Courtesy - The Island Rex Clementine reporting from Suriyawewa
The Associate Member of the International Cricket Council may be protesting against the decision to scrap their participation in the next Cricket World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, but they have hardly done anything to prove that they belong to the elite league, by the second day of the 2011 competition.
Hours after Kenya were bowled out for 69 runs in Chennai by New Zealand, Canada crashed to a 210 run defeat, the seventh heaviest in World Cup history, as Sri Lanka proved why they are one of the favouirtes at the 2011 Cricket World Cup, with a comprehensive win at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Suriyawewa, on Sunday.
The victory is Sri Lanka’s second largest in World Cups and their fourth biggest in ODIs as they posted a massive 332 for seven in 50 overs before dismissing the tourists for 122 in 36.5 overs.
Read more Sri Lanka were set up by a 179 run stand for the third wicket off 137 deliveries by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Jayawardene, who scored his half-century in 40 balls, reached his second World Cup hundred in 80 deliveries, the fastest century in a World Cup match by a Sri Lankan, improving on Sanath Jayasuriya’s 85 ball knock against Bangladesh in the last tournament.
Jayawardene hit nine fours and a six before falling immediately after reaching three figures. Sunday’s knock was his 13th ODI hundred.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara was looking solid to score his first World Cup hundred, but was dismissed for 92 when John Davison took a return catch. Sangakkara’s 92 came in 87 balls with nine fours and a six.
After the dismissal of the two senior batsmen, Thisara Perera (11), Angelo Mathews (21) and Chamara Kapugedara (02) were dismissed in quick succession. Thilan Samaraweera was unbeaten on 18 off 10 deliveries. Sri Lanka’s total of 332 for seven is their second highest in World Cups.
Perera came in for the side in place of Lasith Malinga, who was nursing a back strain and bowled well picking up three wickets. He dismissed the dangerous John Davison, who held the record for the fastest hundred in World Cups, when he went through his defence off the first ball of the second over in the innings and could have had a second wicket immediately, but Thilan Samaraweera at first slip failed to hold onto the chance by Zubin Surkari.
Perera finished with three for 23, while Nuwan Kulasekara claimed three for 16.
There was not much resistance by the Canadian batsmen and Rizwan Cheema towards the end provided some entertainment hitting 37 runs off 25 balls with four fours and two sixes, both off the world’s highest wicket taker, Muttiah Muralitharan.
The first ever international match at Suriyawewa was witnessed by a full house, who cheered every move of the home team.
Sri Lanka will now leave for Colombo to prepare for their next game on Saturday against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
