Theekshana, Hasaranga spin Sri Lanka to victory to go top, Half centuries from Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka saw Sri Lanka post 245 despite a late batting collapse.
Sri Lanka go through as winners of Group B and will start on four points in the next round ahead of matches against the Netherlands, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
Sri Lanka secured a convincing 82-run victory against Scotland in Bulawayo on Tuesday, securing their place in the super six stage of the Cricket World Cup qualifiers with a perfect record.
Sri Lanka’s opening batsman, Pathum Nissanka, contributed 75 runs, while Charith Asalanka added 63 to help Sri Lanka reach a total of 245 before being bowled out. Scotland’s spin bowlers, Chris Greaves (4-32) and Mark Watt (3-52), played a pivotal role in taking seven Sri Lankan wickets.
Scotland struggled in their response, slipping to 73-5 and eventually being dismissed for just 163 runs. Despite a resilient unbeaten 56 by Greaves, Scotland couldn’t recover. Two run-outs in the same over sealed their fate.
As the winners of Group B, Sri Lanka advances to the next round with four points. They will face the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies in the upcoming matches. Meanwhile, Scotland carries over two points from their previous victory against Oman, making them the third team to qualify from the group.
The next phase of the tournament commences on Thursday with host Zimbabwe taking on Oman. The top two teams in the super six stage will secure a spot in the World Cup scheduled for October and November in India.
Brief Score: Sri Lanka 245 all out (Nissanka, Asalanka 63, Greaves 4-32) beat Scotland 163 all out (Greaves 56*, Theekshana 3-41, Hasaranga 2-42) by 82 runs.
Man of the Match: Maheesh Theekshana
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