Lankans win lions battle:
Dilshan and Tharanga steer Lanka into WC semis
Elmo RODRIGOPULLE
Sri Lanka’s poor catching when they dropped three, did not prove
costly as openers Upul Tharanga 102 and Tillekeratne Dilshan 108 put the
England bowlers to the sword with a swashbuckling stand of 231 in 39.3
overs to show more teeth and devour the British lions and beat them by
10 wickets in the 4th quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup at the R.
Premadasa Stadium under lights yesterday. Dilshan was awarded the man of
the match award for his brilliant performance with bat and ball.
After restricting England to 229 for six in 50 overs,Sri Lanka made
merry to make 231 for no loss and have a stroll in the Park.
Both scored well deserved centuries. Dilshan made 108 not out with 10
fours and two sixes in 115 balls and Tharanga 102 with 12 fours and a
six in 122 balls..
It was a merciless and well calculated attack from the first ball.
They did not allow the bowlers, both pace and spin to settle into a
length and crashing them to all parts of the field and over it as well
hoisted their 100- run stand in just 114 balls.
Tharanga was the more stylish and elegant looking, driving neatly on
either side and never hesitating to loft for boundaries. Dilshan was the
more aggressive, playing some eye catching drives between point and
cover. It was sad to watch the England bowlers toiling. Not one of them
looked threatening nor did they bowl with purpose looking for the all
important wickets.
England who gave to the world the wonderful game of cricket, have
again missed out on winning the World Cup again which must surely be
galling to them.
By doing so Sri Lanka will now meet New Zealand who scored an upset
victory over favourites South Africa in Mirpur on Friday in the first
semi-final at RPICS on Tuesday.
A gallant knock of 86 by one drop batsman Jonathan Trott supported by
Eoin Morgan who made 50, England made 229 for the loss of six wickets in
their 50 overs.
Trott was the rock on which the England inning was built. When
wickets were falling around him, he batted sensibly and in no hurry to
pile on the runs and make the England total a challenging one.
He pushed for singles and twos and hit only two boundaries. He was
caught at mid wicket by Mahela Jayawardena of Muralitheran. He faced 115
deliveries.
Muttiah Muralitheran who suffered owing to some poor catching took
two for 54 in 9 overs.
Left hander Eoin Morgan lived a charmed life. At 16 and the total on
129, going for a lofted drive Samaraweera dropped him in the covers off
Ajantha Mendis.
During the Trott - Eoin Morgan stand, the Lankan catching fell to
pieces with Morgan being dropped twice in the 38th over.
He was grassed by Mathews when on 33 at mid wicket and then one run
and two balls later he was dropped by a diving Herath at point.
Muralitheran was the bowler to suffer.
Butter fingered catching has no place in this style of game and
level.
Riding on his luck Morgan made a gallant 50 in 55 balls with 4 fours
and was involved in 4th wicket stand of 91 in 96 balls which steadied
the innings. His innings finally ended when Malinga had him caught at
mid wicket.
Greame Swann was sent ahead of Matt Prior for some quick runs.
But he did not bother the scorers going LBW to Mendis for a blob.
After a quiet opening, England lost opener Andrew Strauss who looked
hopelessly out of touch when he was bowled by a straight ball from
Tillekeratne Dilshan with the total on 29 for 5.
Two runs later the homesters had another success when Ian Bell who
was shaping well was caught at mid wicket by Thilan Samaraweera trying
to flick a ball off Angelo Mathews for 25.
At 31 for two England were off to a poor start. Ravi Bopara joined
Jonothan Trott and began repairing the innings with some correct but
slow batting.
After putting on 6 runs in 108 balls, Bopara went LBW to Muralitheran
attempting a cross bat shot for 31 in 56 balls with one four.
The wicket although on the slow side was not difficult and it was
irresponsible shots that led to the demise of Strauss and Bell. The
Lankan bowlers were doing the right thing bowling wicket to wicket,
supported by some good ground fielding.
ENGLAND
A. Strauss b Dilshan 05 I. Bell c Samaraweera b Mathews 25 J. Trott c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 86 R. Bopara lbw b Muralitharan 31 E. Morgan c Mathews b Malinga 50 G. Swann lbw b Mendis 00 M. Prior not out 22 L. Wright not out 01 Extras (lb3, w6) 09 Total (for six wkts; 50 overs) 229
Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Strauss), 2-31 (Bell), 3-95 (Bopara), 4-186
(Morgan), 5-186 (Swann), 6-212 (Trott).
Bowling: Malinga 10-0-46-1 (w2), Dilshan 6-1-25-1 (w1), Mathews
5-0-20-1, Herath 10-1-47-0, Mendis 10-0-34-1, Muralitharan 9-0-54-2 (w3).
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga not out 102 T. Dilshan not out 108 Extras (b9, lb6, w6) 21 Total (for no loss; 39.3 overs) 231
Bowling: Bresnen 8-1-40-0, Swann 9-0-61-0 (w2), Tremlett 7.3-0-38-0
(w2), Bopara 5-1-22-0, Tredwell 6-0-38-0, Wright 4-0-17-0 (w2).
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