Pakistan and Afghanistan fans were hoping for a favour from Sri Lanka. They should know by now they cannot be relied on.
They could at least have put up a fight. Instead, the beleaguered Sri Lankans subsided to such a hefty defeat against New Zealand, it has all but settled the World Cup semi-final places with four matches still left to play.
It was a hammering from start to finish, and ended with the Black Caps strolling to a five-wicket win with nearly 27 overs to spare in Bengaluru.
It has basically rendered the game between Afghanistan and South Africa tomorrow as meaningless. The same with Australia v Bangladesh, Pakistan v England and India v Netherlands.
The Afghans and Pakistan can still match the points tally of New Zealand, but it would take something fanciful for either to overhaul their net run rate.
At 0.74, the Kiwis’ NRR is 0.7 superior to that of Pakistan and 1.08 better than Afghanistan, ahead of the final group game for those two sides.
It means Afghanistan need to win by 438 runs against second-placed South Africa to surpass New Zealand on NRR. Pakistan have to win by 287 or, chase what England make in two or three overs. All equally far-fetched.
When those two sides needed something to go their way, what they saw was another entirely supine display by the Sri Lankans.
So poor has their form been in recent months, it has felt like Sri Lanka have been protesting against the continuation of ODI cricket, rather than trying to prolong its life. Twice in their previous nine ODIs they failed to bat through 20 overs.
They appeared set for the same fate at the start of this one, too. They were five down inside 10 overs, and seven down within 19.
At least there were some positives. Angelo Mathews made it to the wicket on time for his go with the bat, even if he only stayed long enough to make 16.
And they did manage to make it as far as 46.4 overs, but they required a last-pair rearguard to get them that far. Maheesh Theekshana, the No 9, and No 11 Dilshan Madushanka eked out 43 in 14 overs.
Despite capitulating to 171 all out, they were able to celebrate the fastest individual half century of the competition.
Remarkably, Kusal Perera’s 22-ball effort was the fastest of a tournament in which the fastest hundred record in World Cup history has been broken twice – by Aiden Markram and Glenn Maxwell.
He was dropped, by Tom Latham off Tim Southee, on nought, on the 10th ball of the match.
Latham enjoyed immediate respite. He caught Pathum Nissanka off the following delivery, and Sri Lanka were 32 for three not long after. In taking three for 32, Trent Boult was the player of the match.
With such a paltry target, New Zealand knew they could press on the accelerator to try to extend the gap between them and Pakistan.
They raced to the win within 23.2 overs, with Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell each posting scores in the 40s.
They are now more or less assured of extending their record of appearing in every 50-over World Cup semi-final since 2003.
In making a dapper 32-ball 42, Ravindra leapfrogged Quinton de Kock at the top of the run charts for the tournament.
It has been a breakout tournament for the left-handed all-rounder, and his name reverberated around the stands again.
“It's a pretty surreal feeling,” said Ravindra, who was born in New Zealand to Indian parents.
“I’m grateful for the support, especially playing in Bangalore. Having the crowd chanting my name is something I will never take for granted.”
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Background: Chemical Weapons
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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Tomorrow 2021
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Plastic tipping points
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The national orchestra
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Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
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Tomorrow 2021
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
More coverage from the Future Forum
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Our commentary on Brexit
- Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
- Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More on animal trafficking
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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