• Sri Lanka defeated the Netherlands by five wickets in Match 19 of ODI World Cup 2023.

  • Sadeera Samarawickrama was named Player of the Match for his splendid batting performance.

Twitter reactions: Sadeera Samarawickrama’s batting brilliance helps Sri Lanka beat Netherlands to claim first win in ODI World Cup 2023
Sri Lanka beat Netherlands by 5 wickets (Image Source: Twitter)

In an exhilarating encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka clashed in the 19th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat first in this highly anticipated contest. What ensued was a thrilling showdown, where both teams displayed their cricketing prowess and left fans on the edge of their seats.

Sybrand Engelbrecht powers the Netherlands to a respectable total

The Netherlands’ innings began with Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd taking the crease. Vikramjit managed to score 4 runs from 13 balls, while O’Dowd added 16 runs to the scoreboard. Colin Ackermann played a significant role with 29 runs, Bas de Leede contributed 6 runs, and Teja Nidamanuru and Scott Edwards scored 9 and 16 runs, respectively.

However, the standout performance came from Sybrand Engelbrecht, who notched up an impressive 70 runs off 82 balls. Logan van Beek provided valuable support with 59 runs, and Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren contributed 9 and 4 runs, respectively. The Netherlands posted a total of 262 runs.

The Sri Lankan bowlers showcased their skills, with Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha each claiming 4 wickets, conceding 49 and 50 runs, respectively. Chamika Karunaratne and Maheesh Theekshana also played their part with the ball.

Also WATCH: World Cup 2023, NED vs SL – Kusal Perera takes a flying catch to get rid of Bas de Leede

Sadeera Samarawickrama guides Sri Lanka to their first win in the tournament

In pursuit of the target, Sri Lanka’s openers, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera, got their team off to a steady start. Nissanka scored 54 runs, while Kusal Perera contributed 5 runs. Kusal Mendis managed 11 runs before being dismissed, but Sadeera Samarawickrama played a crucial innings of 91 runs off 107 balls.

Charith Asalanka chipped in with 44 runs, and Dhananjaya de Silva‘s aggressive knock of 30 runs from 37 balls kept the momentum going for Sri Lanka. Dushan Hemantha played a brief cameo, adding 4 runs to the total.

Aryan was the pick of the Netherlands’ bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 44 runs. Van Beek and Van Meekeren also made notable contributions, while De Leede and Roelof van der Merwe contained the Sri Lankan batting lineup. Ackermann added to the bowling effort with 1 wicket. In the end, Sri Lanka reached the target, securing a thrilling victory with just 8 balls to spare.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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