Sri Lanka and Netherlands secure spot in Super 12

Mendis fires Sri Lanka past Netherlands into T20 World Cup Super 12.

Opener Kusal Mendis slammed a 44-ball 79 as Asian champions Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 16 runs to sweep into the Super 12 stage of the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday.

The world’s eighth-ranked team plundered 162-6, blasting 102 of them off the final 10 overs to set up a big target which the Dutch were unable to reach, finishing on 146-9.

In which Super 12 group they play is still to be determined.

It is the third successive time Sri Lanka have reached the Super 12 and they will be hoping to repeat their heroics from 2014, when Dinesh Chandimal skippered them to the title.

Meanwhile, in the second match of the day, UAE beat Namibia by 7 runs at the Simonds Stadium in Geelong to win their first-ever match at a T20 World Cup.

It means Netherlands and Sri Lanka have qualified for Super 12 stage from Group A.

Chasing 149, Namibia collapsed dramatically as its pursuit of a second consecutive Super 12 appearance came crashing. David Wiese kept the Eagles in the hunt with a composed half-century but his dismissal in the final over of the run chase was the final nail in the coffin.