The 15th and 16th matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers saw Sri Lanka register a massive 133-run victory over Ireland, and Scotland edge past Oman by 76 runs on Sunday (June 25)
Asked to bat first by the Irish team, Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a solid start, with opener Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama laying a strong foundation. Karunaratne played a magnificent innings and scored 103 deliveries for his team, while Samarawickrama provided excellent support with a well-constructed 82 runs off 86 balls. Their partnership set the stage for a formidable total. However, the Irish bowlers fought back, with Mark Adair leading the way and claiming a four-fer for 46 runs. Barry McCarthy also chipped in with three wickets and helped Ireland bundle out Sri Lanka at 325 runs in 49.5 overs.
Chasing a challenging target, Ireland’s batting struggled to gain momentum against the disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack. Although Curtis Campher showed some resistance with a quick-fire 39 runs off just 31 deliveries and got the able support of Harry Tector (33), the rest of the Irish batters failed to make significant contributions, and the team was eventually bowled out for 192 runs in just 31 overs. Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga was the standout performer with the ball as he took yet another five-wicket haul in the tournament.
Sri Lanka thrashed Ireland by 133 runs: https://t.co/sTsD4Qm3ZJ#CWC23 #SLvIRE #WorldCupQualifiers #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/GOYNGSMQnz
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 25, 2023
Speaking of the 16th match between Scotland and Oman, Scotland began their innings with determination and posted a formidable total of 320 runs before being bowled out in the allotted 50 overs. Brandon McMullen played a magnificent innings for his team and scored a brilliant 136 runs off just 121 deliveries. He received excellent support from Richie Berrington, who contributed a solid 60 runs from 62 balls. Bilal Khan was the standout bowler for Oman, claiming an impressive five wickets and conceding 55 runs.
In reply, Oman fought hard but ultimately fell short as they managed 244 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 50 overs. Naseem Khushi played a valiant knock, smashing 69 runs off 53 deliveries. Aqib Ilyas also made a useful contribution of 31 runs from 37 balls but couldn’t sail his team through in the run chase. Chris Greaves was the star performer with the ball for Scotland as he bagged five scalps for 53 runs and caused significant damage to the Oman batting lineup.
