Sri Lanka Thrash Ireland, Scotland Beat Oman in WC Qualifier

Sri Lanka Thrash Ireland, Scotland Beat Oman in WC Qualifier

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Scotland continued their impressive run in Group B of the Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament, securing their third consecutive victory with a commanding win over Oman. Both Scotland and Oman, along with Sri Lanka, sealed their spots in the next round of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka delivered a resounding performance against Ireland, obliterating them by a massive margin of 133 runs. The Sri Lankan openers, Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama, played pivotal roles in their team’s triumph. Karunaratne showcased his batting prowess by scoring a scintillating century at a run-a-ball rate, accumulating 103 runs. Samarawickrama complemented his partner’s knock with a solid innings of 82 runs. Their impressive partnership of 168 runs for the third wicket laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s imposing total of 325 all out in just 49.5 overs.

Despite the efforts of Mark Adair, who took 4/46, and Barry McCarthy, who claimed 3/56, Ireland’s bowling attack struggled to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen. Josh Little, in particular, had a difficult outing, conceding 78 runs in eight wicketless overs. Karunaratne, reflecting on his innings, expressed his desire to convert his starts into big scores, emphasizing the importance of timing the shots well rather than relying solely on brute force.

Sri Lanka’s batting dominance continued with contributions from Charith Asalanka (38) and Dhananjaya de Silva (42 not out) in the closing overs. Ireland, needing a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive, faced a daunting task. Their top-order collapsed early on, losing experienced opener Paul Stirling for a mere six runs. Subsequently, captain Andy Balbirnie’s dismissal reduced Ireland to 57/3, and the situation worsened when Lorcan Tucker was dismissed for a duck in the following over. Wanindu Hasaranga added to Ireland’s misery by dismissing Harry Tector for 33, effectively sealing their fate.

Curtis Campher, who had previously scored a century in a heart-wrenching loss to Scotland, provided a brief counterattack with a knock of 39. However, his dismissal proved to be the final blow for Ireland as they succumbed to defeat. Balbirnie admitted the disappointment of failing to progress to the Super Six stage but acknowledged the need to move forward.

Hasaranga emerged as the hero for Sri Lanka once again, ending the match with impressive figures of 5/79. The leg-spinner has been exceptional throughout the qualifiers, claiming a total of 16 wickets in three matches in Zimbabwe.

In the other Group B match, Scotland set Oman a challenging target of 321 runs. Brandon McMullen stole the show with a remarkable innings, smashing his maiden ODI century off just 121 balls. Skipper Richie Berrington provided valuable support with a solid knock of 60 runs. Oman struggled in their chase, losing wickets early on and slumping to 72/4. However, Naseem Khushi, the wicket-keeper, injected some excitement into the game with an entertaining innings of 69 runs. Despite his efforts, Oman fell well short of the target, finishing at 244/9. Chris Greaves, the leg-spinner for Scotland, showcased his prowess by taking five wickets for 53 runs.

Berrington, delighted with his team’s performance, acknowledged the character and depth in the Scotland squad, attributing their success to different players stepping up in each match. He emphasized the significance of every point in the tournament and highlighted the upcoming clash against Sri Lanka as a crucial encounter that would test their belief and determination.

As the Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament progresses, Scotland, Oman, and Sri Lanka have all secured their spots in the next round. The teams will now focus on further improving their performances and battling for the coveted World Cup qualification.

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