Ljs: Mahela Jayawardene hits a century as Sri Lanka crush Canada

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Mahela Jayawardene hits a century as Sri Lanka crush Canada

? Sri Lanka 332-7 (50 overs); Canada 122 (36.5 overs)
? Sri Lanka win by 210 runs

Sri Lanka got their World Cup campaign off to a flier with a comprehensive 210-run win against Canada in their Group A game at Hambantota. Batting first, the Lions amassed 332 for seven in 50 overs thanks to Mahela Jayawardene's century and a 179-run third-wicket stand he shared with his captain, Kumar Sangakkara (92).

In reply Canada slumped to 53 for five and Rizwan Cheema's quickfire 37 merely delayed the inevitable, as Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekara took three wickets each to bowl their opponents out for 122 with 13 overs to spare.

Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 63 for the opening wicket before a horrible miscommunication left Tharanga run out for 19. Dilshan reached 50 in 58 deliveries but Cheema forced a mistimed drive from the right-hander to have him caught by John Davison at deep cover.

Jayawardene steadied the innings alongside Sangakkara and reached his own 50 with a boundary off Davison. The pair frustrated Canada's bowlers with their patient strokeplay and Sangakkara, too, reached 50 with a boundary that took the partnership past 100.

The Sri Lanka captain fell eight short of his 100 in the 42nd over, caught and bowled tamely off Davison before Jayawardene reached his hundred with a single. He, too, was showing signs of fatigue and a hopeful sweep off Davison only found Balaji Rao at short fine-leg.

Canada's start was in stark contrast to Sri Lanka's as they fell to 12 for three with Davison (nought), Ruvindu Gunasekara (one) and Zubin Surkari departing in successive overs and Perera and Kulasekara doing the damage between them.

Canada's woes were compounded when Jimmy Hansra (nine) was deceived by Thillan Samaraweera's flighted delivery to be stumped and the captain, Ashish Bagai ? who had survived two Umpire Decision Review System reversals ? became Perera's third victim, caught behind for 22.

Cheema showed flashes of brilliance but Kulasekara snapped up the wickets of Tyson Gordon (four) and Khurram Chohan (four), both caught behind. Cheema worked hard for his 37 off 35 balls, even hitting Muttiah Muralitharan for two sixes, but the spinner finally had his man caught off a slog by Jayawardene, with the last two wickets then falling for 19 more.

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