Netherlands Vs Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Lankan Lions Register Comfortable Victory Of 5 Wickets Against NED In Lucknow - As It Happened

After the Netherlands posted the target of 263 runs on the board with the help of fifties from Logan van Beek 59(75) and Sybrand Engelbrecht 70(82), Sri Lankan batters started slow and steady. Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis lost their wickets early but Pathum Nissanka 54(52) scored a beautiful fifty. Sadeera Samarawickrama 91*(107) put up crucial partnerships, first with Charith Asalanka 44(66) and then with Dhananjaya de Silva 30(37) to achieve the target easily and help Sri Lanka register their first win of the tournament. Sri Lanka have been very consistent in batting throughout the tournament, but their bowling department is a matter of concern. After taking six wickets of Netherlands before the total of 100 runs, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek put up the record 7th wicket partnership for 130 runs to help Netherlands post a respectable total on the board. Now, Sri Lanka will face England on 26 October and Netherlands will face Australia on 25 October. Catch all highlights of the SL vs NED match from here. (

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Dutch captain Scott Edwards decided to bat first after winning the toss. Sri Lankan bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka took early wickets and put Netherland batters under pressure. But the Dutch middle order has so much potential that even after being 91/6 at one time, they post a respectable total of 263 runs for Sri Lanka to chase. After losing the wicket of the captain Scott Edwards on 91, Logan van Beek came to bat with Sybrand Engelbrecht and both put up a record partnership of 130 runs for the 7th wicket to take Netherlands to a safe position. Engelbrecht was not part of the playing XI at the start of the campaign but today, he showed his mettle and played like a true warrior on the field. Logan van Beek also played diligently and dealt in singles and doubles mostly and didn't take any deliberate risk until death overs. Tailenders also did well and helped in reaching a defendable total against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka made many misfieldings. Having full control over the match at one time, they allowed Dutch batters to counter-attack and it may cost them another loss here in Lucknow as the Netherlands are known for their fightbacks and it won't be easy for Sri Lanka to chase a mere target of 263 against them. 

Dishan Madushanka started with a maiden over.

Vikramjit Singh looked casual and played half shots during his innings and eventually Kasun Rajitha trapped him in front of the wicket.

Colin Ackermann gets off with a brisk start.

Max O'Dowd lost his wicket on the very last ball of the first powerplay when Kasun Rajitha bowled him to send him back to the pavilion.

Sri Lankan bowling has been good so far.

The Netherlands needs a good partnership from here.

Vikramjit Singh and Max O'Dowd are in the middle for Netherlands and the ball is in Dishan Madushanka's hands.

The first ball was fuller and Vikramjit Singh pushed it towards the point.

No run.

Maiden over from Madushanka to start the bowling for Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have faced each other five times in ODIs and The Islanders have emerged winners on all five occasions. 

 We have three injuries.

We have to do well in both batting and bowling, hope we do well in today's game.

We have positive things in the previous matches, we have batted well.

And the bowling unit has to bowl in partnerships.

I am enjoying my own game, enjoying the captaincy.

 We are going to have a bat first.

The pitch looks pretty good, hopefully put a score on and look to defend it.

We played reasonably well the other night, but still have some improvements to make.

Every team that is here would be saying the same thing, you have to probably win 5 games and that's what we are here to do.

We have got some quality spinners and quicks as well, we just come into the game, make some plans and go from there.

No changes.

The Netherlands have won the toss and have opted to bat

 (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka.

 (Playing XI): Vikramjit Singh, Max O'Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards(w/c), Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.

With temperatures dropping significantly in northern India in the past two days, expect a warm but pleasant day in Lucknow.

The maximum temperature will be around 31 degrees Celsius, but the evenings will certainly be cooler, with an expected minimum temperature of 18 degrees.

How quickly things change in cricket. In the lead-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka had beaten the Netherlands twice during the World Cup Qualifiers and even seemed like a semi-final contender, considering their familiarity with the sub-continental conditions.

Three games each into their respective World Cup campaigns, however, the morales of the Dutch and the Lankans couldn't have been more starkly different.

The Netherlands are on an unprecedented high after

- the first time they have beaten a Test-playing nation in an ODI game.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have hit rock bottom with their

in the tournament.

They have

to show and are the only side in the 10-team event to have no win under their belt yet.

On top of that, their skipper Dasun Shanaka has been

of the tournament with a quadriceps tear.

The Tigers are already in a do-or-die situation, needing to win six straight games to harbor hopes of a spot in the last four. That road begins with a tense face-off against the Scott Edwards-led Holland in Lucknow today.

There is an edge to the contest, as the gulf between the two teams seems to have thinned dramatically. The Dutch hold the momentum, though one might say that SL have the better spin-bowling line-up in conditions that could favor them at the Ekana Stadium, which has a history of aiding the slower bowlers.

The Kusal Mendis-led Lankans would be desperately hoping to spin it to win it, while the Netherlands would be dreaming of another memorable victory.

Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha. , Chamika Karunaratne.

Scott Edwards (c/wk), Colin Ackermann, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Vikramjit Singh.