Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by five wickets, marking their first World Cup victory. While batting first upon winning the toss in Lucknow, the Netherlands scored 262 runs before being bowled out with two balls remaining in the match.
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Quick Recap: Netherlands vs Sri Lanka
With two victories over the Netherlands in World Cup Qualifications, Sri Lanka seemed like a legitimate contender for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-finals, especially given their team’s familiarity with the sub-continental conditions.
However, after three games at the World Cup, the spirits of the Dutch and Sri Lankan teams couldn’t have been more different from one another.
Sri Lanka Started Slow and Steady
After right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha removed both openers for the Netherlands, Vikram Singh and Max O’Dowd, Sybrand Engelbrecht, and Logan van Beek added 58 runs for the seventh wicket to push the Dutch above 200.
Dilshan Madushanka, a left-arm fast bowler for Sri Lanka, and Rajitha were the most successful bowlers, each collecting four scalps.
In reply, Sri Lanka got off to a rousing start, with Pathum Nissanka hammering nine fours and Samarawickrama, batting in the middle of the order, scoring a vital 91 not out with seven fours.
After a good start with the ball from Sri Lanka, Van Beek and Engelbrecht put up 130 for the seventh wicket off 143 balls, the highest such partnership in men’s ODI World Cup history.
Putting Netherland Batters Under Pressure
In the 46th over, Madushanka got the crucial breakthrough by bowling a yorker-length ball that clipped the bottom of Engelbrecht’s middle stump.
Three overs later, all-rounder van Beek was out for a duck when he hit Rajitha straight to deep midwicket, and Madushanka finished off the innings by running out Paul van Meekeren at the other end off a no-ball.
Aryan Dutt, bowling right-arm off-spin, exacted some measure of vengeance by taking 2 wickets in the powerplay, including those of Kusal Perera (five) and Sri Lanka’s captain Kusal Mendis (for 52 runs).
The next 44 runs were scored by Charith Asalanka, but in Dutt’s penultimate over, he struck again when the 26-year-old tried a powerful slog sweep but misjudged the ball and had it hit his middle stump.
Dhananjaya de Silva hammered van Beek for two massive sixes in the 46th over, reducing Sri Lanka’s run chase from 21 to 9.
It is unlikely to be easy for Sri Lanka to succeed in achieving a small target of 263 against the Netherlands, despite having had complete control of the match at one point, because the Dutch are notorious for their comebacks.
Player of the Match: Sadeera Samarawickrama
Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by five wickets thanks to an unbeaten 91 from Sadeera Samarawickrama, giving the defending champions their first victory since 1996. The Dutch stunned South Africa by 38 runs on Tuesday in the damp and freezing Himalayas, but they battled to keep Sri Lanka in check in the scorching heat of Lucknow.
Samarawickrama batted with restraint, hitting 7 fours throughout the course of his 107-ball innings, while Pathum Nissanka chipped in with 54 runs as Sri Lanka chased down 263 to win with 10 balls to spare.
While Sri Lanka had previously lost to South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia in the tournament, this victory gave them their first taste of triumph.
Score: Netherlands v Sri Lanka
| Netherlands | 262/10 | 49.4 overs |
| Sri Lanka | 263/5 | 48.2 overs |
| Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets | ||
With one over remaining, Hemantha hammered a boundary to mid-on off Ackermann to seal a crucial win for his team.
Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 5 wickets with 10 balls left to play in the present ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in Lucknow, despite losing 5 wickets. The Sri Lankan batting lineup was able to reach their target of 263 runs in 48.2 overs.
As a result of their current net run rate, the Netherlands are currently in seventh place, while Sri Lanka has dropped to ninth. Don’t forget that you can bet on your favorite team on the best online cricket betting sites India at TopCricketBetting!