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Untitled Document
 Sri Lanka crush Bermuda
16th Mar 2007 07:53 IST
Agencies
If reigning champions Australia were clinical, Sri Lanka were even better in demolishing the minnows.
The 1996 winners demolished cricket babes Bermuda by 243 runs in the Group 'B' one-dayer of the World Cup Thursday, bettering the Aussies' 203-run win over Scotland for the second largest margin of victory in the quadrennial event.
Electing to bat, the Lankans rode on half-centuries from captain Mahela Jayawardene (85), Kumar Sangakkara (76) and Chamara Silva (55 no) to post a daunting 321/6 at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad.
Pacers Lasith Malinga (3/10) and Farveez Maharoof (4/23) then blasted the Bermuda batting and bundled them out for 78 in only 24.4 overs.
It was the sixth lowest total and only the 11th instance of a team being bowled out for less than 100 runs in the World Cup's 32-year history.
Only two batsmen touched double figures, left-hander David Hemp made 14 and number 8 Lionel Cann 28. Extras of nine was the next highest score.
Jayawardene and his deputy Sangakkara toyed with the average bowling of the minnows.
Jayawardene made the most of two reprieves, one of them off the first ball he faced, he had to add 150 runs for the crucial third-wicket partnership with Sangakkara.
The duo helped the Lankan batting slip into the groove after the relatively cheap loss of openers Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya.
Chamara Silva cracked a 45-ball 55 towards the end to ensure the side got past the 300-mark.
Tharanga (30) and Jayasuriya (22) helped the side get off the starting blocks quickly but their dismissals allowed the Bermudians to dominate the proceedings for a while.
Overcast conditions gave some sideways movement to the bowlers and Bermuda, despite a few dropped catches and over throws, came up with a commendable fielding performance to check the run-flow.
Janeiro Tucker's two brilliant catches to dismiss Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan were the highlight of the Bermudians' spirited show.
But extras, as many as 30, were a problem for the underdogs with right arm seamer Hurdle conceding as many as 10 no balls and five wides.
Tharanga and Jayasuriya helped the Lankans get off the blocks quickly by putting on 62 runs for the opening stand from only 8.3 overs before the latter was dismissed.
Jayasuriya slashed at a wide delivery from Saleem Mukuddem for a brilliant catch at point by Oliver Pitcher.
The veteran left-hander struck three fours in his 26-ball knock.
Tharanga was caught behind off Kevin Hurdle when he tried to guide the right-arm seamer to fine leg. The southpaw faced 47 balls and hit a six and two fours.
The slow bowling of Janeiro Tucker and Dwayne Leverock somewhat kept Jayawardene and Sangakkara under leash but the class ultimately asserted itself.
Sangakkara stepped out to drive Tucker through cover and Jayawardene cut Leverock to signal their intent.
The skipper hit two sixes and six fours in all in his 90-ball knock while Sangakkara struck six boundaries.
Silva spit venom from the outset and his hurricane half-century studded with four fours meant the quick loss of Dilshan and Maharoof was hardly felt.
As with many a budding nation, Bermuda's batting craft left much to be desired and the high quality pace bowling of Malinga and Maharoof too good to cope up with for them.
With the innings only into the first over and the scoreboard yet to register a run, Chaminda Vaas trapped Clay Smith leg before with an inswinger.
Malinga then snared Saleem Mukuddem in the fourth over before packing off David Hemp and captain Irvine Romaine off successive deliveries in the eight.
Maharoof followed it up with the wickets of Oliver Pitcher and Dean Minors in the 12th over.
Jayawardene was adjudged the Man of the Match. |
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