Sri vs Zim : Record stand by openers put Sri Lanka in quarters
Riding on a record World Cup stand of 282 by openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals with a 139-run victory over Zimbabwe in a Group A match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium here Thursday.
Dilshan hit 144 and Tharanga 133 as the co-hosts piled up 327 for six in 50 overs after being asked to bat. In reply, Zimbabwe failed to capitalise on a good start and were bowled out for 188 runs in 39 overs.
Dilshan attacked right from the start, dispatching three fours and a six to take 18 from the second over of the day, bowled by Tinashe Panyangara (0-51). Tharanga had largely played the supporting role during his 10th one-day hundred but nevertheless found the boundary 17 times.
The partnership, four short of the ODI record for the first wicket, was finally broken in the 45th over when Tharanga holed out off Chris Mpofu’s bowling.
Dilshan followed him soon. Having reached his ninth one-day century in 95 deliveries, the right-hander was out miscuing Prosper Utseya’s spin (1-50) high in the air the over after Tharanga
In pursuit of quick runs, Sri Lanka lost a flurry of late wickets was paceman Mpofu finished with 4-62.
Zimbabwe’s openers also made a strong start, Brendan Taylor (80) and Regis Chakabva (35) bringing up a century stand of their own inside 17 overs. But Chakabva’s dismissal, bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan in the 20th over, triggered the a collapse from 116-0 to 188 all out.
Dilshan also narrowly missed out on a hat-trick on the way to career-best figures of 4-4 from three overs.
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