T20 World Cup: Namibia stun Sri Lanka with 55-run win as tournament begins with upset

GEELONG: The great history of spectacular upsets in T20 cricket had another chapter added as Namibia secured a 55-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Kardinia Park, Geelong, on Sunday.

After big-hitting fireworks from Jan Frylinck (44) and JJ Smit (31 not out) helped Namibia post a competitive 163/7 in 20 overs, the bowlers produced a superb collective show, mixed their fuller and short lengths well to bowl out Sri Lanka for 108 in 19 overs for a historic win over a major cricketing nation.

Frylinck backed up his superb batting performance with a brilliant 2/26 in his four overs to be adjudged Player of the Match in Namibia's famous victory and ease their path towards a Super 12 qualification while causing a huge dent in Sri Lanka's net run rate. Apart from him, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo took two wickets apiece.

In defence of 163/7 on a two-paced pitch, Wiese brought the first breakthrough for Namibia, as Kusal Mendis top-edged a pull on his short ball to keeper in the second over. Shikongo broke the back of Sri Lanka's innings with his back-to-back double strikes in a maiden fourth over.

While Pathum Nissanka holed out to mid-on, Danushka Gunathilaka poked at a nipping away delivery and gave an outer edge behind to keeper to depart for a golden duck. Post power-play, Dhananjaya de Silva was next to depart, mistiming a flick to long leg off Frylinck.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka added 34 runs for the fifth wicket, before the former mistimed a slog to deep mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Scholtz. Wanindu Hasaranga was next to fall, slog-sweeping straight to deep mid-wicket off Scholtz. When Shanaka fell by top-edging a slog to keeper off Frylinck, a victory for Namibia was just inevitable.

Brief Scores: UAE 111/8 in 20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 41; Bas de Leede 3/19, Fred Klaasen 2/13) lost to the Netherlands 112/7 in 19.5 overs (Max O'Dowd 23, Colin Ackermann 17; Junaid Siddique 3/24, Basil Hameed 1/7) by three wickets. IANS

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