Exciting Clash: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands in ICC Cricket WC Qualifier Warm-up!
Match Overview
Both teams are vying for a spot in the ICC World Cup 2023 later this year. This serves as a warm-up match, taking place at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, as part of their preparations for the major event. Sri Lanka enters this contest as the favorites, while the Netherlands will play as the underdogs. The assessment of the conditions at this neutral venue will be intriguing.
Pitch Report
The pitch appears to be well-balanced, offering assistance to both batsmen and bowlers. Overall, it seems like a decent surface for batting.
Prematch Analysis
Team Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka recently emerged victorious in the home series against Afghanistan. Their performances were commendable, especially considering they were trailing 1-0 in the three-match ODI series. The team will be led by Dasun Shanaka, a capable leader across all formats. They have announced their squad, which includes some new faces.
Matheesha Pathirana, who impressed everyone with his yorkers in the recently concluded IPL 2023, has already made his ODI debut against Afghanistan and has been added to the squad. The top order consisting of Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Charith Asalanka appears solid and in good form. The middle order also looks balanced with the likes of Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Their bowling has shown significant improvement, and they aim to maintain their rhythm. Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera possess the ability to break through the Netherlands’ top order and provide early breakthroughs.
Team Netherlands
The Dutch side has been struggling to find form and comes into this contest after consecutive defeats against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Currently, some of their key players are absent, participating in the T20 Blast 2023. Scott Edwards, the wicketkeeper-batsman, will lead the team.
Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh are the opening pair, aiming to provide a fresh and solid start to the innings. Colin Ackermann, Fred Klaasen, and Paul van Meekeren will also be absent, making it a tough challenge for the Dutch side to beat the in-form Sri Lankans. Wesley Barresi and Teja Nidamanaru will be looking to strengthen the middle order, with the latter having scored a classic century against Zimbabwe earlier this year.
Head-to-Head Records
Both sides have had limited encounters, having played only three matches against each other. Sri Lanka has emerged victorious in all three of them.
| Matches Played | SL won | NED won | Tie | No Result |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Key Players to Watch
To analyze the current form, we will consider the stats from the last five matches.
Team Sri Lanka
| Player | Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Wickets | Average Wickets |
| S Samarawickrama | 5 | 261 | 52.2 | ||
| P Nissanka | 5 | 198 | 39.6 | ||
| K Rajitha | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | ||
| L Kumara | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | ||
| W Hasaranga | 5 | 8 | 1.6 |
Team Netherlands
| Player | Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Wickets | Average Wickets |
| Max O’Dowd | 5 | 204 | 40.8 | ||
| T Nidamanaru | 5 | 200 | 40 | ||
| L van Beek | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | ||
| V Kingma | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | ||
| S Ahmed | 5 | 9 | 1.8 |
Squads
Team Sri LankaÂ
Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Kusal Mendis (w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha
Team Netherlands
Scott Edwards (c & wk), Wesley Barresi, Vivian Kingma, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Saqib Zulfiqar, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Clayton Floyd, Vikramjit Singh, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Shariz Ahmad, Michael Levitt, Noah Croes
Fantasy Predictions
Team Sri Lanka:
Team Netherlands
Predicted Playing XI
Team Sri Lanka
Team Netherlands
Fantasy Playing XI
Based on the aforementioned stats, here is the winning fantasy team:
Conclusion
The Dutch side faces an uphill battle in this match. The absence of key players may prove costly, but they must maintain a positive mindset. Sri Lanka, aware of this situation, will feel confident in their chances. With the World Cup at stake, this promises to be an exciting contest for players, sports fans, and bettors alike.
