Ekana Stadium, Lucknow Pitch Report & Weather Forecast for NED vs SL ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Match 19

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Ekana Stadium in Lucknow is set to host it's third match in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 when a confident Netherlands side will take on Sri Lanka in match 19 on Saturday (October 21).

Netherlands head into the match on the back of their first victory in the ongoing tournament - an upset win over South Africa in the truncated match at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, while Sri Lanka suffered their third successive defeat against Australia in Lucknow.

Both teams have played their matches on different surfaces. Scott Edwards' Netherlands faced Pakistan and New Zealand on a batting friendly track in Hyderabad before they faced South Africa on a challenging wicket in Dharamsala.

Kusal Mendis-led Sri Lanka, on the other hand, played South Africa on a belter and played their next game also on a batting friendly wicket against Pakistan in Hyderabad before they struggled to get more runs on the board in Lucknow against Australia.

The two matches hosted at the Ekana Stadium has seen mixed results so far with the first match seeing a team stutter in a steep run chase, and the second saw the team batting first struggle to get runs on the board.

Also one of the matches in Lucknow saw a small stoppage due to rain. Plus, Netherlands saw their most recent match affected by rain. So with some parts of India witnessing rain over the last few days, will rain play spoilsport? And how will the wicket play in Ekana Stadium?

Here is a look at the Australia vs Sri Lanka match details like the Lucknow Weather Forecast and BRSABV Ekana Stadium Pitch Report for the NED vs SL ICC World Cup 2023 Match 19:

Lucknow Weather Forecast on October 21 For NED vs SL World Cup Match

AccuWeather predicts plenty of sunshine with temperatures at 26° C during the start of the day match which is likely to see the temperature touch 31° C in the closing stages. There is no threat of rain on October 21 and in the lead up to the match. So, rain will not play spoilsport in NED vs SL.

Dew has been a factor in the later stages of the match at this venue, which had been known for producing some low-scoring games in the limited matches hosted here till the first match saw a team cross 300-run mark. So, will the wicket be a similar one or the one used in the second game?

Ekana Stadium Pitch Report For NED vs SL ICC World Cup 2023 Match

The wickets at the Ekana Stadium had produced many low-scoring games, favouring the spin or slower bowlers. But the wickets being used for the World Cup are fresh and prepared using black soil, which showed some sort of life at least in the first innings of AUS vs SA match.

However, in the second match, Sri Lanka managed to post just 209 with Australian spinners dominating the match. In response, Australia chased down the target with 14.4 overs to spare.

Overall, the average score batting first in the six ODIs at this venue bumped to 208 from 188. Also, the team batting first and chasing have shared three wins each so far. With NED vs SL being a day game, the wicket is expected to remain same. Plus, dew is also unlikely to be a factor.

So, the captain winning the toss may be open to either option. Spinners and pacers have also had almost equal share of wickets. Sri Lanka will be tempted to bat first to avoid Netherlands causing another upset as they search for their first win in the tournament.