T20 World Cup 2022 opener: Lanka bowls first against Namibia

Sri Lanka bowls first against Namibia in T20 World Cup opener. AP-UNB

GEELONG, Australia, Oct 16 (AP/UNB) — Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bowl first against Namibia in the opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.

The Netherlands will play United Arab Emirates in the second match of the qualifying tournament, also in Geelong, which will determine four teams to advance to the main event starting later this week.

Sri Lanka, the T20 World Cup champions in 2014, sustained a big blow on the eve of the tournament when left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka was ruled out with a quadriceps injury.

Lineups:

Namibia: Divan la Cock, Michael van Lingen, Stephan Baard, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Jan Frylinck, J.J. Smit, David Wiese, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo .

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan.

Umpires: Joe Wilson, West Indies, and Rod Tucker, Australia.

TV umpire: Paul Reiffel, Australia; Match Referee: Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe