T20 World Cup 2022: Top 3 batting performances from Round 1 of the tournament
After six days of exciting cricket in the preliminary round, four of the eight nations have qualified for the Super 12s of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Ireland, and Zimbabwe did a wonderful job to secure their spot in the next round.
Sri Lanka and Ireland have now drawn in Group 1 alongside Australia, England, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. Ireland and Zimbabwe have joined India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh in Group 2 of the tournament.
Packed with stunning cricket and some astonishing results, the preliminary round of the T20 World Cup 2022 saw some great batting performances. The pitches in Hobart and Geelong, which had some pace and bounce, were rather good for the batters.
In a total of 12 fixtures, as many as 3,346 runs were scored by the eight competing teams combined.
With that being said, let's take a look at the top three batting performances from Round 1 of the T20 World Cup 2022.
#3 79 off 44 balls - Kusal Mendis (SL) vs The Netherlands
Kusal Mendis is named the Player of the Match for his fiery knock 🔥
#NEDvSL #T20WorldCup #CricketTwitter https://t.co/Z5hY6y52Ft
In what was a must-win game for Sri Lanka against The Netherlands, their opening batter Kusal Mendis performed exceedingly well and starred with the bat.
After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka lost two wickets early on before Mendis and Charith Asalanka began to recover the Lankan innings. The third-wicket pair took their side from an underwhelming 36-2 to 92-2. While Asalanka scored 31 off 30 balls, Mendis kept finding boundaries at will.
On a ground where hitting boundaries square of the wicket was easier, the Dutch bowlers missed the trick and kept dishing out short stuff to Mendis, who duly dispatched fours and sixes over the square leg region. The 27-year old nearly carried his bat, falling for a well-made 79 (off 44 balls) in the 20th over and helping his side reach a par total of 162.
Mendis' stellar innings was laced with five boundaries and as many sixes.
Sri Lanka eventually won the game by 16 runs despite a valiant effort by Max ODowd (71* off 53).
#2 82 off 48 - Sikandar Raza (ZIM) vs Ireland
Zimbabwe’s main-man Sikandar Raza carried his side towards a respectable total 🔥🏏
📸: ICC
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During Zimbabwe's opening game against Ireland in Hobart, Sikandar Raza put on an outstanding showing to script an amazing win for Zimbabwe.
Irish skipper Andy Balbirnie opted to field after winning the toss and his bowlers responded well as they reduced Zimbabwe to 37/3 within the powerplay. It was vital for Zimbabwe to get a partnership going after those early wickets and they got exactly that as Raza and Sean Williams put on a stand of 42 runs for the fourth wicket.
Williams was dismissed in the 11th over which pushed Zimbabwe backwards in the game but there was no stopping Raza who went completely berserk. Raza continued his onslaught from the other end despite wickets continuing to fall at one end. The 36-year-old kept cruising along, leaving the Ireland bowlers with no defense against his assault.
The veteran all-rounder led Zimbabwe to a score of 174/7, which seemed improbable at one stage, with his 82 from 48 deliveries, an innings that included five fours and as many sixes.
Ireland's chase never got going as they kept losing wickets against the Zimbabwe pacers, who reduced them to 22/4 in just four overs. A 42-run partnership was then added for the fifth wicket before Zimbabwean spinners got into the act. EIn the end Ireland could only score 143-9 in their 20 overs, losing the game by 31 runs.
#1 72* off 32 - Curtis Campher (IRE) vs Scotland
Curtis Campher is named the Player of the Match for his brilliant match-winning performance! 👏🇮🇪
📸: ICC
#SCOvIRE #T20WorldCup #CricketTwitter https://t.co/5nt3BNOPTD
After Ireland's drubbing at the hands of Zimbabwe, they needed a sparkling performance in their next game against Scotland, who had upset the two-time champions West Indies in their opening clash. Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher put on one of the best batting performances in a T20 World Cup chase to help his team pull off an improbable victory.
After deciding to bat first, Scotland notched up 176 runs in their first innings. Scottish opener Michael Jones' brilliant display of batting saw him score his maiden T20I fifty and mount a well-made 55-ball 86.
Set with a tall target in a do-or-die encounter, Ireland's hopes were pinned to the top-order for a good response but were left disappointed. All four of Andy Balbernie, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector were back in the pavilion when Ireland still required 116 runs in their last 60 balls.
THERE IT IS!
Curtis Campher and George Dockrell, wow 🙌
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At 61-4, the chase looked dead and buried. But then came Campher with renewed vigor and vitality. The right-hander counter-attacked and left the Scots in disarray.
It all started in the 13th over when Mark Watt conceded 18 runs and there was no stopping Ireland after that. Everything Campher touched turned to gold and, in George Dockrell, he found an ideal ally. Dockrell ran hard, converted ones into twos, and also kept the boundaries coming almost every over.
Campher played a breathtaking knock out of nowhere and kept playing his shots which added more pressure on the Scottish bowlers. The pair put on an unbeaten 119-run partnership in just 57 balls under pressure for the fifth wicket and took their side home.
Campher remained unbeaten on 72 off 32 balls, with seven fours and two sixes in his magnificent innings, while Dockrell played well for his unbeaten 39 off 27 balls with four fours and a six.