The United Arab Emirates lost to Sri Lanka by 79 runs to end their T20 World Cup hopes, but enjoyed two moments of brilliance that will live long in the memory.
First, Karthik Meiyappan took the first Twenty20 World Cup hat-trick, and only the fifth in the history of the tournament.
Asian champions Sri Lanka were cruising to 117-2 in the first-round clash in Geelong when the leg-break bowler struck in the 15th over, removing Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka in successive balls.
Rajapaksa was caught in the deep, Asalanka was caught behind and Shanaka bowled cleanly.
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Karthik Meiyappan has become only the fifth player to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick.Source: AFP
“It’s a great feeling and it hasn’t sunk in yet,” said the 22-year-old Meiyappan, who finished with figures of 3-19 from his four overs as Sri Lanka posted 152-8.
“I was trying to get the ball to the left (Rajapaksa), I was lucky that he cut it deep. Asalanka, it was easy for me to make a mistake, and he stuck it.
“But Shanaka, that was a special ball, to get it through bat and pad. That was the biggest one.”
Meiyappan became the fifth bowler to take a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup after Australia’s Brett Lee (2007), Ireland’s Curtis Campher, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and South- Africa Kagiso Rabada, who achieved the feat in 2021.
The second moment came late when Sri Lanka needed just one more wicket to win, but Junaid Siddique was not ready to go down without a fight.
Before the match was over, he hit a 109-metre six that was so massive it cleared the main stand at Kardinia Park.
After smoking the massive six, which some described as the biggest ever, Junaid flexed his biceps.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka dismissed the UAE for just 73 to get their campaign back on track.
The Asian champions were stunned by Namibia in the opening match of the tournament on Sunday, a crushing 55-run defeat that left no room for error against the United Arab Emirates.
They responded with an emphatic 79-run victory.
Sri Lanka, the 2014 champions, face unbeaten Netherlands, who need another win, while Namibia face winless United Arab Emirates.
Namibia falls short against the Netherlands | 00:58
Earlier, Bas de Leede took two wickets and made an unbeaten 30 as the Netherlands took a giant step towards the Super 12 of the Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday with a tense five-wicket win over giant-killing Namibia .
At a sun-drenched but near-empty Kardinia Park in Geelong, the African nation were restricted to 121-6 in their 20 overs, with the Dutch using seven different bowlers to put the clamps on.
De Leede was the best of the bunch, taking 2-18, complemented by some outstanding fielding.
The Europeans, boosted by former South Africa and India coach Gary Kirsten in their coaching staff, were cruising at 91-1 in the 14th over before Namibia grabbed four late wickets to set up a nervy finale.
The Netherlands needed six runs from the last over, with De Leede the hero, hitting a boundary and then two to secure victory with three balls to spare.
It was a big win against a team that sent shockwaves through the cricketing world with a stunning 55-run triumph over Asian champions Sri Lanka on the first day of the World Cup in Australia on Sunday.
The Netherlands beat the UAE on the same day by three wickets and with two wins from two they will go into the Super 12 if the UAE upset Sri Lanka later on Tuesday.
If they top the group, they will play Australia in Perth next Tuesday.
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They have graced the big stage once before, in 2014, when they topped their group and then sensationally beat England.
Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and elected to bat, but it looked a poor decision as they fell to 32-3 in the sixth over, struggling with their tempo.
Stephan Baard and Jan Frylinck steadied the ship with a 31-run partnership before Roelof van der Merwe removed Baard for 19.
Frylinck collected 43 before De Leede tempted him into a big hit and was caught in the deep, then caught Erasmus in the same.
Twenty-seven from the last three overs set a decent target, but only seven boundaries in total were witnessed by the Dutch bowling.
In reply, Max O’Dowd and Vikram Singh reached 44 not out after five overs.
Singh was in good touch with two sixes in his 39 before going for another off Bernard Scholtz and Nicol Loftie-Eaton caught on the ropes.
On fire, Namibia took four more quick wickets, including O’Dowd for 35, to set up a nervy finish.