BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE (AP) – Sri Lanka booked its place at this year’s Cricket World Cup by claiming one of the two spots available at a qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Sri Lanka crushed Zimbabwe by nine wickets after an unbeaten century by opener Pathum Nissanka to seal its ticket.
That confirmed one of the two final places for this year’s World Cup in India, which begins in October. Zimbabwe is still in position to take the last place and join cricket’s biggest teams for the 50-over showpiece, although it must beat Scotland in its last game to be certain.
Sri Lanka’s crushing win over the qualifying tournament host at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo came after it bowled the Zimbabweans out for 165, with spinner Maheesh Theekshana taking 4-25 off 8.2 overs. Sri Lanka made 169-1.
“Coming into this tournament we had plans and we executed them,” Theekshana said.
Sri Lanka, the 1996 World Cup winner, have won six from six so far at the qualifying tournament and kept record of playing at every Cricket World Cup.
They have one more game to play in the Super Six stage against West Indies.
