Sri Lanka’s opening day shocker towards Namibia and Ireland’s dire loss to Zimbabwe now appear a great distance prior to now. Both groups received back-to-back video games, Sri Lanka routinely, and Ireland spectacularly, to bounce again and make it into the Super12 stage of the World Cup.
Momentum has swung the way in which of each groups, each can play spoilsport of their group and their match on Sunday, regardless of the Lankans being heavy on-paper favourites, needs to be a good contest.
Key matchups:
Sterling, Balbirnie vs Theekshana, Kumara
After shedding Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara has deputised in fantastic trend for Sri Lanka, and Maheesh Theekshana’s prowess within the powerplay makes the aspect potent to take early wickets. But if Ireland’s innings towards West Indies is any indicator, they’re up towards it.
Paul Stirling, Ireland’s highest runscorer, performed himself into kind with a match-winning innings to blow the West Indies bowlers within the opening powerplay. His expertise, coupled with captain Andy Balbirnie’s aggression (he had 518 T20I runs at a strike charge of 132 this yr), might be a handful for the Lankans within the early overs.
Hasiranga vs center order
The Lankans heaviest bowling card throughout their group-stage video games on the Geelong was Wanindu Hasiranga’s skill to curb runs within the center overs, and choose up essential middle-order wickets.
Ireland have expertise in Hobart, and the completely different circumstances is not going to support the spinners simply as a lot, however regardless, their center order might be cautious of taking over Hasiranga. Curtis Campher has been essential within the center overs for the Irish – his 32-ball 72 towards Scotland is the explanation they’ve made it to the Super12 – and he normally holds his personal towards spin. That matchup might effectively alter the results of the match.
Mendis vs Little, Adair
Kusal Mendis had his doubters coming into the World Cup, however his match-winning 44-ball 79 of their must-win match towards Netherlands would have put these doubts to relaxation. The Lankans have trusted early runs from Mendis as a rule in crunch video games, and Ireland pacers Josh Little and Mark Adair – who’ve opened their bowling in every of their group matches – may have one main activity: to get the wicket of Mendis.
Six-Lust
Six-hitting shouldn’t be precisely a simple activity in Australia this yr, however of their 3 group-stage video games, Ireland have cleared the ropes 14 occasions, half of which got here simply towards the Windies. Sri Lanka have hit 12 sixes of their three group-stage video games.
Recent kind
Despite having related momentum, profitable their final two video games to qualify for the Super12, the 2 groups had been in polar reverse kind previous to the group levels. Sri Lanka had received 6 T20Is on the trot, and received the Asia Cup. Ireland, alternatively, had received simply 3 out of their final 10 T20Is.
