Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Richard Kettleborough (England), Rod Tucker (Australia, TV)
Referee
Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
Toss
Toss yet to take Place
OVS
Bowler :
No summary available yet!
All Overs
Player of the Match
Player of the Series
Lucky Winner
Analysis
Weather Update
Lauderhill,American Samoa
Updated: 12 Jun 06:00
24.7°CClouds
overcast clouds
100%
Clouds
100%
Rain %
92%
Humidity
1.6 kmph
Wind
Commentary
LATEST UPDATE
COMMENTARY NOT AVAILABLE
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
So with this result, Sri Lanka pick up their first point of the World Cup but with only one game remaining for them, their chances of qualifying for the Super-8s look bleak. As for Nepal, they are on 1 point after 2 games, meaning that they can go to 5 at best, keeping their hopes well and truly alive when it comes to reaching the next round of the tournament. There is plenty to play for in Group D with only South Africa in a comfortable position. Anyway, right now, you can catch all the action from the ongoing match in Antigua between Australia and Namibia, right here. This is the pair of Lavil and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
8:30 pm local time, 6:00 am IST: Unfortunately, the inclement weather has had its say. Despite the efforts of the ground staff to get things ready, the outfield has remained soggy due to the amount of rain we've had today. And the drizzle has been persistent at Lauderhill. The umpires had no choice but to call it off without the toss, meaning that both teams share a point each.
UPDATE: THE GAME HAS BEEN CALLED OFF! Match 23 between Sri Lanka and Nepal has been called off due to poor conditions. There were puddles under the surface in the outfield and the umpires after the inspection have decided that the surface will not drain any time soon. Both teams settle with a point each.
While we wait for the game to get underway, here is a quick poll for you:
8:15 pm local time, 5:45 am IST: The cut-off for a 5-over contest is 10:47 pm local time (8:17 am IST). So, there is plenty of time left for a game. But, the first thing for that is no rain. At the moment there isn't, hopefully, it stays that way so that the ground staff find it easier to dry the outfield.
Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal's star leg-spinner, is set to join the squad and be available for the final two matches of the group stage! Read on from the link below to know more about it, friends.
8:00 pm local time, 5:30 am IST: We are getting to hear from the ground that an inspection is scheduled at 8:30 pm local time (6:00 am IST). The ground staff are fighting against time to make sure that we get a game. The rain is has stayed away for more than 40 minutes, which is good news. If at all, it has drizzled just a bit.
7:45 pm local time, 5:15 am IST: Not much else that we've heard from the ground. The mopping up work is on and the wait for the toss continues. However, the Nepali fans have thronged the stands in numbers and are making a lot of noise. The news is that they have comfortably outnumbered their Sri Lankan counterparts till now!
7:25 pm local time, 4:55 am IST: The rain seems to have eased quite considerably right now and the ground staff are working towards mopping the ground up as quickly as possible. They have told the umpires that an hour and a half may be required to dry the ground and get it ready for play. That is if the rain does not come back.
With South Africa being the first team to qualify in the tournament and from Group D, the question is how does it look for other teams in the group?
Bangladesh: Bangladesh have a win and a loss next to their name. They will want to win their next game and should they lose, they will be hoping for a favour from Sri Lanka and Nepal to avoid the Dutch from securing the second place in the group.
Netherlands: Netherlands, much like Bangladesh, have a win and a loss next to their name. They will want to win both their games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Should they lose against Bangladesh, the Netherlands will have to beat Sri Lanka and hope Nepal beat Bangladesh.
Nepal: They have three games remaining, most in this group. Should the game today be washed out, they will earn a point and will want to win the games against Bangladesh and South Africa to advance into the Super 8s
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka have played two games in the tournament. If the game today against Nepal is washed out, they will be virtually knocked out of the tournament. Should they win their last game against the Netherlands, they will want the Dutch outfit as well as Bangladesh to then lose both games.
We are now fast approaching the business end of the Group Stages. Group A has been exciting, with the hosts showing that they aren't there to merely participate but to contest for the trophy. Group B has been an exciting proposition as well, with Scotland leading the charts. Group C has seen the joint most successful team in this competition, West Indies, sit tight in the pole position, with Afghanistan breathing down their necks to take over the top spot in the group.
As for Group D, we are yet to see a result that turns heads in the cricketing world. South Africa, after beating Bangladesh, became the first team to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the tournament. Bangladesh and Netherlands have a win each which leaves us with the last two teams of the group - Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Nepal, playing their second-only T20 World Cup, have failed to bring the promise that they showed in the Asian Qualifiers. To be fair, they have only played one game and they lost to the Netherlands. An advantage for them will be that they have enough time on their hands to understand their qualification chances and will want to make the most of it as they eye for the second spot in the group. Captain Rohit Paudel will want to inspire his side and achieve a historical feat with this Nepal side.
Once T20 World Cup Champions, Sri Lanka have failed to find their footing in this tournament. They have played 2 games - against South Africa and Bangladesh - and have failed to win both of them. Wanindu Hasaranga has been there for his side whenever asked but has often lacked support from others in his team, be it with the bat or ball. Sri Lanka needs to win this game and should rain persist, their dream of going to the Super 8's will virtually be over.
The all-Asian clash promises to be an exciting one, but the weather has other plans. Fingers crossed that the rain stops and we can have a full game.
Update: It is currently raining in Florida and the game is very likely to have a delayed start. With the weather going around in Florida, it was expected that rain was going to come in at some stage of the game
Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the ICC Men's T20 WC. Match 23 sees Group D in action with Sri Lanka taking on fellow Asian team, Nepal. I am Lavil Saldanha and join me shortly will be my colleague, Bidipto, and the two of us will take you through the action that unfolds ahead of us. Scroll below for the game preview as we bring to you all the toss updates and the team news.
A lot of twists and turns were expected in the 'Group of Death' with it being the toughest of the four to predict. As things stand, South Africa have a foot in the Super Eights while Bangladesh, Nepal and Netherlands can all get to a maximum of six points.
One team that can reach only four, however, is Sri Lanka. After being brushed aside by South Africa on a diabolical New York pitch, they were below-par on a good deck in Dallas even as their bowlers threatened to snatch the game away from Bangladesh.
Their travel issues haven't helped either and their campaign now hangs by the proverbial thread. As they move to the state of Florida with the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Lauderhill set for its World Cup debut, they will hope that it brings about a change in fortune as they desperately seek to keep their minimal chances of qualification alive.
What may help the Lankans is that Nepal have had a long break post their defeat to the Dutch. Whether that comes with a bit of rust or not remains to be seen but there is a lot of pressure on certain players in this Sri Lankan side who will need to bring their A-game forward for not only does the team need a win, but with a good margin at that with net run-rate bound to come into play.
To say that Sri Lanka's batters have been underwhelming would be an understatement. Pathum Nissanka raced off the traps in the powerplay against Bangladesh but him aside, nobody else has stepped up to be counted. Dhananjaya de Silva was picked in favor of Sadeera Samarawickrama for that game but didn't leave a mark with questions continuing to linger over his T20 record. Kusal Mendis not firing hasn't helped the team's cause either with Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka and skipper Wanindu Hasaranga also not firing.
The bowling is in much better hands of course with Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara being the side's trump cards. Hasaranga was disappointing with the ball as well in the last game with Towhid Hridoy taking him down for three successive sixes. Maheesh Theekshana remains economical but will want to be amongst the wickets a lot more, lest there be more pressure on the batting all-rounders in Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka.
Nepal's opener against Netherlands saw them being skittled out for 106 in Dallas after a rain-delayed start. Their bowlers impressed in making a match out of it with Sompal Kami, Abinash Bohara and Karan KC all doing a good job. Sandeep Lamichhane has arrived in the Caribbean and will be available for the team's last two group matches so expect the team to go in with the same bowling combination for this contest.
It's how their batters counter the late swing of Thushara and the threat of Pathirana that could dictate how this one pans out for Nepal. Skipper Rohit Paudel scored a defiant 35 against the Dutch despite wickets tumbling at the other end. It's the opening pair of Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh who must get the team off to a good start in the powerplay though before Paudel, Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee then take over and power the team along in the middle-overs.
Sri Lanka may have a lot of issues to tide over but they clearly start this game as favorites. The X-factors in their bowling attack in particular could prove too hot to handle for Nepal while traditionally, Lauderhill has produced a lot of runs which their batters ought to enjoy.
But again, nothing can be said with certainty in this tournament and that is what makes this contest an interesting one to look forward to. Nepal will not back away without a fight and with a sea of their fans expected to throng the venue and back them to the hilt, they will be determined to give it everything.