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Sri Lanka bounce back from opening T20 World Cup loss to thrash UAE

Sri Lanka kept their hopes of reaching the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup alive with a comprehensive victory over the United Arab Emirates in Geelong.

The Asia Cup champions finished on the wrong end of an upset when they were beaten by Namibia in their first match, but hit back with a thumping 79-run win at the second time of asking.
UAE leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan took a hat-trick, the fifth player to achieve the feat at a T20 World Cup, to help restrict Sri Lanka to 152-8, but the chase was rounded up for just 73 in 17.1 overs.

Sri Lanka were cruising at 117-2 when spinner Meiyappan derailed their plans in the 15th over, removing Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka in successive balls.

Shanaka's team recovered and batted out the 20 overs to post 152-8 with opener Pathum Nissanka making a gritty 74 from 60 balls and Meiyappan ending with figures of 3-19.
Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera quickly rattled UAE in their reply, clean bowling Muhammad Waseem and Aryan Lakra in the space of five balls.
They slumped to 21-4 in the sixth over and UAE never recovered as Sri Lanka ran riot with Chameera ending with 3-15 but a worry for the winners was that he hobbled off late in the game.
The victory for the 2014 champions leaves Group A finely poised in the race to make the Super 12 stage heading into the third and final matches on Thursday where net run rate could prove decisive.

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