Sri Lanka have just about ensured their place in the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup after a clinical 70-run victory over Ireland at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 20 October.
The Islanders rode on half centuries from Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathum Nissanka to post a decent total of 171 runs and then returned to clinically defend it with a decent bowling performance.
The quality of the Lankan bowling unit was too good for Ireland to match and they fell behind from the beginning of the chase. The Irish lost their first three wickets for just 32 runs inside the powerplay and from there Sri Lanka just kept piling on pressure one over at a time.
Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana was once again the pick among the bowlers and grabbed three wickets for just 17 runs off his four overs. He could have done better on the night if he wouldn’t have strayed to the middle and leg stump for most of the play.
On a wicket that did not offer much bounce to the slower bowlers, Hasaranga returned with clinical figures of 1/12 from his 4 overs. The wily all rounder would have gotten at least one more, if Sri Lanka did better in the catching department tonight.
Captain Andy Balbirnie top-scored for Ireland putting up a patient 41 off 39 balls.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka once again suffered a top order derailment losing their first three wickets under 10 runs. The proceedings began in the first over itself with Kusal Perera departing for a golden duck, chipping the ball to the cover fielder.
Once Perera went back to the hut, Joshua Little in a spirited first over, first removed Dinesh Chandimal and then cleaned up in-form Avishka Fernando with an absolute ripper.
Down at 8-3, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathum Nissanka shouldered the batting unit and saw SL through a tough powerplay.
Both batsmen started teeing off from the fifth over bowled by Mark Adair and then took the attack to the opposition in the final over of the powerplay. Simi Singh was at the unfortunate end of things and got slapped for 17 runs in his first over.
Hasaranga and Nissanka added 123 runs in just 82 balls, before Hasaranga tired out in the heat and sliced Adair’s slower yorker to backward point in the second ball of the 16th over.
He made a career best 71 off 47 balls.
The win tonight meant that Sri Lanka have just about assured that move to the Super 12 stage and enter the group of death (Group 1) that houses defending World Champions West Indies, last edition finalists England, Australia and South Africa.
Sri Lanka will hope that they can fix their top order in the break, a unit that is increasingly becoming insufferable to watch for the fans. Barring that, surely the think-tank will sit down to have a discussion about the fielding department that has spilled several catches in the two matches that they have played.
Their bowling has been the feature of the team so far and Dasun Shanaka and co. will hope that they can encash on that asset as the move to face tougher oppositions as the tournament progresses.
Sri Lanka will now play Netherlands in their next game on 22 October Friday.