Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd built a good foundation for the Netherlands with the former hitting three sixes for a score of 39 before retiring out. Levitt was brilliant on the day as he scored 55 from only 28 deliveries to take his side to a solid total.
There were valuable contributions from Teja Nidamanuru and skipper Scott Edwards as well. Nidamanuru powered his way to 48 off just 24 balls before being dismissed by Kamindu Mendis on the brink of a half-century. Edwards blasted the Sri Lankan bowlers all over the park and scored 27* off just 12 deliveries.
In Sri Lanka’s reply openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis as well as Kamindu Mendis were all dismissed cheaply as the top order failed losing four wickets for 30 runs in the power play. At the end of the halfway mark Sri Lanka were 59-5 having lost four wickets within five overs.
Dhananjaya de Silva rallied the chase with 36 off 22 balls, but it was left to Sri Lanka’s power hitters Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka to pull the side out of trouble. Hasaranga exploded with a fiery 43 off 15 balls that included five sixes in a row before Max O’Dowd had the final say dismissing the Lankan skipper with the last ball of his second as he over attempted to hit a sixth six.
Shanaka contributed 35* off 20 balls, but ran out of partners at the other end as Sri Lanka struggled to play against the spin of Aryan Dutt who finished with figures of 3/20 to follow his 3/44 in the 50-over World Cup last November.
Sri Lanka rested their key bowlers Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera in a strategic move with an eye on their upcoming group stage match against the Netherlands. The absence of these frontline bowlers was felt as Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka struggled to contain the Dutch batsmen. Dunith Wellalage however stood out with his left-arm spin bowling an economical spell, conceding 26 runs for one wicket in his 4 overs.
Sri Lanka play Ireland in their second warm-up match on 31 May before commencing their T20 World Cup campaign against South Africa at New York on 3 June.
Scores: Netherlands 181-5 (20) (Teja Nidamanuru 48, Michael Levitt 39, Scott Edwards 27*, Dilshan Madushanka 2/39)
Sri Lanka 161 (18.5) (Dhananjaya de Silva 36, Wanindu Hasaranga 43, Dasun Shanaka 35*, Aryan Dutt 3/20)
