Day: October 20, 2021

Dubai, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):Mickey Arthur warned the rest of the field that if Sri Lanka can start to fire with the bat, they will become one of the most dangerous teams at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

Against Ireland, he was proven right.

Arthur took over as Sri Lanka head coach in December 2020 and their total in Abu Dhabi was the highest T20 score he has seen his batters produce during his tenure.

Indeed, their 171 for seven was Sri Lanka’s joint-highest score since they hit 182 against Pakistan in 2019, 21 matches ago. They also scored 171 against West Indies in March 2020.

It was not without a scare against an upbeat Ireland, who arrived full of swagger after they ran through Netherlands for the concession of just 106 runs in their opening game, thanks in large part to four wickets in four balls from Curtis Campher.

Opener Kusal Perera lasted just two balls before he was outfoxed by off-spinner Paul Stirling and looped one up to Gareth Delany at cover, while Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando also fell early, leaving Sri Lanka on eight for three after just ten balls to raise more questions about their top order.

Arthur needed a solution and he made a bold strategic call by moving big-hitting all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga up to No.5 to partner surviving opener Pathum Nissanka – and it could hardly have worked out better.

Hasaranga had only scored 200 runs in 22 previous T20I innings but his ability to hit it a long way and transform an innings, which is exactly what he did, has long been known.

He showed off his ability with a punched four through the covers and then terrorised Simi Singh by whacking four successive balls to the boundary to change the mood at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

With a read of the wicket, the 24-year-old began to relax and his massive six over long on backed up his claim after that match that he sees himself as a batting all-rounder.

Considering he already has 39 wickets from 27 T20I matches and entered the tournament second in the MRF Tyres Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings, that is some statement and hints at his potential.

Several more boundaries followed as Hasaranga not only beat his previous T20I best of 44 but obliterated it. He was eventually dismissed for 71 off 47 balls, including 11 boundaries.

“When I got to the crease, we were eight for three but I rotated the first few balls, then I accelerated,” he said. As Ireland’s bowlers will testify, he left them for dust.

It appears Arthur might have found a new batting star but captain Dasun Shanaka suggested the move to promote Hasaranga has been in the pipeline for some time.

“Of course it was a concern at eight for three, but they put on an awesome partnership. Hasaranga at five is a plan we had coming in at the World Cup and it worked well for us.”

Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana called Hasaranga ‘Sri Lanka’s trump card’ and Netherlands, who face the Lions on Friday, will be shuffling their own hand to come up with a solution.

Hasaranga was not the only Sri Lankan batter to deliver and credit must also go to opener Nissanka, who set a new T20I best with a measured 47-ball 61.

He allowed Hasaranga to be the aggressor but delivered several telling blows of his own, while captain Shanaka found his range with an unbeaten 21 from 11 balls.

Sri Lanka’s talent with the ball has long been known and Shanaka was again quick to highlight his seamers.

But this was glimpse into what might be possible if both bat and ball click and the teams waiting in the Super 12s will have taken note.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
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Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):Shane Burger believes his Scotland trailblazers are only just getting started, insisting the history-makers have not even got out of third gear yet at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

Scotland came into the tournament having never progressed beyond the first round in their three previous appearances, winning just one game from their seven matches.

But they pulled off a stunning six-run victory over the highly-fancied Bangladesh in their opening game before seeing off Papua New Guinea by 17 runs to lead the way in Group B.

And while this Scotland team have already broken new ground in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, head coach Burger knows only victory – which would guarantee progress to the Super 12 – will do against Oman in their final group fixture.

“We’ve already created history in this tournament by winning two games. That’s more than any Scottish team has done previously. We want to go one step further,” he said.

“All the goals that we’ve set have been over and above this group stage. We’ve spoken a lot about getting into round two and what we want to achieve getting into round two.

“But we know we need to take it one step at a time. I’m just really proud of the calm this unit has shown. The ability to win really big moments has been key.

“We’ve actually done that while not really getting out of third gear yet. I don’t think we’ve put a full game of cricket together yet – we have only shown glimpses so far.

“Glimpses with the bat, glimpses with the ball, glimpses in the field, but we’re going to have to bring all of that out tomorrow [against Oman] and then go again.”

Having already improved on their previous best performance at the 2016 edition, by winning two games, Burger now wants Scotland to lay down a marker by topping their group – meaning they would advance as team B1 and go into Group 2 of the Super 12 alongside Afghanistan, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the runners-up from Group A (A2).

“The magnitude of the game is tremendous in terms of the bigger picture, not only for Scottish cricket but just associate cricket as well I think,” said the 39-year-old.

“We spoke about topping the group, that was certainly a goal and something we wanted to achieve before we arrived here. We spoke about it, we planned for it.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if we do that because the mindset is there and the belief is there amongst the group and the unit so it’s huge in terms of Scottish cricket.

“It also has the ability to inspire a nation and to be the first Scottish team to create history and do something that we’ve never done before is certainly in the back of every player’s mind.

“To leave a legacy of being the first Scottish team to do that is certainly a motivation of ours and to inspire all those young cricketers – not only in Scotland but around the world.

“We want them to take up the game and play a brand of cricket that Scotland plays, that is ultimately the goal we want to be achieving.”

Standing in Scotland’s way of topping the group and qualifying for the Super 12 stage is co-hosts Oman, who can also still progress with a victory over the Group B leaders.

Oman defeated Papua New Guinea in their opening game before losing to Bangladesh but Aqib Ilyas is confident his team’s superior net run rate stands them in good stead.

“The thing is they have won two matches, they might be positive but cricket is such a funny game that after winning two games they are still in a position where if they lose, they could be out,” he said.

“We are positive because they feel pressure but we’re not under pressure because it’s just a game that we have to win. After winning the last game they might have thought they were qualified.

“But now our run rate is so higher that if we just win the match, we go through and they are out, so this happened to us before and the teams who are at the top are under more pressure.

“There was a time when we were thinking we were in, now if we lose we’re out of the tournament so we will be very positive and we’ll go in with a positive mindset.

“It doesn’t matter that they have done well. It’s in the past, it’s gone, tomorrow let’s see what we can do. When the home crowd supports you, everything is easier for you.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):When David Wiese was given a second opportunity to play international cricket, he knew he would be stupid not to take it.

Namibia gave the veteran all-rounder a path out of international exile and he repaid their faith in spades to set up their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory against the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi.

While the Eagles are making their debut at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, Wiese was part of the last edition as a member of the South Africa team that fell just short of the semi-finals.

Since then, he has become a man in demand in franchise cricket and one of the standout performers in the shortest format of the game.

With the dissolution of the Kolpak rule, the opportunity of representing Namibia, the country of his father’s birth, presented itself. Wiese leapt at the chance.

He said: “I never thought I’d get the opportunity to play international cricket again and when that opportunity came around… you’re going to be stupid not to take it.”

At the age of 36, he became just the third player to appear at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for two separate countries ­ following in the footsteps of Dirk Nannes (Netherlands and Australia) and Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa and Netherlands) when he represented Namibia against Sri Lanka earlier this week.

The question then became whether Wiese could provide the sort of match-winning performances for which he was known? Against the Netherlands he did just that, producing arguably his best knock in international cricket.

Coming in with Namibia 52 for three and needing another 113 runs at more than ten an over, the odds were stacked against him.

But on his franchise journey, Wiese has travelled the world, including plenty of experience of conditions in the UAE.

He explained: “It’s a wicket where you need to take your time to get in to get used to the pace. It skids a little more. It’s a bit more difficult to start off quickly, so you have just got to take a bit of that pressure and give yourself that time.

“You know the ball flies over here, there’s always a wind pushing towards the boundaries so once you take your time and get in, you can always catch up towards the end.”

Wiese took that approach literally, blocking out Pieter Seelaar’s first four balls to him, but by the next over he was lifting fellow former South Africa star Van der Merwe for a huge six.

Colin Ackermann suffered the same fate with two more sixes in the 11th over. From what looked like a comfortable Dutch win, suddenly Namibia were in control.

Wiese brought up his half-century with another maximum, this time off the returning Seelaar, doing so in just 29 balls.

By that stage, the win was effectively in the bag. Namibia had made history and it was their World Cup veteran who had won it for them.

He said: “It means a lot to me. A World Cup on the international stage is special and to put in a big performance for Namibia, I’m glad to get this opportunity to play international cricket.”

The next challenge is to back it up against Ireland. Do that and a place in the Super 12s could be the reward. Five years after his Proteas experience, Wiese is making the most of his second chance.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):David Wiese produced a stunning knock as Namibia dug themselves out of a precarious position to beat the Netherlands by six wickets and record their first victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

Following the defeat to Sri Lanka first up, the debutants looked in all sorts of trouble chasing the Netherlands’ 164 for four when they slipped to 52 for 3 after nine overs.

But it was then that Wiese and skipper Gerhard Erasmus came together, and they proceeded to turn the match on its head.

Wiese hit three sixes as Namibia added 36 in the next three overs to shift the momentum back their way.

And he just kept going, eventually finishing on 66 not out from just 40 balls to carry his side to victory.

Erasmus could not quite complete the job, falling caught behind with 20 still to get, but his partnership of 93 with Wiese swung the game.

The win keeps Namibia’s hopes of reaching the Super 12 alive, while the Netherlands now need to beat Sri Lanka in their final match to have any chance of making it through.

Max O’Dowd had earlier made history as the first player from the Netherlands to score back-to-back half-centuries at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but unlike in the Ireland defeat, this time he was ably supported.

First it was Stephan Myburgh, whose 17 from 16 deliveries allowed the opening pair to add 42 at a good rate. And after Myburgh and Roelof van der Merwe had fallen, Colin Ackermann joined O’Dowd, with the duo putting on 82 for the third wicket before Ackermann holed out off the bowling of Jan Frylinck, who had also done for Myburgh.

O’Dowd looked in prime form with the bat, but lived dangerously with his running, twice taking on singles that would have seen him a mile short in case of direct hits. Neither did though, and he brought up his half-century in style by lifting the ball over extra cover for four.

By the time Ackermann departed, the Dutch had reached 137 for three, setting the platform for Scott Edwards to finish with a flourish, cracking 21 off 11 deliveries and taking up the charge from O’Dowd, who was run out in the final over for 70, sacrificing himself for his teammate to get back on strike.

The Dutch total looked formidable, even as Zane Green struck successive boundaries off Ackermann’s first over, the second of the reply.

He played on to his stumps off the bowling of Fred Klaassen for 11 and then the spinners looked to have made the difference as Ackermann bowled Craig Williams and Pieter Seelaar did the same to dismiss Stephan Baard.

The Dutch skipper completed a wicket maiden in the ninth over, but from there it was the Wiese show.

He hit straight and long, whether it was off spinners or quicks, with Klaassen the only bowler to keep the chase in check.

The problem was, Klaassen could not bowl every over, and the rest of the Dutch attack had no answer to Wiese, who hit five sixes in total before JJ Smit finished the job with 14 off eight balls.

Scores in Brief

Namibia beat Netherlands at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi by six wickets

Netherlands 164/4, in 20 overs (Max O’Dowd 70, Colin Ackermann 35; Jan Frylicnk 2/36, David Wiese 1/32)

Namibia 166/4, in 19 overs (David Wiese 66 not out, Gerhard Erasmus 32; Pieter Seelaar 1/8, Fred Klaassen 1/14)

Player of the Match: David Wiese (Namibia)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):Captain Andrew Balbirnie believes bowler Josh Little could hold the key to Ireland’s chances of reaching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12s after he starred against Sri Lanka.

Little returned career-best figures of four for 23 in Abu Dhabi, which featured two wickets in his first over, but could not prevent Sri Lanka winning by 70 runs to secure their own safe passage to the next round.

The 21-year-old left-armer might have been on the losing side here but his performance was impressive, taking his 2021 T20I wicket tally to 12 from nine matches.

He delivered two brilliant balls to clean bowl both Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando with back-to-back deliveries as Sri Lanka stumbled to eight for three, and later removed Pathum Nissanka for 61 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa for just one.

In between, Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga put on a partnership of 123 for the fourth wicket to rebuild Sri Lanka’s innings and they eventually made 171 for seven.

The Lions then bowled Ireland out for 101 but Balbirnie was quick to praise Little after the match.

“I was excited at eight for three,” he said. “Josh Little bowled to his plans and he has been a real find for us this year, he has bowled beautifully for us up top and we put them in real trouble.

“But the way their guys came out and played was really impressive and took the innings away from us in the middle. But I thought we came back quite well.

“Josh is a huge asset. He has been a force in ODI cricket this year and really come to the fore. He showed off those new-ball skills and attacked the stumps. On these wickets, he comes into his own.”

Balbirnie admits Ireland lost control of the match when Hasaranga was batting but praised his side for the way they fought back to take four wickets in the last five overs.

It was a different story with the bat, however, as openers Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien fell cheaply to leave them in trouble early.

Balbirnie played well to score 41 from 39 balls but when Curtis Campher was dismissed for 24, Ireland lost regular wickets and succumbed to defeat.

They now face a crucial game against Namibia. Both teams have lost to Sri Lanka and beaten Netherlands so far and the winner of Friday’s clash will progress to the Super 12s.

“We are excited, they are the games you want to play in when you grow up watching cricket and see the knock-out games. They are the ones we want to be part of, so we will rest up and be ready,” Balbirnie added.

“We started the week really well and put in some really good performances against the Dutch. We knew if we lost that game, we would be playing catch up.

“This is a good Sri Lanka team, I thought they batted and bowled really well. We started well with the ball and finished well with the ball but we could not really get it going with the bat.

“We have a massive game on Friday now and it is all to play for.”

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka wants to see more from his side as they prepare to face Netherlands in their final Group A game before attacking the Super 12s.

“Of course it was a concern at eight for three, but Hasaranga and Nissanka put on an awesome partnership,” he said.

“Hasaranga at five is a plan we had coming in at the World Cup and it worked well for us. We have to look at our top-order batting again. Other areas are okay, though fielding has been poor as well.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com