Sri Lanka 245 all out (Nissanka, Asalanka 63, Greaves 4-32) beat Scotland 163 all out (Greaves 56*, Theekshana 3-41, Hasaranga 2-42) by 82 runs

Sri Lanka may have had some cause to worry when they were bowled out for 245 in the 50th over.

With the seamers pitching in, and a couple of run outs to finish, Sri Lanka strode to a 82-run victory.

None of their matches in this group stage have been close. Though there remains some embarrassment about having to play a Qualifying tournament at all, as a former ODI World Cup champion, Sri Lanka will take some satisfaction from being the side best-placed ahead of the Super Six. They will take four vital points into that stage, in addition to the tournament’s best Net Run Rate (NRR) of 3.047.

Scotland have also qualified for the next stage, having won three matches and lost only this one, while maintaining a NRR of 0.540. The Super Six matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies are likely to decide their fate.

Seamer Lahiru Kumara had made the first breakthrough, uprooting Matthew Cross’ middle stump with a jagging, length delivery. Then the spinners piled on. Theekshana took out Brandon McMullen’s middle stump, before having Richie Berrington caught athletically at slip by Dhananjaya de Silva soon after. Later, Hasaranga would have opener Christopher McBride caught at short cover, before having Mark Watt lbw.

When Theekshana had Jack Jarvis lbw to leave Scotland 100 for 8, it was all over. Greaves would need a miracle to take Scotland towards victory; he merely produced a very good innings, and saw his last two partners run out. Scotland were all out in the 29th over.

Nissanka was steady through the first half of the innings, and Asalanka guided Sri Lanka through the middle overs.

The left-arm finger spin of Mark Watt was responsible for dismissing them both – Nissanka slapping a short ball to short midwicket, Asalanka edging one to the keeper as he attempted a late cut. Watt would get a third, when he snared Rajitha in front of the stumps. He’d finish with Scotland’s best analysis: 3 for 52.

The last of his wickets came in Scotland’s best period of the game, when they claimed five wickets inside 34 deliveries. It meant that Sri Lanka would score about 40 runs fewer than what they seemed to be headed for in the 37th over. But such was the quality of Sri Lanka’s bowling, it mattered little.