Sri Lanka secured a thrilling victory over the Netherlands, winning by five wickets with 10 balls to spare in the ICC World Cup. Sadeera Samarawickrama’s resilient performance was the backbone of their chase, as he scored a patient 91 off 107 balls. His century against Pakistan and this innings exemplified his importance to the Sri Lankan team.
Samarawickrama’s outstanding performance earned him the title of player of the match, and he expressed his delight, saying, “I’m really happy to finish the game for my team, we needed a win, we haven’t done well in the last three games.” He acknowledged the challenge posed by the fast bowlers and emphasized his strategy to stick to the basics and bat deep in the innings.
The Netherlands, who chose to bat first, struggled early on, thanks to Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka. However, a 130-run partnership between Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek helped them reach a competitive total of 262, with both Rajitha and Madushanka taking four wickets each.
In response, Pathum Nissanka’s 54 laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s chase, but Aryan Dutt’s three wickets added pressure. Samarawickrama, in partnerships with Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, and Dhananjaya de Silva, steadied the ship. Dushan Hemantha eventually secured the win for Sri Lanka.
This victory moved Sri Lanka up the standings, surpassing Afghanistan due to a slightly better net run rate. The Netherlands, on the other hand, faces Australia next, while Sri Lanka will take on England in their upcoming matches.
Brief scores:
Netherlands 262 in 49.4 overs (Sybrand Engelbrecht 70, Logan van Beek 59; Dilshan Madushanka 4/49, Kasun Rajitha 4/50)
Sri Lanka 263/5 in 48.2 overs (Pathum Nissanka 54, Sadeera Samarawickrama 91 not out, Charith Asalanka 44, Dhananjaya de Silva 30; Aryan Dutt 3/44).
Player of the match: Sadeera Samarawickrama
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