Sri Lanka finished their T20 World Cup campaign with a big win, beating the Netherlands by 83 runs in their last group match in St Lucia. The match didn’t affect the standings, but Sri Lanka played their best cricket when it counted.
Sri Lanka’s batsmen came alive in this match, scoring a total of 202 runs. Angelo Mathews and captain Wanindu Hasaranga boosted the score, but it was Charith Asalanka who made the biggest impact with a quickfire 46 runs off just 21 balls, including five sixes.
Asalanka, named ‘Player of the Match’, credited good conditions for his performance and expressed satisfaction despite earlier disappointments in the tournament. The Netherlands started strong in their chase, but once opener Michael Levitt was out, they struggled. Sri Lanka’s bowlers Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana took crucial wickets, and the Netherlands couldn’t recover after losing half their team early on.
Captain Hasaranga acknowledged their slow start in the tournament but was pleased with their performance in this match, especially the solid start provided by Kusal Mendis. He noted that setting a good score and avoiding early wickets made a big difference.
Meanwhile, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards admitted his team fell short against stronger opponents and emphasized the need for big innings from their batsmen in future matches.
Overall, Sri Lanka ended their campaign on a high note with a convincing victory, showing their potential in the tournament despite earlier setbacks.
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