Minnows rock World Cup with staggering upset

2 years ago 96

This was an underdog triumph connected a elephantine scale.

Namibia defeated Sri Lanka successful the archetypal crippled of the men's T20 World Cup connected Sunday.

In fact, the federation successful Africa's southbound didn't conscionable bushed Sri Lanka astatine Geelong's Kardinia Park. It thrashed the 2022 Asia Cup champions by 55 runs.

Not lone had the Sri Lankans begun the World Cup arsenic the astir apt squad to triumph the tourney extracurricular those who had automatically qualified for the super-12 rounds, they were astatine shorter likelihood to assertion the rubric than Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who bypassed the qualifying segment.

Sri Lanka won the 2014 variation of the tournament, albeit with legends of the crippled specified arsenic Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga.

On Sunday, the Namibians posted 7-163 and rolled the Sri Lankans for 108 with an implicit to spare, capturing the last 5 wickets for 28 runs.

"What a celebrated triumph for Namibia!" Harsha Bhogle said connected the Fox Cricket coverage.

"Just ticker the scenes astatine the Kardinia Park.

"They came successful present contiguous arsenic underdogs. You looked astatine them and said, 'Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup against India and Pakistan. What tin Namibia do?'. And Namibia person travel present and said, 'You cognize what we tin do? We tin sound the Sri Lankans disconnected by 55 runs!'.

"This is simply a show for the ages from them."

Sri Lanka is ranked eighth successful the satellite successful T20 cricket and Namibia 14th.

"These are priceless pictures for a squad that doesn't ever get to play connected the apical rung," Bhogle added.

"This is their large stage. This is the signifier wherever they travel and archer the world, 'We beryllium here, you know?'.

"They volition observe contiguous and they must."

Namibia, Sri Lanka, Ireland and the Netherlands signifier radical A, and Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland marque up radical B.

The top-two teams from some groups volition beforehand to the super-12 stage, pitting them against the starring T20 nations.

"They've struck a large stroke for the Irelands and Scotlands ... saying, 'Look astatine america a small much seriously. We merit to beryllium here. We've earned the close to beryllium present astatine the ICC men's T20 World Cup due to the fact that this is however we tin play'," Bhogle said.

"Fifty-five runs. They've not conscionable crept past Sri Lanka; they've blasted their mode past'."

Jan Frylinck was important to the victory, striking 44 runs from 28 balls and taking 2 wickets.

"What we conscionable achieved is supra what we thought we could do," helium said.

The daze effect reawakened memories of the Netherlands defeating England astatine Lord's successful the archetypal crippled of the 2009 tournament, which the Dutch won by 4 wickets connected the past shot of the game.

In the lone different World Cup lucifer played connected Sunday, the Netherlands overcame the United Arab Emirates by 3 wickets astatine Kardinia Park.

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