Sri Lankan pacers helped team to bag 79-runs clinical victory against UAE in a match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 at Kardinia Park, Geelong, Australia.
The while UAE team was sent packing for 73 runs in 17.1 overs in chase of 153-run target.
Three of UAE’s first four victims were cleaned up as Dushmantha Chameera and Pramod Madushan put on an exhibition of fast bowling, swinging and seaming the new ball around.
UAE lost four wickets inside the Powerplay to be reduced to 21/4. Wanindu Hasaranga came on to pile on UAEs woes and the scorecard soon read 42/7 in 12 overs with Sri Lanka eyeing a huge win.
Sri Lanka managed to remove all players of UAE team, registering boost in group rankings as they suffered setback after they lost their first world cup match against Namibia.
While bowling, UAE leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan made history against Sri Lanka when he became the first player to claim a hat-trick for in T20Is. It was also the first hat-trick of the tournament.
Sri Lanka were cruising along when Meiyappan came into the bowl the 15th over, with Pathum Nissanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa at the crease. The over turned the game on its head as it triggered a middle-order collapse, putting the pressure back on Sri Lanka.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s attempt to go inside-out saw him hole out in the deep to Kashif Daud. Charith Asalanka departed for a golden duck as he nicked the ball to Vriitya Aravind.
Nissanka, who made his fifty in the same over as the hat-trick, got a move on and helped Sri Lanka post a competitive total.
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