Sri Lanka defeated Oman by 5 wickets in the second T20 in the day-night game to take the series 2-0 yesterday at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground. 

Having restricted Oman to 159 for 8 wickets having put the host country into bat after winning the toss, Sri Lanka closed on 163 for 5 in 17.3 overs with Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Chamika Karunaratne scoring unbeaten knocks of 35 apiece in taking the side to victory. They shared in an unfinished sixth-wicket alliance of 74 runs off 42 balls in lifting the side from 89 for 5 after 10.3 overs following the loss of two wickets in the space of three balls that of Avishka Fernando who fell for 33 off 18 inclusive of 3 sixes, and skipper Dasun Shanaka for a duck. Rajapaksa’s knock contained 2 sixes and Karunaratne 3. Pathum Nissanka, who made 26 off 29 (3×4), put on 25 for the first wicket with Dinesh Chandimal who made 18 off 8 with 2 sixes and a boundary. Nissanka  went on to post a further 47 runs for the third wicket with Fernando off 30 balls after Charith Asalanka had fallen for 5. 

Oman’s score of 159 in going the distance was a consoling factor given their little experience in top flight cricket. Following the early wickets, the first at 15 and second at 36 and the third at 75 in 9.1 overs, they recovered to 134 for 4 with No.3  Aqib Ilyas standing firm in steadying  the innings with 59 off 38 striking 4 sixes and 3 boundaries, adding 59 for the fourth wicket off 46 with Ayaan Khan who made 20 off 26. Lahiru Kumara 2 for 20 and Chamika Karunaratne 2 for 39 were on song with the ball for the Lankans.   

CHIEF SCORES:

Oman 159/8 (20 Overs) RR: 7.94

(Aqib Ilyas 59, Kashyap Prajapati 22, Ayaan Khan 20, Sandeep Goud 12,  Lahiru Kumara 2/20, Chamika Karunaratne 2/39, Binura Fernando 1/9, Maheesh Theekshana 1/24) 

Sri Lanka 163/5 (17.3 Overs) RR: 9.31 

(Bhanuka Rajapaksa n.o. 35, Chamika Karunaratne n.o. 35, Avishka Fernando 33, Pathum Nissanka 26, Dinesh Chandimal 18, Fayyaz Butt 1/30, Kaleemullah 1/31,Zeeshan Maqsood 1/38)