SRI LANKA FEND OFF NETHERLANDS TO AVOID SUPER SIX SHOCK

An unbeaten knock of 67 in 68 balls by Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards was in vain as Sri Lanka prevailed, thanks to spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, to pull off a close 21-run win over Netherlands in the ICC Cricket World Qualifier Super Six stage encounter played at Bulawayo, Zimbabwe yesterday.

Netherlands, chasing a modest target of 214 runs for victory, despite losing two early wickets with 11 runs on the board, made steady progress after the third wicket pair Wesley Barnes and Bas de Leede rescued them with a 77-run stand.

The dismissal of the pai saw Sri Lanka claw their way back into the game, but a stubborn knock from skipper Edwards kept the Netherlands with some hope of pulling off a shock win.

Sri Lanka’s spin pair Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga had them in a spot of bother as the pair shared five wickets between them.

Edwards lost partners at the other end and his fighting, unbeaten knock of 67 was in vain as the Netherlands fell short and succumbed for a score of 192 runs.

Sri Lanka taking first lease of the wicket after skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss were in tatters as they slid to 34 for 4 in the seventh over and it seemed that would be bundled out a for a low score when they lost three more wickets and was struggling on 131 for 7 in the 33rd over – Dutch right arm pacie Logan van Beek and spinner Saqib Zulfiqar doing the damage.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who made a top score of 93 in 111 balls which had eight boundaries and two sixes came to the rescue of the side as he associated in a valuable partnership of 77 runs for the eighth wicket with Maheesh Theekshana to help Sri Lanka end their innings with a respectable score of 213 runs which they succeeded to defend.