The clinical bowling display of Sri Lanka has led it to gain a big win over UAE in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash.
GEELONG: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 18th, 2022) Sri Lanka on Tuesday defeated United Arab Emirate by 79 runs in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash at the Kardiana Park, Geelong.
Sri Lankan leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan did a hat-trick during the bowling attack and became the first player to make this record against the UAE in T20Is.
He also made history as it was the first hat-trick of the tournament.
Sri Lanka were cruising along when Meiyappan came into the bowl the 15th over, with Pathum Nissanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa at the crease. The over turned the game on its head as it triggered a middle-order collapse, putting the pressure back on Sri Lanka.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa's effort to go inside-out saw him hole out in the deep to Kashif Daud. Charith Asalanka departed for a golden duck as he nicked the ball to Vriitya Aravind.
Facing the hat-trick ball, Dasun Shanaka had no choice to the amazing googly that found the gap between bat and pad and rattled his stumps as Meiyappan wheeled off in celebration.
On either side of the hat-trick, it was Sri Lanka who dominated the game for the most part. The opening partnership worth 42 runs between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis got the Asia Cup champions 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.
Sri Lanka had scored 152 for 8 in the first inning of the match but the UAE could score only 73 and all out in the 18th over.
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.
