Sri Lanka trump: Sri Lankan bowlers dominated the inexperienced Namibian lineup to put them together for a puny 96 after inviting them to bat, then outscored the goal with 6.3 overs to save in a Group A first-round game.
Former Sri Lankan champions overcame initial problems to conquer an inexperienced but animated seven-terrain Namibia and began their quest for the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup here on Monday.
Sri Lankan bowlers dominated the inexperienced Namibian lineup to rally them for a meager 96 after inviting them to attack, then outscored the target with 6.3 overs to save in a first-round Group A-game.
The Namibian players did well despite the loss as they were not going to be intimidated by an experienced team that was once a force in world cricket.
The Namibian caused a stir when he disposed of Pathum Nissanka (5), Kusal Perra (11). And the explosive Dinesh Chandimal (5) in the power play overs.
Avishka Fernando (30) and the talented Bhanuka Rajapakse (42) guided the 2014 maestro with their sovereign blows.
While Fernando relied more on location and timing. Rajapaksa was muscular and hit with great force as the duo delivered on all the hopes. The Namibian had after the first few goals.
Rajapaksa finished the match in sixth place behind Jan Frylinck. Sri Lanka faced Ireland with two points after the opening day of Group A.
“Winning all three games will definitely put us in a good state of mind. Adjusting to conditions will help in the main tournament,” he said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
“We were planning quite a lot. We want to get through this qualifying stage. All well went for us. Theekshana has been outstanding. He has been training with Ajantha Mendis back home and has a lot more to offer in the future.
“Our fast bowlers earlier had the pace but not the execution. But going forward you can see a lot of good things.”
The pacemakers also did a good job of keeping rival thugs at bay early on.
Only three Namibian hitters reached double digits after being sent to bat.
They couldn’t score as fast as they would have liked, given the narrow movement of the Lankan pacemakers.
However, Erasmus’s fall to pacemaker Lahiru Kumara caused a meltdown. When Namibia fell to 84 of 6 in the 16th round.
Long-awaited seasoned off-roader David Wiese only held seven balls before being returned by Paceman Chamika Karunaratne (1/17). The Sri Lankan players wore black armbands during the game as a tribute to former captain Bandula Warrapura. Who passed away the same day.
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