The former winners of the men’s T20 World Cup are off to a terrible start after losing to Namibia in Geelong by a score of 55 runs.
Also Read:- ICC Cricket T20 World Cup 2022 Schedule, Team & Venue
Sri Lanka, who unexpectedly won the Asia Cup, had intended to make a strong first impression on the African associate team at a sunny Kardinia Park when they arrived in Australia.
However, after pursuing 164 to win, the 2014 champions were bowled out for 108, giving Namibia its best international triumph.
In its upcoming qualifying games against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and the Netherlands on Thursday, Sri Lanka cannot afford any mistakes.
Jan Frylinck, an all-rounder for Namibia, was named player of the game after leading his team to a reasonable score on a drop-in pitch by scoring 44 runs off just 28 balls.
T20 World Cup Key points:
- Namibia made 7-163 from its 20 overs
- Sri Lanka could only manage 108 in reply
- Namibia all-rounder Jan Frylinck was named player-of-the-match
Frylinck then used his left-arm pace to dismiss captain Dasun Shanaka (29) and Dhananjaya de Silva (12), finishing with figures of 2-26.
Frylinck stated, “I’m a little bit speechless right now. What we just accomplished is above what we believed we could do.
When Shanaka was down for 29, with his team still needing 76 runs and three wickets in hand, Sri Lanka had collapsed to 3-21 and the chase was all but over.
The execution of their bowling, according to Shanaka, “was not there, but I thought the surface played pretty nicely.”
We were eliminated from the game once we lost three wickets during the powerplay. Despite having a strong staff, the process is what matters most.
“[The top order] needs to step up when we’re trying to get 160. Additionally, the bowlers must target the proper spots.
At the most recent World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Namibia advanced to the Super 12s stage.
The Namibian team, which has a strong South African influence in its coaching staff, has made the biggest strides among second-tier teams and is confident that it will return to the Super 12s.
“Amazing journey. We had a unique experience last year, and we’ve now capped it with a fantastic victory,” Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus remarked.
“A historic day for us, but we want to move further and make that Super 12,” the speaker said.
