Wanindu Hasaranga Player of the Match 5/13, Dimuth Karunaratne 61, PathumNissanka 37

By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka crushed Oman by 10 wickets in stroll in the park fashion to 100 off just 15 overs having shot out their opponents for 98 off 30.2 overs in a Group B match and the twelfth in the qualifying round to stay on course to making it to the 2023 ICC World Cup proper at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo on Friday.  

The facile win has propelled Sri Lanka ahead of Oman to the top spot of Group B, the Omanians having won their previous two matches.  

Dimuth Karunaratne led the way hammering 61 off 51 packed with 8 boundaries and Pathum Nissanka 37 off 39 containing 5 boundaries after leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 5 for 13 and pacer Lahiru Kumara 3 for 23 had swept through the Omanian batting with Kasun Rajitha taking 1 for 17.

It was Hasaranga’s second 5-wicket Player of the Match haul off 7.2 overs, two of which were maidens that fetched him 11 wickets from two encounters.

Hasaranga’s impeccable spell earned him three wickets for no runs from all googlies as he broke the fifth- wicket partnership of 52 runs between Ayaan Khan 41(60b., 4×4) and Jatinder Singh 21 (43b., 2×4) by trapping Singh leg before wicket for 21. His other two victims were Shoaib Khan and Jay Odedra. 

  CHIEF SCORES:

  Oman 98 (30.2 Overs)

  (Ayaan Khan 41, Jatinder Singh 21, Fayyaz Butt 13, Wanindu Hasaranga       

  de Silva 5/13, Lahiru Kumara 3/23, Kasun Rajitha 1/17)

Sri Lanka 100/1 (15 Overs)

(Dimuth Karunaratne n.o. 61, Pathum Nissanka n.o. 37)