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New Zealand's left-arm pacer Trent Boult became the first Kiwi bowler to claim 50 wickets in the ODI World Cup following his economical spell against Sri Lanka on Thursday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here.
Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis became his 50th victim in the ODI World Cup, that too in just 28 innings. Only Australia's Mitchell Starc (19) and former Sri Lanka speedster Lasith Malinga (25) have managed to claim 50 wickets in fewer innings than him. Boult's 50th wicket also made him just the sixth bowler to do so in the ODI World Cup. Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath is the leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup with 71 scalps to his name. He also became the third Blackcaps bowler to have more than 600 wickets in international cricket. New Zealand's star-studded pace bowling attack set the tone of the game picking up early wickets restricting Sri Lanka's hopes of putting up a massive score. Before the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were down by five wickets after putting up a score of 74 runs on the board. Boult set the tone of the game by conceding just a single run in the first over. Tim Southee made the most of the available opportunity and made most of it by dismissing Pathum Nissanka for a score of 2(8). Boult made his mark in the match in the fourth over by dismissing out-of-form Kusal Mendis 6(7), continuing his horror show at the ongoing World Cup. In the same over Sadeera Samarawickrama (1) went down while attempting to play a stroke and found a thick edge which carried straight to Daryl Mitchell at the wide slip. Kusal Perera on the other end continued to find boundaries trying to keep Sri Lanka's run flow while wickets continued to tumble down on the other end. He brought up his fifty with a beautiful drive in Lockie Ferguson's over. Boult continued to take wickets with Charith Asalanka (8) becoming his latest victim. The left-handed batter failed to read the line and got trapped in front of wickets. Ferguson rubbed salt on Sri Lanka's wounds by claiming set batter Perera's wicket who was looking to end the powerplay on a high note. Perera tried to clear the boundary but launched the ball high in the air and ended up in Mitchell Santner's hands at covers. Wickets continued to tumble down as the middle-order batters failed to stitch up a partnership that could bring the Lions back into the game. Maheesh Theekshana and Dilshan Madushanka combined together to put up 43 runs on the board for the final wicket and take Sri Lanka's score to 171. Boult was the pick of the bowlers as he ended with a figure of 3-37 in 10 overs. (ANI)
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