Sri Lanka’s enigmatic spinner, Maheesh Theekshana, bowled an absolute beauty of a delivery to dismiss Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards, a moment many are hailing as the finest by a spinner in the 2023 World Cup.
This thrilling encounter took place at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, where Sri Lanka faced off against the Netherlands on a sunny Saturday.
Scott Edwards, the Dutch skipper, had been the hero in his team’s historic victory over South Africa just a few days prior in Dharamsala. Therefore, to remove him for a mere 16 runs was a remarkable feat for Maheesh Theekshana.
This match is a virtual must-win for Sri Lanka, who have suffered three consecutive losses. Another defeat today would all but eliminate them from the semi-final contention. The Netherlands won the toss and chose to bat first, managing a respectable total of 262 runs. This score can be considered competitive, given that the Lucknow pitch offers assistance to both spinners and pacers.
Sybrand Engelbrecht was the standout performer for the Netherlands, contributing 70 runs, while Logan van Beek added 59 runs. Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka, a left-arm pacer, and Kasun Rajitha, a right-arm seamer, were the stars with the ball, each claiming 4 wickets.