All-round Dilshan sets up easy SL win
Tilkeratne Dilshan followed up his blistering century with a four wicket haul to help his win group A game against Zimbabwe by a big margin of 139 runs at Pallekele Stadium, Kandy.
The win takes home side to the top of the table and seals a quarter-final berth for them.
His bowling spell that read 4 wickets for four runs in three overs was instrumental in Zimbabwean collapse during their chase of a big total of 328 runs.
Zimbabwe started off the chase in an aggressive fashion reaching 116 runs with both openers intact in 20th over but Dilshan and Murlitharan shared seven between two of them that forced Zimbabwe to slump to 188 all out.
Brendon Taylor and RW Chakabwa gave Zimbabwe a chance stroking some beautiful shots against Sri Lankan opening bowlers taking attack to the Malinga and company.
Taylor was an aggressive out of two scoring his 80 runs off 72 balls playing some innovative strokes while hitting nine fours and a six over mid-wicket. Chakabwa was very patient making sure Taylor got more strike but once he was bowled by Murlitharan, Zimbabwean chase receded.
Angelo Mathews removed Taibu and Taylor in a quick succession to dash Zimbabwean hopes and Dilshan made it worse for African side getting Lamb and Ervine on two successive deliveries giving him a chance to take hat trick.
He got close to getting one but Jayawardene failed to hold on to a regulation catch in the slips off Cremer’s edge depriving Dilshan from a well deserved milestone.
Murlitharan, who was playing for the last time on his home ground, baffled batsmen with his off-spinners and doosras and claimed three wickets including the last Zimbabwean wicket to have fallen.
Sri Lankan ground fielding and catching was very poor with Lasith Malinga lacking rhythm in his bowling.
Earlier Sri Lankan openers put up a record opening partnership in the world cup to power their team to a mammoth total of 327 runs.
Tilkeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga combined together to amass 282 runs-best opening partnership in the world cup history-for the first wicket to punish hapless Zimbabwean bowling. Things could have been lot worse for Zimbabwe, who opted to field first, had Lanka not lost six quick wickets in a heap once for 26 runs once openers were separated.
Read the rest of article on page 2
