Sun, 20 Feb 2011-Sri Lanka vs Canada World Cup 2011-3rd match Group A-Bulletin

SL crush feeble Canada

Sunday didn’t prove a good one for the minnows. After New Zealand handed over a crushing defeat to Kenya, it was Sri Lanka to score a comprehensive win over another minnow cricket team, Canada.

Lankan bowlers followed up a good show of their batsmen led by a record century from the  vice captain Mahela Jayewardene  by displaying a disciplined and aggressive bowling effort to help their side to a massive 210 run victory in their first group A  world cup match at Hambantota Stadium which hosted its first ever one day International.

Chasing a huge target of 333 runs, Canadian inexperienced batting lineup capitulated to the new pair bowling of Kulasekra and young Perrera who both extracted uneven bounce and movement off the pitch. The pair shared six wickets between two of them.

Canadian chase was dented early in the piece with Perrera removing dangerous John Davisson in the second with that jagged back to hit his off-stump and followed up with another wicket in his next over. In between, Kulasekra also nipped out a wicket and removed another two in his comeback spell putting Canadian batting effort in shambles.

With threat of rain looming large Sanga brought spinners on as early as in sixth over to get mandatory 20 overs done for a game to get results and once that period was over, he called his seamers back into the attack who responded to their skipper’s call.

Only batsman to offer some resistance was hard hitting Rizwan Cheema who lived up to his reputation by belting two big sixes off Murlitharan. Murli had a last laugh though removing Rizwan and following up another wicket.

It was, however, batting partnership between two of the senior players, Jayewardene and skipper Sangakara that fashioned out Lankan victory. The duo put on 179 runs off 137 balls for the third wicket with Jayewardene scoring fastest century-fourth in overall list- for Srilanka in the world cup.

Coming to the crease after the fall of Dilshan’s wicket, Mahela looked to maneuver the field right from the word to give impetus to the innings which was meandering before his arrival.

He played all the shots in the book, mixing them with some innovative strokes. Pulling and cutting the short balls, driving and flicking full ones but it was his reverse sweeping and paddle-sweeping that stood out, bringing the record century in just 80 balls punctuated with 9 fours and one six.

On the other end, Sangakara was sedate and rusty to start with but with Jayewardene toying with bowlers he was happy to play a second fiddle to his deputy. Once settled, he unfurled a wide range of strokes both unorthodox and copy book style ones.

Skipper, however, was unlucky to miss out on a hundred when he returned a catch to gentle off spin of John Davison at the individual score of 92 coming off 87 balls.

Canadian bowlers were disciplined in the first half of the innings conceding just 122 runs picking up both openers on the way but were found wanting against Sanga and Jayewardene as Sri Lanka scored 210 runs in the later half.

For Canada Davison and Baidwan took two wickets a piece and were instrumental in keeping Sri Lankan late order under check.

Openers gave home team a steady start with Dilshan scoring nearly run ball fifty before holed out at cover point off Cheema by Davison. He played some exquisite drives and cut with the authority to set a platform for his senior men to amass a big total.

He was, however, involved in a mix up that resulted in the run-out of Tharanga by not responding to his partners call for a single.

Canada received a setback in the field with their premier fast bowler, Osinde getting injured only after bowling 13 deliveries.

Man of the Match: Mahela Jayewardene (Sri Lanka)

Perrera adds to Canada’s miseries 

Canada were proving to be no match for Sri Lanka at the half stage in  their massive run chase losing six of its wickets just 69 runs.

After conceding 332 runs in their bowling effort, it was Sri Lankan bowling that proved too hot for the South American side losing first three wickets under four overs for 12 runs.

Lankan bowling performance was led by young all rounder Perrera who took three wickets for 24 overs in seven overs removing both openers and coming back to remove Canadian captain getting him caught behind.

Kulasekara and part-time Samraweera were other successful bowlers fowling up the brilliant terrific performance of their batsmen and adding to Canadian miseries.

Canadian chase in tatters

Sri Lanka are already sniffing a big victory after getting three Canadian wickets inside first fifteen overs of the chase for just 36 runs.

For Canada, their captian Ashish Bagai was batting with Hansra.

Canadian reply to the mammoth target of 333 runs got off to a bizarre start with three of their top order batsmen losing their wickets in first 4 overs of the chase.

All rounder Perrera got senior batsman Davison off his first ball by one that jagged back to hit his off-stump and got his second by getting Surkari leg before in his second over.

Kulasekra joined the party by removing Sri Lankan born Gunasekra caught at cover to leave the chase in tatters.

With threat of rain looming large, Sangakara brought his spinners just after fifth over to make sure that mandatory 20 over for a result in the game are bowled.

Jayewardene ton powers Sri Lanka to big total

A marathon partnership between two of the senior players, Jayewardene and skipper Sangakara in Srilankan helped the team to a huge total of 332 runs against the minnows Canada in their first group A match at newly constructed Hambantota Cricket Stadium.

The duo put on 179 runs off 137 balls for the third wicket with Jayewardene scoring fastest century for Srilanka in the world cup.

Coming to the crease after the fall of Dilshan’s wicket, Mahela looked to maneuver © eContent.in