Angelo Mathews propels Sri Lanka to a resounding victory 2-0 against Afghanistan
Angelo Mathews propelled Sri Lanka to a resounding victory against Afghanistan in the second T20I, clinching the series with a 73-run win in a commanding display of skills.
Mathews showcased his prowess both with the bat and the ball, leaving a significant impact on the game.
After claiming two early wickets and smashing 42 not out off 22 balls, Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka win the T20I series with a commanding 73-run victory in the second match. All of Sri Lanka’s top order players contributed: Pathum Nissanka scored 25 off 11, Kusal Mendis scored 23 off 14, Sadeera Samarawickrama played a solid innings, scoring 51 off 42, and Wanindu Hasaranga once again shown extreme aggression, scoring 22 off 9.
Afghanistan never really got off the ground in response. Despite a strong connection between Muhammad Nabi and Karim Janat, none of their top five players managed to break the 15, and they never seemed to have the pace for this chase. Throughout the first 17 overs, Afghanistan was dismissed for 115 runs.
Angelo Mathews Rocks With The Bat
Despite entering the game in the fifteenth over, Mathews did not erupt right away because it is not usually how he plays. After making four of his first nine deliveries, Mathews started hitting the boundary.
He first went past Naveen-ul-Haq with a four over short off Fazalhaq Farooqi, then he blasted a four back in the following over. When Azmatullah Omarzai bowled the 19th over, that’s when he truly released the old finisher. He hit the opening ball off Omarzai over deep midwicket and then slammed the second over deep square leg. The following delivery, an agitated Omarzai delivered an extremely short ball outside off, and Mathews punished him by hitting him over long-on.
Even though Mohammad Nabi dropped him before he could hit his final six, which was again over the bowler’s head, Mathews still managed to score 33 runs off his final nine balls.
