By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka suffered a horror defeat at the hands of New Zealand by 61 runs yesterday to exit the ICC T20 World Cup following their second successive super eight loss in yesterday’s third game in their group in similar fashion as against England having had the Kiwis groping on 6 wickets for 84 runs after 12 .1 overs before s seventh wicket 84 off 47 between skipper Mitchell Santner 47 off 26 and Cole McConchie 31 not out took the game away from the Lankans in a rain of sixes, (4 by the captain and 2 boundaries, and 2 by the latter to 3 across) as the co-hosts batsmen came apart in a sorry score of 107 for 8 off 20 as the Kiwis made it to the semi finals of the 10th edition of cricket’s short format extravaganza at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
It was another sad day for Sri Lanka as seeming victory when their bowlers had got rid of the New Zealand frontline batting, turned to despair as a lusty fired up capacity home crowd went limp in moans watching the local batsmen disintegrate triggered by the first ball dismissal of Pathum Nissanka who threw caution to the wind swinging wildly virtually unsighted by Matt Henry’s terrific delivery that reared in from the off as he was nowhere near the ball that hit his off stump.
If New Zealand’s 6 for 59 and 7 for 77 early calamity was a jupiter the hoarse Lankan fans exulted in, it was a short life that crashed in Kiwi late order mayhem as the remaining rays of hope in the Lankan batsmen to make it count were dashed in a like repeat disaster act as against the English as New Zealand’s bowlers led by Henry stormed their side into the last four of the showpiece.
Early on, the Lankan bowlers were on top when a threatening Finn Allen was stopped by Maheesh Theekshana who took a brilliant diving return catch to compensate for a straightforward close in let off of Tim Seifert off Dilshan Madushanka when he was on 6 much to the bowler’s disdain.
However, Seifert lasted just 2 runs more when Dushmantha Chameera had him held by a leaping Kamindu Mendis on the boundary line at mid wicket.
The Indian born Rachin Ravindra then stepped in to round off a fine all-round performance scoring a fighting 32 off 22 with 3 boundaries and a six, fourth out with the score 84 after 11.2 overs held by Hemantha off Theekshana.
It saw a train of dismissals as recalled Charith Asalanka at No 3 swished at Henry to be caught by Mitchell Santner first ball of the third over that saw Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake follow in quick succession. Mendis lured out of his crease to be stumped by Tim Seifert for 11 off Rachin Ravindra with the score 27 and two runs later Pavan Rathnayake gone in similar fashion as the Lankans were downsised by spin – 4 for 29 into 8.2 overs in a suck up from which the co-hosts never recovered as wickets tumbled like a game of musical chairs. Skipper Dasun Shanaka was another lame duck out for 3 held by Finn Allen as Ravindran roped his third wicket and 10 runs later it became 6 for 59 when Dushan Hemantha who had to be taken off the attack after just two overs conceding 22 runs when he was hammered by McConchie that included a four and six, was a total disappointment snapped up by Santner giving Ravindra his fourth wicket in a strike that clanged New Zealand’s terror attack led by Henry’s 2 for 2 off just two overs that reflected the iron grip reign in of the Kiwi attack in bowling the side to the semi finals.
New Zealand 168 for 7 (Santner 47, Ravindra 32, Theekshana 3-30, Chameera 3-38) beat Sri Lanka 107 for 8 (Kamindu 31, Wellalage 29, Ravindra 4-27, Henry 2-3) by 61