Sri Lanka, Netherlands advance at World T20 after UAE win
GEELONG, Australia (AP) — Dusan Shanaka's patched-up Sri Lanka beat Netherlands but both advanced to the Super 12 stage at the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday.
The Dutch could thank the United Arab Emirates for knocking out Namibia in the last Group A games.
Former champion Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 16 runs in its must-win game.
The Netherlands then needed the UAE to upset Namibia, and the Emirates delivered the favor by seven runs for its first win at a T20 World Cup.
The top two in both first-round groups will join the top eight teams in the next phase, which starts on Saturday with defending champion Australia taking on New Zealand in a rematch of last year's final.
Muhammad Waseem scored 50 and skipper CP Rizwan posted an unbeaten 43 to lift UAE to 148-3.
Namibia slipped to 69-7 after pace bowler Zahoor Khan picked up two wickets in four balls with yorkers in the 13th over. The Dutch players who stayed to watch in the stands were clapping and cheering.
Things got more tense when David Wiese (55) and Ruben Trumpelmann (25 not out) went on the attack and combined for 70 runs to cut the equation to 20 runs needed from the last two overs. Namibia suddenly appeared more likely to win and advance.
With 10 needed off the last three balls, Wiese tried to hit Waseem over the long-on boundary but didn't quite middle it and Alishan Sharafu took a catch just inside the rope to end Namibia's hopes. Namibia finished on 141-8.
“It is a great moment. Really grateful," Rizwan said of the drought-breaking win. “It was just a matter of time. Today, all departments clicked together.
“We want to grow on this. We want to show we’re here not just to compete, but to make an impact."
That will have to wait until the next tournament.
Sri Lanka and Netherlands finished with two wins apiece, with the Sri Lankans ahead on run-rate.
They posted a competitive 162-6, including 102 in the last 10 overs, on a two-paced pitch before restricting Netherlands to 146-9.
Kusal Mendis equaled his career-best T20 score of 79 and almost carried his bat through. He faced 44 deliveries and hit five fours and five sixes before being dismissed in the last over. By then, he had done the damage.
The Netherlands was never really in the run chase, subdued by spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga who shared five wickets.
Opener Max O’Dowd batted through the innings but played a mostly lone hand and finished with an unbeaten 71 off 53 deliveries, including six fours and three sixes.
Despite qualifying for the second round after losing its opener to Namibia, Sri Lanka has major injury concerns with three players already ruled out of the tournament. And opening batter Pathum Nissanka didn’t field against the Netherlands as he was taken to hospital for a precautionary scan.
“We had a bad first game. We were not too sure of the conditions but I guess after that we settled down and played really well," said Mendis, who was voted player of the match. “I just tried to bat the first 10 overs and once I was set, I tried to cash in."
The top two from Group B will decided on Friday in Hobart where all four teams are still in contention. In winner-takes-all T20s, the two-time champion West Indies play Ireland, and Zimbabwe faces Scotland. Only Zimbabwe has previously failed to get out of the first round.
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