ABU DHABI: Wanindu Hasaranga starred with a fine all-round effort as Sri Lanka decimated Ireland by 70 runs to register their second successive win in the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday and qualify for the Super 12 stage.

Hasaranga smashed 71 and Pathum Nissanka, who made 61, put on a critical fourth-wicket wicket partnership of 123 to guide Sri Lanka to 171-7 in the first-round match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Their bowlers, led by spinner Maheesh Theekshana (3-17) then turned on the heat to bowl out Ireland for 101 in 18.3 overs.

Put into bat, Sri Lanka were in trouble at 8-3 in the second over when Paul Stirling claimed the wicket of Kusal Perera (0) on the second ball of the innings and soon Joshua Little took two in two to send back Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando.

Hasaranga took the attack to the opposition with four straight boundaries off spinner Simi Singh to lay the foundation for Sri Lanka’s challenging total. He raised his maiden T20 international fifty in 38 balls and kept up the charge to punish the Ireland bowlers, including a towering six before falling to Mark Adair.

Nissanka was equally efficient and also recorded his first fifty in the shortest international format as he hit six fours and one six in his 47-ball knock.

Little returned impressive figures of 4-23 — his T20 best — including Nissanka’s scalp from his four overs of left-arm pace.

Adair claimed his 50th T20I wicket before Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka finished the innings with a six and a four in his unbeaten 21 off 11 balls.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

P. Nissanka c Rock b Little 61

M.D.K.J. Perera c Delany b Stirling 0

L.D. Chandimal b Little 6

W.I.A. Fernando b Little 0

W. Hasaranga c Young b Adair 71

P.B.B. Rajapaksa c Tector b Little 1

M.D. Shanaka not out 21

C. Karunaratne b Adair 2

P.V.D. Chameera not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-2) 8

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 171

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-8, 3-8, 4-131, 5-143, 6-157, 7-160

DID NOT BAT: M.M. Theekshana, C.B.R.L.S. Kumara.

BOWLING: Stirling 1-0-4-1; Little 4-0-23-4 (2w); Young 4-0-24-0; Adair 4-0-35-2; Simi Singh 3-0-41-0; Campher 4-0-38-0.

IRELAND:

P.R. Stirling c Kumara b Theekshana 7

K.J. O’Brien c Theekshana b Karunaratne 5

A. Balbirnie c Fernando b Kumara 41

G.J. Delany b Hasaranga 2

C. Campher b Theekshana 24

H.T. Tector c Perera b Kumara 3

N.A. Rock st Perera b Theekshana 1

M.R. Adair run out 2

Simi Singh not out 5

C.A. Young b Chameera 1

J.B. Little b Karunaratne 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, W-2) 9

TOTAL (all out, 18.3 overs) 101

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-18, 3-32, 4-85, 5-88, 6-89, 7-92, 8-94, 9-98.

Bowling: Karunaratne 3.3-0-27-2 (2w); Chameera 3-0-16-1; Theekshana 4-0-17-3; Kumara 4-0-22-2; Hasaranga 4-0-12-1.

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 70 runs.

UMPIRES: N.N. Menon (India) and P. Wilson (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: M.A. Gough (England).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka).

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2021