Sri Lanka thrash Netherlands by 8 wickets

SHARJAH: A clinical bowling performance by Sri Lanka set up an eight-wicket thrashing of the Netherlands in the final Group A match of the ICC mens T20 World Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

By demolishing the Netherlands, Sri Lanka have signed off from Round 1 as Group A topper. They will be joined by second-placed Namibia in the Super-12 stage of the tournament.

Chasing a paltry 45, Pethum Nissanka departed for a five-ball duck, miscuing the loft to mid-on off Brandon Glover in the second over. Four overs later, Charitha Asalanka (6) was dismissed similarly by Paul van Meekeren. Kusal Perera slammed six boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 33 to seal a hat-trick of wins for Sri Lanka with 77 balls to spare.

Earlier, the Netherlands had a disastrous start as Max O'Dowd was run-out by a direct hit from Dasun Shanaka on the fourth ball of the innings. Ben Copper smashed Dushmantha Chameera for back-to-back boundaries. But a carrom ball from off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana went through the gate to hit the stumps. Two balls later, Theekshana struck again, knocking off Steph M'burgh's middle stump.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga trapped Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede plumb in front of the stumps in the fifth over as the Netherlands lost half of their side at 32/5 in five overs. Chameera took out Roelof van der Merwe for a duck in the final over of powerplay. With skipper Pieter Seelaar trapped lbw by Hasaranga, there was no stopping Ne'herland's slide.

In the tenth over, Lahiru Kumara trapped Scott Edwards in front of the stumps. Two balls later, he took out Brandon Glover nicking behind. Kumara brought an end to Netherlands misery by trapping Paul van Meekeren with a yorker, consigning the Dutchmen to the second-lowest score in the hist'ry of men's T20 World Cup.

Brief scores: Netherlands 44 all out (Colin Ackermann 11, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/9, Lahiru Kumara 3/7) lost to Sri Lanka 45/2 in 7.1 overs (Kusal Perera 33 not out, Brandon Glover 1/12, Paul van Meekeren 1/20) by eight wickets. IANS

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