Sri Lanka end World Cup on a high in win vs Dutch

GROS ISLET, St Lucia: Sri Lanka signed off on their failed ICC Twenty20 World Cup campaign in dominant style, crushing minnows Netherlands by 83 runs here late Sunday.

Sent in at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka piled up 201 for six off their 20 overs without any batsman getting to fifty, Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis jointly top-scoring with 46.

Nuwan Thushara (3-24) then combined with fellow seamer Matheesha Pathirana (2-12) and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (2-25) to send the Dutch side tumbling to 118 all out in the 17th over, handing Sri Lanka their solitary win in the tournament. They finished third on three points in Group D as South Africa and Bangladesh qualified for the Super Eights.

“Honestly, I should tell first I’m very sorry about this as we know how good our team [is],” lamented captain Hasaranga.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get that game [in the] first two matches. I think it was too late to win this match when we got that game to this.

“As the captain and a player, I feel very sorry about this, coming to a World Cup and [not] getting out of the very first round.”

Pathum Nissanka perished to the second ball of the game without a run on the board but a series of partnerships fired Sri Lanka past the 200-run mark.

Kusal put on 39 for the second wicket with Kamindu Mendis (17) and 45 for the third with Dhananjaya de Silva (34), who then added 39 for the fourth with Asalanka. Former captain Angelo Matthews arrived to belt a 15-ball unbeaten 30 in a 43-run, fifth wicket stand with Asalanka and then in a 35-run, unbroken seventh wicket partnership with Wanindu Hasaranga (20 not out).

In reply, Netherlands were given a solid start of 45 off 27 deliveries by Michael Levitt (31) and Max O’Dowd (11) before the chase fizzled out.

CMC