World Cup 2023, NED vs SL: Samarawickrama, Nissanka Shine as Sri Lanka Beat Netherlands By 5 Wickets

Lucknow: Sri Lanka secured a convincing five-wicket victory against the Netherlands on Saturday, with top-order batsmen Sadeera Samarawickrama and opener Pathum Nissanka playing crucial roles in the win. This notable triumph marks Sri Lanka’s first in the tournament, following three prior losses.

Sadeera Samarawickrama displayed remarkable form, crafting an unbeaten 91 from 107 deliveries. On the other hand, Pathum Nissanka contributed with a commendable 54 off 52 balls. Their partnership of 77 runs, supported by Charith Asalanka’s 44, proved instrumental in Sri Lanka successfully chasing down the Netherlands’ total of 262 runs in 48.2 overs.

The Netherlands faced a challenging situation, having been bowled out for a subpar score of 262 runs in 49.4 overs. This can be primarily attributed to the impressive bowling performances by Dilshan Madushanka, who claimed 4 wickets for 49 runs, and Kasun Rajitha, who secured 4 wickets for 50 runs.

The Dutch side found some resistance from their number seven batsman, Sybrand Engelbrecht, who notched up a resilient 70 runs from 82 balls. Engelbrecht partnered with Logan van Beek, who contributed 59 runs from 75 balls, to add an impressive 130 runs for the seventh wicket. This partnership helped the Netherlands recover from a challenging position at 91 for six in the 22nd over.

Brief scores: Netherlands: 262 all out in 49.4 overs (Sybrand Engelbrecht 70, Logan van Beek 59; Dilshan Madushanka 4/49, Kasun Rajitha 4/50) lost to Sri Lanka: 263 for 5 in 48.2 overs (Pathum Nissanka 54, Sadeera Samarawickrama 91 not out, Charith Asalanka 44, Dhananjaya de Silva 30; Aryan Dutt 3/44) by 5 wickets.