Sri Lanka versus Zimbabwe
Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe with a resounding victory to earn a spot in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Pathum Nissanka’s century propelled Sri Lanka to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory after Maheesh Theekshana’s outstanding bowling stats of 4/25 restricted Zimbabwe to 165 all out in just 33 overs. When Zimbabwe was put into bat, they faltered quickly, losing two wickets, but Sikandar Raza stabilized the innings alongside Sean Williams. However, Theekshana struck out both hitters and, with Matheesha Pathirana’s assistance, took care of Zimbabwe’s back end. Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s opening pair, put together a reliable 103-run partnership.
United Arab Emirates versus Nepal
In a hard-fought contest in Harare, Nepal defeated the UAE in the semifinal round of the play-off for seventh place. After deciding to bowl first, Nepal got off to a solid start by removing opener Asif Khan for a duck before the captain Vriitya Aravind and Aryansh Sharma put together a 64-run combination that provided some security. UAE was bowled out for 181, but Sandeep Lamichhane’s outstanding 3 for 23 swung the tide back in Nepal’s favor. When attempting to reach the target, Muhammad Jawadullah caused mayhem and reduced Nepal to 52 for 4. The loss of Nepal’s opener Kushal Bhurtel for 35 runs made the task of chasing down the target even more difficult, but Dipendra Singh Airee’s 79* off just 85 deliveries and his 79-run unbroken stand with Lamichhane for the seventh wicket sealed the outcome for Nepal. The final of the play-off for seventh place will now pit them against Ireland.