Dhananjaya de Silva fell short of a deserved century, fashioning a fightback before Sri Lanka were bowled out 213 in their ICC World Cup Qualifier match against the Netherlands in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, but soon found themselves struggling at 34 for 4 inside seven overs.

De Silva showed the patience and restraint that most of the other top order batsmen failed to show, scoring 93 off 111 balls, and putting on two of Sri Lanka's most productive partnerships with Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. 

Dimuth Karunaratne was the next highest runs scorer with 33, putting together a partnership of 33 with de Silva, as the pair staged a recovery after Sri Lanka lost their first four wickets. 

De Silva scored the majority of the runs in a 29 run stand with Dasun Shanaka, but Sri Lanka's captain threw his wicket away, slog sweeping across to a delivery that kept low and crashed into his strumps. 

Hasaranga then put on a cameo with de Silva, scoring 20 odd 21, before their partnership of 35 was broken with the wicket of Hasaranga. 

Sri Lanka's most productive partnership, of 77 off 78 deliveries followed, as de Silva and Maheesh Theekshana ensured that a respective total would be achieved.

They took Sri Lanka beyond the 200-run mark, before Theekshana was dismissed for 28, before the innings was ended five runs later.