June 17th 2024.
Sri Lanka's journey in the T20 World Cup came to an end with a dominant display against the Netherlands, winning the Group D match by 83 runs at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet. It was their only win in the tournament, but it was a convincing one.
The Dutch team had hoped to make it to the Super Eights, but their aspirations were crushed by a dual blow. As they faced a tough defeat against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh's victory over Nepal sealed their progression to the next round.
Despite losing the toss and being put to field, the Netherlands started strong, with Paul van Meekeren taking an early wicket in the sixth over. However, Sri Lanka remained composed and built a steady partnership between Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva, reaching 74/2 at the halfway mark.
Even after Mendis' dismissal for 46 runs, Sri Lanka's momentum did not slow down. De Silva continued to score quick boundaries, and Charith Asalanka's aggressive play took them past the 100-run mark in the 13th over.
Although Tim Pringle claimed De Silva's wicket in the 15th over, Sri Lanka kept up the pressure. Asalanka and Angelo Mathews added crucial runs, bringing the team to a strong finish with a total of 201/6 in 20 overs.
The Netherlands faced a daunting target, but started their innings with determination. Openers Michael Levitt and Max O'Dowd took advantage of the Powerplay and reached 47/2. However, Sri Lanka's bowlers fought back, and the wicket of Vikramjit Singh triggered a collapse, with key batsmen falling quickly.
Winindu Hasaranga led from the front, taking two wickets at the halfway point and stumping Tim Pringle in the 12th over. This five-over period saw the Netherlands lose five wickets and reach 83/7 with eight overs remaining.
Although captain Scott Edwards put up a fight with 31 runs off 24 balls, his dismissal in the 17th over ended any hopes for the Dutch side. Sri Lanka wrapped up the match efficiently, dismissing the Netherlands for 118 in 17.2 overs.
While this win was not enough for Sri Lanka to progress further in the tournament, it served as a morale-boosting end to their campaign. For the Netherlands, their spirited effort was not enough to advance, as Bangladesh and South Africa moved on to the Super Eights from Group D.
The final scores were Sri Lanka with 201/6 in 20 overs, defeating the Netherlands with 118 all out in 16.4 overs, with a commanding lead of 83 runs.
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