Abu Dhabi: A clinical bowling performance from Sri Lanka resulted in Namibia being skittled out for 96 in the fourth match of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here Monday. Maheesh Theekshana scalped 3/25 while Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara had two wickets each.
Inserted in to bat first, Namibia scored 30 runs in power-play for the loss of Stephan Baard (7) and Zane Green (8) with off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana taking both wickets. Gerhard Erasmus and Craig Williams stitched a stand of 39 runs for the third wicket before the former skied a slog to long-on off Lahiru Kumara in the 13th over.
In the next over, Williams went for a reverse sweep but failed to connect and was trapped plumb in front of the stumps by Wanindu Hasaranga. Williams reviewed but failed to change the decision. Sri Lanka strengthened their grip on the game as David Wiese was trapped lbw by a nip-backer from Chamika Karunaratne in the 15th over.
Theekshana took his third wicket in his final over, rattling Jan Frylinck’s off-stump. Hasaranga returned in his final over to trap Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton lbw. Ruben Trumpelmann was undone by a stunning sliding catch from captain Dasun Shanaka running from extra cover. Kumara began the final over by downing Pikky Ya France’s middle stump. Bernard Scholtz’s run-out brought a tame close to Namibia’s innings with three balls left.
Brief scores: Namibia 96 all out in 19.3 overs (Craig Williams 29, Gerhard Erasmus 20, Maheesh Theekshana 3/25, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/24) against Sri Lanka
