NL vs SL 19th Match Prediction

NL vs SL Team Previews

Netherlands

Not many expected the Netherlands to make much of an impact after they qualified for the ongoing World Cup after more than a decade in the wilderness. However, they put up a scintillating show of team effort and overpowered South Africa on Tuesday to mark one of the biggest upsets in the event.

It was just the third win for the team in their World Cup history, and the first time they managed to beat a Full Member in the World Cup.

Scott Edwards led his team from the front as scripted a remarkable innings after a top and middle order collapse. The Netherlands lost 7 wickets for just 145 runs. But Edwards, who remained unbeaten on 78, put up valuable partnerships with Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt, helped his team register a daunting total of 245 in a rain-curtailed match.

While the team’s star batsman, Max O’Dowd hasn’t been in the best of forms, his opening partner, Vikramjit Singh, and the all-rounders, including Logan van Beek and Colin Ackermann have shown flashes of brilliance and they will play a key role of the team wants to build up on its winning momentum.

The pace attack, consisting of Bas De Leede, Paul van Meekeren, and van Beeke is in good form, picking up 16 wickets between them. However, they have been quite expensive at times and will need to bowl a better line and length.

Roelof van der Merwe has picked up 2 wickets in both of his last outings and will lead the spin attack alongside Aryan Dutt. 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was in top form before the start of this tournament and even notched the second-longest winning streak in the history of ODI cricket. However, a humiliating defeat at the hands of India in the recent Asia Cup finals has triggered a downfall in the team’s fortunes.

Sri Lanka has lost each of the 3 matches it has played so far and is the only team yet to register a win.

Despite the poor form of the team as a whole, there have been some silver linings for the Sri Lankan team. Kusal Mendis, who has taken over the reins of the team in place of an injured Dasun Shanaka, is in good form with the bat. He will be a key player in the middle order along with Sadeera Samarawickrama.

Pathum Nissanka has done well in the opening slot and has back-to-back half-centuries in the lead-up to this match. Sri Lanka lacks depth in its batting and that has been one of the key concerns for the team. On top of that, the all-rounders, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, and Dunith Wellalage have been rather inconsistent.

Coming to the bowling, except for Dilshan Madushanka, none of the bowlers have made the desired impact. Matheesha Pathirana was taken for close to 10 rund per over in the first two matches and was replaced by Lahiru Kumara in the last match, who didn’t fare much better either.

Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana, who were in good form during the Asia Cup, have failed to get wickets in this tournament. The form of bowlers will need to play better if Sri Lanka wants to get back to winning ways.