Shanaka hits fastest fifty as Sri Lanka dominate Oman
Sri Lanka defeated Oman by 105 runs in their T20 World Cup Group B clash at Pallekele. Rathnayake, Shanaka and Mendis hit fifties as Sri Lanka posted 225/5 before bowling Oman out for 120, topping the group with two wins
Pallekele (Sri Lanka): Blazing fifties by Pavan Rathnayake and skipper Dasun Shanaka along with Kusal Mendis’ assured half-century helped Sri Lanka register a 105-run win over Oman in their T20 World Cup Group B clash here on Thursday.
Rathnayake (60 off 28 balls) and skipper Shanaka (50 off 20 balls) returned to form, while Kusal (61 off 45 balls) anchored the innings with his second successive World Cup fifty as Sri Lanka piled up 225/5 — their second highest in T20 World Cup and the highest score of this tournament so far — after Oman opted to bowl.
Oman’s chase never recovered from early setbacks as they wilted under scoreboard pressure to be restricted to 120/9.
Skipper Jatinder Singh was bowled by Dushmantha Chameera in the first over, while Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza soon followed with single-digit scores as Oman slipped to 36/3 inside the powerplay.
Chameera (2/19) struck twice with the new ball, while spinner Maheesh Theekshana was tidy and incisive, returning figures of 2/11 from his four overs.
There was brief entertainment when Wasim Ali counter-attacked Dushan Hemantha, clubbing the leg-spinner for two sixes in a row — one over deep midwicket and another over square leg — lifting Oman to 75/3 in 11 overs.
But the recovery was short-lived as they crashed to 91/6, losing three wickets in six balls.
Theekshana triggered the collapse by dismissing Wasim for 27, caught by Kusal. A direct hit from Kamil Mishara at deep point ran out Vinayak Shukla the very next ball, and Jiten Ramanandi was brilliantly stumped by Kusal for a golden duck.
Mohammad Nadeem, back after missing the opener, fought with a valiant fifty, his third in T20Is. The 43-year-old hit his third fifty in 71 appearances.
The 2014 champions now have two wins from as many matches, topping Group B ahead of Australia and Zimbabwe, who have one win each.
After a poor debut against Ireland where he fell for 5, Rathnayake made amends in style, smashing eight fours and one six en route to his maiden fifty that came off just 24 balls.
The 23-year-old charged pacer Ramanandi for the innings’ first six in the 12th over and hammered Sufyan Mehmood for three successive fours to reach the milestone.
Rathnayake and Kusal added 94 runs off just 52 balls, maintaining a run-rate above nine through the middle overs.
Kusal, playing the senior partner’s role, capitalised on width from the Oman spinners and struck seven fours in his 61 off 45 balls, his second successive fifty and 19th overall. He was run out in the penultimate over.
Shanaka, who had endured a lean run with scores of 1, 4 and 0, exploded at the death with a 19-ball fifty — the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the T20 World Cup.
He took on Nadeem Khan with a boundary and back-to-back sixes, and then smashed Sufyan Mehmood for successive sixes to reach the landmark.
Shanaka and Mendis fell off consecutive deliveries in the 19th over, briefly slowing the charge.
But Kamindu Mendis (19 not out off 7 balls) ended with a flourish, hitting Shah Faisal for two sixes in a row as Sri Lanka scored 65 runs in the last four overs to post the highest total of this edition so far.
