ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 witnessed two exciting encounters on Friday (June 30), with Sri Lanka defeating the Netherlands in Super Sixes and Ireland edging past the USA in the 7th Place Play-off Semi-Final 1
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lanka struggled to build momentum in their innings and were bowled out for 213 runs in 47.4 overs. Opener Pathum Nissanka departed for a duck early on, setting a disappointing start for Sri Lanka. Although skipper Dimuth Karunaratne held the innings together with a steady knock of 33 runs, he also couldn’t convert it into a big score, and the Sri Lankan batting lineup struggled to maintain partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals.
However, Dhananjaya de Silva played a remarkable innings of 93 runs off 111 deliveries. His knock included eight boundaries and two sixes, helping the Islanders to finish their innings on a respectable total. Logan van Beek was the pick of the bowlers for the Netherlands, taking three wickets for 26 runs in his nine overs. Bas de Leede also contributed with three wickets for 42 runs and played a significant role in bowling out Sri Lanka for 213 runs.
Chasing a target of 214 runs, the Netherlands faced early setbacks as openers Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd were dismissed without scoring. Wesley Barresi then provided some stability to the Netherlands with a resilient knock of 52 runs off 50 deliveries. De Leede also contributed a valuable 41 runs off 53 balls.
The Netherlands faced continuous pressure from the Sri Lankan bowlers, with Scott Edwards emerging as their top scorer. Edwards played a crucial innings of 67 runs off 68 deliveries, which included four boundaries and two sixes. But the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make significant contributions, resulting in the Netherlands being bowled out for 192 runs in 40 overs.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance, led by Maheesh Theekshana, who claimed three wickets for 31 runs in his nine overs. Wanindu Hasaranga and Dilshan Madushanka also contributed with two and one wickets.
Sri Lanka defeated Netherlands by 21 runs.#SLvNED #CWCQ23 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/DaQowts76T
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 30, 2023
On the other hand, Ireland won the toss and asked the USA to bat first in the 7th Place Play-off Semi-Final 1 of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023. The USA failed miserably with the bat and managed to post just 196 runs before being bowled out in 42.4 overs. Sushant Modani top-scored with a patient knock of 55 runs off 93 deliveries, including four fours. He was well-supported by Saiteja Mukkamalla, who scored an aggressive 55 runs off just 46 balls.
The Irish bowlers put up a disciplined performance, with Craig Young being the standout performer, taking three wickets for 35 runs in his seven overs. Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy also chipped in with two wickets each.
In reply, Ireland displayed a solid batting performance and reached the target comfortably with 94 balls to spare, scoring 197 runs for the loss of four wickets in 34.2 overs. Paul Stirling was the top scorer with a blistering knock of 58 runs off 45 deliveries. Andy Balbirnie contributed with 45 runs, while Andy McBrine played a crucial role with his innings of 35 runs. The United States bowlers struggled to make breakthroughs, with Nosthush Kenjige being the most successful, taking two wickets for 41 runs in his seven overs.
Ireland defeated USA by 6 wickets.#USAvIRE #CWCQ23
Scorecard: https://t.co/e25KZlXJcb #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/sDimh8l8T2
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 30, 2023
