SL vs NAM, ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Highlights: Sri Lanka Defeat Namibia By 7 Wickets

We are all set for the chase!

We are back for Sri Lanka's reply! Namibia players stride out to the middle. Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka are the openers for Sri Lanka. David Wiese to start with the ball.

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then! 97 is what Sri Lanka have to chase and knowing their batting line up, they can easily chase it down as it is not a challenging total. Stay tuned for the second essay.

Chamika Karunaratne is up for a chat - He says that it feels really good and from the first over they did well. Mentions that the basics are important and he looked to keep things simple. Adds that the wicket did have some support for the fast bowlers and hence he used some bouncers. Mentions that they are happy to chase down this total.

Sri Lanka were on a roll with the ball! They introduced spin in the third over itself and Maheesh Theekshana drew the first blood. He came back into the attack and scalped another one to put Namibia on the back foot. The Lankan bowlers kept on piling the pressure by chipping wickets at regular intervals and never allowed Namibia batters to settle. Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the lot as he ended figures with 4-0-25-3. Playing in his first T20 World Cup match, the youngster made his mark very well. Overall, a clinical performance from the Lankans.

A sorry day at the office for Namibia! They were off to a shaky start as they lost Stephan Baard early. Zane Green looked scratchy in his innings and departed soon as well. They were 30/2 in the Powerplay. After that they needed someone to rebuild the innings and Gerhard Erasmus and Craig Williams reassessed their plans and just when their partnership started to bloom, the former holed out. They lost two wickets after that in the next two overs and looked in all sorts of trouble. Chances of momentum swing also seemed bleak. They didn't get the acceleration they needed and have ended up putting a below par score on the board.

Sri Lanka will be mightily pleased here. A collective effort from the bowlers and they have restricted Namibia below 100. Namibia, on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance. They never got going and have been bundled out. Not a start they dreamt of playing their first T20 World Cup match.

A run out appeal has been sent upstairs by the umpires. Replay shows Bernard Scholtz was well outside the crease. The third umpire shows OUT on the big screen.

OUT! RUN OUT! A low full toss, on middle. defends it back to the bowler who half-stops it and lobs the ball to the left of mid-wicket. Pathum Nissanka carries it and underarms it to the bowler's end. A direct hit was needed as the batter look for a quick single and Lahiru Kumara scores one too. A quick look for the third umpire and he signals out. NAMIBIA ARE ALL OUT FOR 96.

A slower length ball, outside off. Bernard Scholtz is beaten on the outside edge as he looks to push.

Bernard Scholtz is the last batsman to come in.

OUT! TIMBER! Kumara has absolutely nailed his yorker here! A yorker, angling on middle. Pikky Ya France is too late as he tries to squeeze this one out. The ball sneaks through and disturbs the middle stump.

Lahiru Kumara (3-0-9-1) to bowl the final over.

Good effort in the field by Dasun Shanaka! A full ball, outside off. Smit goes aerially over covers. Dasun Shanaka leaps and half-stops it. Two taken. Might call it a drop but was a very hard chance.

Very full and on off. Smit digs it out to mid off.

On a length, on middle, tucked to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Pikky Ya France walks out to bat.

OUT! TAKEN! Absolutely brilliant from Dasun Shanaka! Short of a length, outside off. Ruben Trumpelmann again goes for the pull shot and again gets a top edge. The ball lobs this time to the left of the bowler. Dasun Shanaka runs in from cover and stretches his right hand out to take a one-handed stunner.

Short of a length, outside off. Ruben Trumpelmann gets a leading edge as he looks to pull. The ball lobs up in front of the point fielder who carries it on a bounce.