An eliminated Sri Lankan team overwhelmed the Netherlands by 83 runs in the final Group D match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Sunday.
Opener Kusal Mendis and middle-order batter Charith Asalanka posted identical scores of 46 to set the pace for the 2014 champions in a total of 201 for six, the first 200-plus total ever posted at this ground in a T20 International.
The Dutch later faded after a bright start, being dismissed for 118 off 16.4 overs in reply.
Captain Scott Edwards and opener Michael Levitt contributed joint-top scores of 31 but Sri Lanka’s varied and talented attack was too good for the Netherlands line-up, pacer Nuwan Thushara leading the way with three for 24.
Mendis’ effort came off 29 balls (five fours) while Asalanka, following in his wake, occupied eight balls fewer courtesy of one four and five sixes, most of them boosted by a strong crosswind at the venue on the northern tip of the island.
Logan van Beek, grandson of the late former West Indies and New Zealand wicketkeeper Simpson “Sammy” Guillen, was the leading wicket-taker with dismissals off successive balls in his third over, although his four overs cost 45 runs.
An opening stand of 45 inside five overs set the Netherlands on course. However from the moment slingy seamer Nuwan Thushara removed Max O’Dowd the innings went into a steady decline.
They were already labouring at 69 for four after nine overs when the news filtered through of Bangladesh’s 21-run victory over Nepal to claim the final spot in the next round of the competition. From that point it was just a matter of Sri Lanka closing out the result against the deflated Dutch.
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