Sri Lanka tops Super Six table after tense win over Netherlands

 Dhananjaya de Silva propped up a shoddy Sri Lanka batting performance

• Dutch bowlers dominate picking up 5 wickets for 67 before Dhananjaya de Silva heroically scored his highest ODI innings of 93 helping SL post defendable total of 213
• Theekshana and Hasaranga star in browling out Netherlands for 192

Despite a resolute fight back by the Dutch, Sri Lanka held on to register a 21-run victory in their first Super Six match yesterday in ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka lost opener Pathum Nissanka in the first ball of the match. 

And Sri Lanka lost two more under five overs. Ryan Klein trapped Kusal Mendis for 10, while van Beek removed Sadeera Samarawickrama in the very next over. Van Beek picked up his third wicket in the seventh over, derailing the Lankans further.

Sri Lanka lost half their side for 67. It was the big wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne, who was looking to rebuild and had put up a 33-run fifth-wicket stand with Dhananjaya de Silva.

De Silva was the lone man standing for Sri Lanka as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Wanindu Hasaranga showed some promise with a couple of lofty blows but he too perished cheaply.

De Silva continued to resist and looked to up the ante smashing a six and a couple off fours in one Shariz Ahmad over. He took Sri Lanka’s score past the 200-run mark but fell just seven runs short of a hundred.

Netherlands bowled the Lankans out for 213 in the 48th over. This is Sri Lanka’s second lowest total against an Associate team.

Netherlands stuttered in the chase of 214 and lost their openers for ducks. 

Wesley Barresi and Bas de Leede began the work of rebuilding for Netherlands and brought up a half-century stand for the third wicket. Barresi got his 7th ODI fifty in the process.

The Dutch faltered after the wicket of Barresi and were soon five down, needing 87 runs to win.

Maheesh Theekshana picked up two wickets in his fifth over to peg back Netherlands further. But captain Scott Edwards refused to go down without a fight. He shared crucial stands with the lower-order to give his team hope.

However, he was left stranded at the other end on 67* as the Dutch fell 22 runs short of the desired target.