Wanindu Hasaranga had the Netherlands batters tied up in knots - Getty

By Champika Fernando in Sharjah

Sri Lanka dismissed the Netherlands for their second lowest score in T20 international history as they cruised to the top of Group A in their final qualifying game in Sharjah.

Their sensational bowling display at Sharjah sent a strong message to other teams in Group 1 in the Super 12 as they demolished the hapless Dutch cricketers by exploiting the slow condition of the pitch. 

Sri Lanka play three of their Super 12 matches here, starting with the game against Bangladesh on Sunday, followed by England and South Africa.

While seamers bowled at high speed, the spinners maintained great accuracy, bowling fast leg spins, wrong un’s and mystery finger spins, undoing the Netherland batters.

The sorry Dutch were bundled out for 44 runs in exactly 10 overs, 5 runs fewer than the previous worst total. At the 2014 World Cup, Sri Lanka had them bowled out for 39 runs in 10.3 overs, the lowest score to date.

Only Colin Ackermann (11) made double figures as Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara claimed three wickets apiece to run through the Netherlands batting order.

Sri Lanka knocked off the runs in 7.1 overs for the loss of two wickets to complete an eight-wicket victory with Kusal Jjanith Perera an unbeaten 33 off 24 balls. His form at the top of the order was a pleasing sight, however, their batting woes continued with opener Pathum Nissanka succumbing without troubling the scoreboard while Charith Asalanka who came in for misfiring Dinesh Chandimal scored just 6 runs.

With tougher games ahead, Sri Lanka should fix their batting issues to compliment the excellent bowling and fielding performances, they have displayed right through the tournament.

Netherlands, looking for their maiden win in the tournament, having lost the first two games to Ireland and Namibia, had no answers against the Sri Lankan bowling unit that dispelled any hopes the Netherlands had on putting on a good show. After Dasun Shanak’s direct hit sent Max O’Dowd back to the pavilion in the first over, the spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Hasaranga spun a web around Dutch top order as they lost more than half of their batters inside the powerplay overs. O’Dowd was their top scorer in the tournament hitting two half centuries in the two earlier games, perfectly summed up their abject performance when he said, “This is not the Dutch team I know of.”

Fired-up Theekshana struck twice in his only over of the match before heading back to the dressing room with a side strain. He is expected to miss Sunday’s Super 12 game against Bangladesh. He cleaned up Ben Cooper and Stephan Myburgh within the space of three balls, before his partner-in-crime, Hasaranga, joined the party, sending two Dutch players back to the dressing room in his first over.

The Dutch finished the powerplay on 37 for 6 when Dushmantha Chameera removed Roelof van der Merwe before Wanindu came back to pick his third victim. Seamer Lahiru Kumara then ran through the rest of the batting in his final over, taking all three wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 7 in three overs. Lahiru, who blazed the track with a fiery spell of seam bowling to collect his best T20 figures, was adjudged man of the match.

It was a day of abject misery for the Dutch cricketers, who concluded their World Cup campaign with three defeats on the trot.

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