Huge Victory For Sri Lanka

• Cricket365
• March 16, 2007

Sri Lanka crushed Bermuda by 243 runs in their Group B clash at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Thursday.

Sri Lanka romped to a 243-run victory over Bermuda in the opening match in Group B of the World Cup on Thursday.
The Asian side piled up 321 for six after winning the toss and choosing to bat in Port of Spain, with captain Mahela Jayawardene (85) and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara (76) leading the way.
The total proved far too much for Bermuda, who were skittled out for just 78 in 24.4 overs.
Bermuda had no answer for the swing bowling of Farveez Maharoof (four wickets for 23 runs), Lasith Malinga (three for 10) and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (two for 28).
Chaminda Vaas (one for 11) removed Clay Smith for a duck with the fifth ball of the innings before Malinga sliced through the middle in a five-over spell in which there were two maidens.
He had Saleem Mukuddem caught for nought by Sangakkara with the first ball of his second over to leave Bermuda two for two.
Malinga then produced a brutish delivery which leapt at David Hemp (14).
The Glamorgan batsman could only fend at the ball which took his bat and landed in the safe hands of Jayawardene at third slip.
Bermuda were then 20 for three and they lost their fourth wicket with the next ball as Malinga trapped skipper Irving Romaine without scoring,
Maharoof then bowled opener Oliver Pitcher (six) and had Dean Minors (four) caught at the wicket to leave Bermuda in all sorts of trouble on 29 for six.
Janeiro Tucker (four) misread Muralitharan's doosra and was bowled to make it 39 for seven before Lionel Cann (28) and Delyone Borden (six) put on the best partnership of the innings, adding 25 for the eighth wicket.
However Maharoof removed both, leaving Muralitharan to end the innings by trapping Russell Leverock (one).
Earlier Sri Lanka's score was built around half-centuries from Jayawardene (85), Sangakkara (76) and Chamara Silva (55 not out).
Jayawardene and Sangakkara added 150 runs for the third wicket in just 165 balls to lay the foundation for their team's dominance.
The pair came together after Sri Lanka had lost openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Thuranga by the 12th over.
Jayasuriya (22) and Thuranga gave the innings a flying start, hitting 62 off eight overs before the former's 27-ball innings ended when he cut medium-pacer Mukuddem and Pitcher took a low catch at point.
Thuranga (30) went with the score on 78, trying to work fast bowler Kevin Hurdle down to fine leg but only succeeding in glancing the ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Minors.
Jayawardene should have been caught off the first ball he faced but the portly Leverock, at slip, could not hold on to a straightforward chance – Mukuddem the luckless bowler.
Thereafter, he and Sangakkara took charge, playing cautiously at first before blossoming into some classical strokeplay.
Their first 50 runs took 88 balls but the pair picked up the pace to hammer the next 100 runs from just 77 deliveries.
Sangakkara, who struck six fours, batted for 105 minutes and faced 82 balls before he was superbly caught on the midwicket boundary by Tucker off Leverock's left-arm spin.
Jayawardene followed 39 runs later at 267, attempting to hit the off-spin of Cann over midwicket only to see Hurdle run in from the boundary to take a well-judged catch.
He struck six fours and two sixes and faced 92 balls in his 139 minutes at the wicket.
Silva then took charge, running well between the wickets and hitting just three boundaries as he and the rest of the batsmen added 54 in the final 7.5 overs. Silva faced just 45 balls and batted for 46 minutes.
He lost Tillakaratne Dilshan (12) at 305, and Maharoof at 316 but by then Sri Lanka were firm favourites to cruise to their eventual victory.
Mukuddem took two for 50 from his 10 overs while Hurdle ended with two for 67.
The next match in this group takes place on Saturday, when India play Bangladesh.
Bermuda face India on Monday, before Sri Lanka and Bangladesh clash on Wednesday.