ICC WC Qualifier 2023: Sri Lanka registered their fourth consecutive win in the ICC World Cup qualifiers 2023 on Tuesday and, thereby, sealed their spot in the super sixes by topping the table. The Island nation beat Scotland by 82 runs to win four games in a row.
Scotland did pretty well to restrict Sri Lanka to just 245 runs on the board. However, they couldn’t make a similar impact with the ball as well. Pathum Nissanka played a handy knock of 75 runs in 85 deliveries, a knock which was laced with 10 fours.
Though, he lost Karunaratne (7) and Kusal Mendis (1) early in the innings. Samawickrama (26) too couldn’t convert the start into a big knock but Asalanka fought it out and carried the team to a fighting total, in the end.
He produced a stellar knock of 63 off 65 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. Thanks to that knock, Sri Lanka ended up scoring 245 runs in 49.3 overs. For Scotland, Chris Greaves starred with the ball as he claimed 4 wickets for 32 runs in 6.3 overs, while Mark Watt ended up picking three.
Theekshana Delivers Match-Winning Spell
Scotland, in reply, lost wickets in a cluster. The likes of Mathew Cross (7), Brandon McMullen (5), Mackintosh (3), and Leask (5) got out in single digits, while Berrington made just 10 off 20 balls. Christopher McBride tried to keep the scoreboard ticking but he too got out in the 15th over to leave the team reeling at 73 for 5.
Chris Greaves tried to revive some hope but wickets kept falling at the other end. Greaves played an unbeaten knock of 56 off 41 deliveries, but there was hardly any support from the other end. In the end, all Scotland managed was 163 runs in the second innings, thereby, losing the match by 82 runs.
For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 41, while Hasaranga returned with two scalps.
ICC WC Qualifier 2023, SL vs SCO Highlights:
Sri Lanka 245 all-out in 49.3 overs(Patthum Nissanka 75, Charith Asalanka 63, Chris Greaves 4-32, Mark Watt 3-52) beat Scotland 163 all-out in 29 overs(Chris Greaves 56*, Maheesh Theekshana 3-41, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-42) by 82 runs
