ICC ODI World Cup Qualifiers 2023 Super Six Match 4: Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe to qualify for World Cup 2023
Sri Lanka
registered a thumping win over hosts Zimbabwe in a one-sided match played at Bulawayo
Sports Club, Bulawayo on 2 July 2023.
Sri Lanka
captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and decided to field first. Dilshan Madushanka
ripped the top order dismissing Joylord Gumbie in the very first over. He then dismissed
Wesley Medherve cheaply. Craig Ervine showed intent with some lovely boundaries
before Madushanka got rid of him to leave Zimbabwe struggling big time. At the
end of first 10 overs, Zimbabwe scored 40 for 3.
Sean
Williams and Sikandar Raza steadied the ship for Zimbabwe putting bad
deliveries away for boundaries keeping scoreboard ticking. Sri Lankan captain
Shanaka got the much-needed breakthrough dismissing Raza providing easy catch to
Madushanka. Williams and Raza added 68 runs for the 4th wicket.
Williams looked steady completing fifty off 49 deliveries. Theekshana produced stunning
delivery to dismiss Williams. Theekshana looked impressive as they did not
allow the Zimbabwe batters score runs easily. Sri Lanka picked up the last three
wickets giving away just 1 run to bowl out hosts for just 165.
Chasing 166
runs to win, Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne started the innings brightly
not allowing Zimbabwe bowlers to settle. Both Sri Lanka openers kept scoreboard
ticking and looked in complete control. At the end of the first 10 overs, they
ended at 47 for 0.
After the
field restrictions, Nissanka and Dimuth showed his class to keep momentum going
for Sri Lanka. Nissanka completed its half-century off 49 deliveries. Karaunate
was eventually dismissed by Ngarava caught by Evans. Nissanka and Karaunate put
103 runs for opening wicket.
Nissanka continued
his merry way and scored at an easy pace along with Kusal Mendis. Nissanka
looked at ease completing century off 102 deliveries. It was one way traffic as
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis ensured that Sri Lanka chase down the target easily.
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis added an unbeaten 66 runs for the 2nd
wicket. Sri Lanka won match by 9 wickets with 16.5 overs to spare.
Sri Lanka
169 for 1 in 33.1 overs (Nissanka 101*, Ngarava 1/35) beat Zimbabwe 165 in 32.2
overs (Sean Williams 56, Mahesh Theekshana 4/25, Dilshan Madushanka 3/15) by 9
wickets.
For his
figures of 4 for 25, Mahesh Theekshana was named the player of the match award.
With this win, Sri Lanka qualified for the 2023 World Cup to be played in
India.
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