Sri Lanka
T20 WC: Clinical bowling display help Sri Lanka crush UAE after Namibia shocker
Geelong: Sri Lanka put on an exhibition of fast bowling to gain a huge 79-run win over the UAE after a hat-trick from leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan in the first innings here at Simonds Stadium on Tuesday.
Meiyappan made history against Sri Lanka when he became the first player to claim a hat-trick for UAE in T20Is. It was also the first hat-trick of the tournament.
Batting first, the opening partnership worth 42 runs between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis got Sri Lanka off to a great start. Despite the wicket of Mendis in the fifth over, Shanaka's men were the happier side at the end of the Powerplay with over 50 runs.
This was followed by a 50-run stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Nissanka. The all-rounder was the aggressor between the two, smashing a 21-ball 33 consisting of three fours and a six before a run-out brought his innings to a premature end.
Nissanka, who got to his fifty in the same over as the hat-trick, got a move on and helped Sri Lanka post a competitive total. A blinder from Basil Hameed brought an end to his innings where he scored almost half of Sri Lanka's team total.
In reply, the UAE struggled to get going, losing four wickets inside the Powerplay to be reduced to 21/4. Wanindu Hasaranga came on to pile on UAEs woes and the scorecard soon read 42/7 in 12 overs with Sri Lanka eyeing a huge win.
Three of UAE's first four victims were cleaned up as Dushmantha Chameera and Pramod Madushan put on an exhibition of fast bowling, swinging and seaming the new ball around.
Lankan bowlers continue wreaking havok and bowled out UAE for 73 to seal the 79-run much needed win.
Coming to the match, both Sri Lanka and UAE were in the hunt for their first win of the tournament. Both the team suffered defeats in their respective first games – Namibia pulled off an upset win in the first game of the tournament against the Asia Cup Champions while Netherlands clinched a last-over thriller against UAE.
It was not just about the two points for the Islanders as they had a deficit in the net run rate that they needed to overcome against the UAE.
Sri Lanka's amazing show gives them a significant boost in a group where net run rate would likely play a role by the end.
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