T20IWC: England escapes defeat to Nepal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka win close games

 

The T20I World cup 2016 has already provided us some exciting games between the Associated nations & the big teams and Sunday was no exception.  In the first match at Chennai Afghanistan posed a strong challenge to New Zealand with the bat but the Kiwis after initial hiccups managed to overhaul a chhallenging target . In the second match at Mumbai , Nepal played brave & attacking cricket to almost upset England but fell agonizingly short by 4 runs . The final match between Ireland & Sri Lanka also went the distance before Sri Lanka won by 20 runs . Let us go  through the matches .

Sri Lanka beat sloppy Ireland by 20 runs in t20I wc

Afghanistan’s fans were hopeful that Rashid Khan’s spinners would dominate on Chennai’s turning track. Expecting the pitch to slow down later, Rashid won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Afghanistan failed to score freely in the powerplay. Ibrahim Zadran was dismissed for just 10 runs off 12 balls in the final over of the powerplay, while fellow opener Gurbaz also fell cheaply for 27.

Coming in at No. 3, Gulbadin Naib held the innings together with a superb knock. He smashed three boundaries and four sixes to score 63 off just 35 balls. Unfortunately, he received little support from the other end, with no Afghan batter crossing the 30-run mark. Late cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi eventually helped Afghanistan reach a competitive total of 182. On his familiar home ground, CSK star Mitchell Santner bowled brilliantly, completely choking the run flow despite going wicketless.

Despite a relatively modest target, New Zealand suffered early setbacks while chasing. Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra in consecutive deliveries in the second over. However, Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips steadied the innings with knocks of 65 and 42 respectively. Their 74-run partnership brought New Zealand back into the game. Though Afghanistan’s spinners made a desperate late push with a flurry of wickets, Santner and Daryl Mitchell kept their nerves to seal the win.

Nepal  loses to England  by just 4 runs after a spirited fight 

England won the match, but Nepal won hearts. In their very first match of the T20 World Cup, the Himalayan nation earned universal praise. Only 12 years after gaining T20I status from the ICC in 2014, Nepal nearly stunned the very country that introduced them to the sport. Chasing a daunting target of 185, Dipendra Singh, Rohit Paudel and Lokesh Bam fought valiantly to take Nepal to 180. They lost by just four runs in a nail-biting thriller, proving that in T20 cricket, there are truly no small teams.

At a packed Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, England lost Phil Salt early for just 1, dismissed by Sher Malla. Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell then tried to rebuild, but Nandan Yadav broke their partnership. Buttler fell for 26, while Tom Banton was dismissed for 2 by Sandeep Lamichhane. From 43 for 1, England slipped rapidly to 57 for 3.

Captain Harry Brook then played a responsible knock of 55, while Bethell also scored 55. In the final overs, Will Jacks’ explosive 39 off 18 balls powered England to 184 for 7. For Nepal, Dipendra Singh and Nandan Yadav took two wickets each, while Lamichhane and Sher Malla claimed one apiece.

Nepal began their chase fearlessly. Kushal Bhurtel attacked from the outset, scoring at over 10 runs per over, though Asif Sheikh struggled and fell for 7 off 9 balls. Bhurtel was dismissed by Will Jacks after scoring 29 off 17. Then captain Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Iyer launched a sensational counterattack, taking on even experienced bowlers like Adil Rashid with ease.

Their 82-run partnership was broken by Sam Curran, who dismissed Dipendra for a brilliant 44 off 29 balls. Rohit soon followed for 39. Yet Nepal refused to give up. Lokesh Bam produced a stunning late assault, smashing 39 off 20 balls. However, he lacked support from the other end. Needing 10 runs off the final over, Nepal fell just short against Curran’s tight bowling.

Sri Lanka  fight to withstand Ireland challenge 

After the Netherlands, USA and Nepal, Ireland too came close to causing an upset. But lack of experience cost all of them. On the opening day, the Netherlands and USA pushed Pakistan and India hard. On Sunday, Nepal almost beat England, while Ireland failed to capitalise against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka posted 163 for 6 batting first. In reply, Ireland were restricted to 143, losing by 20 runs. Poor fielding hurt them badly, as they dropped at least five catches. Despite disciplined bowling from Irish spinners, Sri Lanka outperformed them both in fielding and spin.

Sri Lanka started slowly on a sluggish pitch, losing Kamil Mishara for 14 off 11 balls. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis tried to build momentum, but scoring slowed significantly from the seventh over onwards. Ireland introduced spinners Matthew Humphreys, George Dockrell and Gareth Delany, immediately choking the run rate and picking up key wickets.

Between overs 7 and 15, Sri Lanka failed to hit a single boundary. At 95 for 4 after 15 overs, they suddenly exploded in the final four overs, scoring 60 runs. Humphreys and McCarthy leaked heavily, with McCarthy conceding 19 runs in an over that included four wides and a no-ball — a joint World Cup record.

Ireland’s sloppy fielding proved costly. Kusal Mendis made full use of the dropped chances, finishing unbeaten on 56 off 43 balls. Kamindu Mendis added a vital 44 off just 19 deliveries.

In reply, Ireland began cautiously. Paul Stirling struggled and was dismissed for 6 off 13 balls. Ross Adair kept them in the hunt with 34 off 23 balls. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker built a steady partnership, but once both fell in quick succession, Ireland’s resistance collapsed.

Curtis Campher’s dismissal ended all hopes. Sri Lanka’s spinners Maheesh Theekshana (3/23) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/25) sealed a comprehensive win.