West Indies out of T20 World Cup semifinals race after loss to Sri Lanka
Abu Dhabi, Nov 4: Defending champions West Indies were eliminated from the semi-final race in the T20 World Cup after a 20-run loss to Sri Lanka here on Thursday as their aging stars failed to recreate the magic of the past.
Going into the game with two losses in three games, the West Indies were always up against it and Sri Lanka out-batted them by amassing 189 for three on a good batting surface.
Pathum Nissanka (51 off 41) and Charith Asalanka (68 off 41) struck sublime half-centuries to give Sri Lanka the upper hand. The West Indies could only reach 169 for eight despite Shimron Hetmyer's unbeaten 81 off 54 balls.
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga once again starred with the ball taking two wickets for 19 runs in four overs.
The West Indies, who have won two of the last three world titles, are now mathematically out of the competition with two points from four games. Their last game is against Australia on Saturday.
Sri Lanka batters played with freedom and flair to set up a daunting target which prove to be too steep for West Indies, who could never recover from a poor start to the run chase.
The West Indies' forgettable campaign showed the need to look beyond greats like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo while rebuilding ahead of the 2022 edition.
Gayle's struggles in the game continued and he was the first to depart for West Indies. Pacer Binura Fernando removed Gayle and Evin Lewis in the second over to put extreme pressure on the opposition.
Nicholas Pooran (46) and Hetmyer batted well but wickets at regular intervals kept the West Indies always behind in the chase.
Earlier, the in-form Nissanka and Asalanka enjoyed batting on the surface.
Nissanka played some outrageous strokes en route his third half-century of the tournament. If the switch hit was not bold enough, the opener walked way across the off stump to whip Ravi Rampaul towards backward square leg for a boundary.
Asalanka too struck a sublime half-century and one of the highlights of his innings was a straight slog sweep off Dwayne Bravo for a six.
With nothing to lose, Sri Lankan batters played to their promising potential and made the West Indies attack look pedestrian.
They also displayed that the future of Sri Lankan batting is in capable hands and with more experience at the highest level, they will only get better.
Sri Lanka made 48 for one in the Powerplay with the loss of Kusal Perera, who played well for his 29 off 21 balls. Andre Russell took a brilliant catch to dismiss him.
Nissanka and Asalanka then got together and with their free flowing strokeplay, put the West Indies attack under tremendous pressure.
After Nissanka's dismissal, Asalanka went ballistic. In the 18th over, he slog swept Bravo for a straight six before smoking one over the bowler's head for a boundary.
Skipper Dasun Shanka also chipped in with an unbeaten 25 off 14 balls in the death overs.
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Syria says Israeli strikes leave 18 dead in the biggest toll since the war in Gaza began
Masyaf (Syria), Sep 9: The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 18 with dozens more wounded, Syria's health minister said on Monday — the largest death toll in such an attack since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
One of the sites targeted was a research centre used in the development of weapons, a war monitor said. Syrian officials said civilian sites were targeted.
Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — in Gaza.
However, the intensity and death toll of Sunday night's strikes were unusual.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.
Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Speaking to reporters, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash described the strikes as a “brutal and barbaric aggression”. He said the death toll had risen to 18 with nearly 40 wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 25 were killed, including at least five civilians, while the others included Syrian army soldiers and members of Hezbollah and other Iran-linked armed groups.
One strike targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf, and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the observatory said. It said the research centre was reportedly used for developing weapons, including short- and medium-range precision missiles and drones.
Minister of Electricity Mohammad al-Zamel said the strikes had caused “truly significant” damage to water and electricity infrastructure.
“This brutal attack targeted civilian targets, and the martyrs were mostly civilians, as were the wounded,” he said.
Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous, which the observatory said were the result of air defense missiles falling.
On Monday afternoon, a charred car remained at the scene of one strike and smoke was still rising from some spots where fires had been put out.
