All-rounders Wanindu Hasaranga and Dhananjaya de Silva both did extremely well as reigning Asian champions Sri Lanka picked up a simple victory against an Afghanistan side that was simply not at its best.
The win keeps Sri Lanka in contention for a qualification to the semi-final, but they will have to count on Afghanistan to come up tops against defending T20 champions Australia, and will also have to beat England to qualify for the knockout stages.
Afghanistan got off to a good start as opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked in fine touch. The marauding batsman scored a couple of boundaries and maximums to show positive intent but was dismissed off the very first ball after the powerplay, getting catled by Lahiru Kumara. Kumara was to pick up another wicket, this time sending Ibrahim Zadran back into the pavilion for a cheap score. De Silva picked up the wicket Najibullah, while Hasaranga scalped three Afghan batsmen in an excellent spell.
Sri Lanka had no probem dealing with the Afghanistan pacers, but lost opener Pathum Nissanka for a run-a-ball 10. De Silva, who came into the crease next, was much more composed, as he eased into his innings. Silva anchored the full case, scoring 62 invaluable runs in the process. He was joined for brief periods in the middle by Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Shanka was at the the non-strikers’ end when the winning runs were scored, as his side secured two crucial points. De Silva finished matters off with a stunning cover drive, a shot that he played on a number of occasions. A matter of concern for the Afghans however, is the situation of Rashid Khan, who hobbled off the pitch after taking a tumble in a fielding effort.
Meanwhile, England kept their hopes of qualification alive as well, with a victory against table-toppers New Zealand. Jos Buttler and his opening partner Alex Hales gave their side just the start that was needed. Hales took the attack to the opposition from the get-go, while the skipper executed his targeted strategy to perfection.
The Rajasthan Royals superstar was quiet for the majority of the 81-run stand between himself and Hales, but put the screws to the Kiwis bowlers towards the later part of his innings with some magnificent strokeplay.
Buttler played some scintillating shots in the V, as England looked well on course for a 200+ total, considering that Liam Livingstone was looking in ominous form. However, that was not to be as the Black Caps pulled things back in the death overs, including a fantastic piece of fielding from Tim Southee to run Buttler out. The captain’s dismissal turned a potential 200+ score into a slightly more gettable 180 for the Kiwis.
In response, the Kiwis had a relatively quiet powerplay as England took pace off the ball against the dangerous duo of Finn Allen and Devon Conway. Both openers made it back into the pavilion by the fifth over with just 28 on the board, leaving veteran Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips, who scored a century in the previous game, in the middle.
Phillips was excellent, as he carried his form in from the previous game, while Williamson played what has now become a typical innings for him, taking his time in the initial part of his innings. The skipper played at a strike rate of under 100 for a majority of his innings, before striking some boundaries later on. Williamson was not able to convert his start, falling for a run-a-ball 40, as the pressure of the chase shifted solely to Phillips’ shoulders.
Regular wickets at the other end did not help Phillips, who himself departed for a fine 62. Some top-class death bowling from Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, which included a lot of change-of-pace deliveries, ensured that the Three Lions walked away with a 20-run victory.
