Jayasuriya Inspires Sri Lanka

• Cricket365
• March 21, 2007

Sanath Jayasuriya plundered 109 as Sri Lanka crushed Bangladesh by 198 runs in their Group D clash in Trinidad.

Sanath Jayasuriya's 24th one-day international century was the highlight of Sri Lanka's convincing defeat of Bangladesh at the Queen's Park Oval – a result which effectively seals their place in the Super Eight stage of the World Cup.
Jayasuriya scored 109 off 87 balls as Sri Lanka totalled 318 for four – a score which proved far too testing for their opponents.
Bangladesh were eventually dismissed for 112, chasing a revised target of 311 after a 30-minute rain delay, giving Sri Lanka a convincing 198-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Kumar Sangakkara (56) and Chamara Silva (57) also hit half-centuries after the victors lost the toss and were told to bat.
Jayasuriya enjoyed partnerships of 98 for the first wicket with Upul Tharanga and then 39 for the second with captain Mahela Jayawardene before he was forced to retire after suffering with cramps.
He returned at the fall of Sangakkara's wicket to reach his hundred and shared another 39 for the fourth wicket with Silva.
Bangladesh looked a shadow of the team which beat India by five wickets on Monday and never got the early success they were hoping for after winning the toss.
The 37-year-old Jayasuriya – part of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning team – blasted his way to 50 off just 43 balls, hitting four sixes and four fours.
He reached the landmark with consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, over long-off and then midwicket.
He and Tharanga (26) looked untroubled as they took Sri Lanka to 50 off just 53 balls.
Tharanga hit three fours in his 37-ball innings before Mohammad Rafique's secod ball broke the partnership.
Tharanga cut at the left-arm finger spinner and Aftab Ahmed took the catch on the second attempt at point.
Jayasuriya and Jayawardene took their team past the 100 after 89 balls and added 38 together before rain forced the players off the field for 32 minutes.
On the resumption, Jayasuriya retired after just one over, without facing a ball.
He struck four sixes and six fours in his 77-ball stay at the wicket.
Jayawardene – dropped by Habibul Bashar on 24 – and Sangakkara extended the second wicket partnership to 104 with the captain getting 46.
He brought up his team's 200 in the 35th over with a six off Saqibul Hasan but the spinner had him caught by Aftab, running in from the boundary in the same over as Sri Lanka reached 202 for two.
Sangakkara and Silva added another 59 before Sangakkara's 55-ball innings ended when Tamin took a good catch to give Syed Rasel his first wicket of the tournament. He struck three fours and one six.
Jayasuriya then resumed his innings and blasted his way to his hundred off just 85 balls, hitting Razzak into the stands at midwicket to reach the landmark.
He celebrated with another six over long-off and was dismissed with the following ball when he attempted a reverse sweep and was caught by Bashar at short third man.
Silva faced 48 balls and struck five fours and two sixes in his whirlwind innings.
Bangladesh were soon in trouble when Shahriar Nafees was trapped by a Chaminda Vaas delivery in the very first over.
Tamim Iqbal (six) followed soon after, and when Aftab (12) became Lasith Malinga's second victim in the eighth over – Jayasuriya providing the catch – Bangladesh were 20 for three.
Just six runs were added before Tillakaratne Dilshan caught Mushfiqur Rahim (six) off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof.
Hasan became Muttiah Muralitharan's only victim of the match in the 17th over, leaving Bangladesh with half their side out for 41.
Bashar was run out by Jayawardene for 18, with the score on 66, and 14 runs later Mortaza went for seven, caught by Tharanga off the bowling of Russel Arnold.
Rafique had made the same score when he was caught by Maharoof off the bowling of Dilshan, and 10 runs later with the score on 111 Abdur Razzak became Malinga's third victim when Sangakkara caught him behind off the second ball he faced.
The contest was all over soon after when Rasel was run out by Dilshan, leaving Mohammad Ashraful unbeaten on 45 – and Sri Lanka convincing victors.
The defeat leaves Bangladesh and India – who they beat on Saturday – in a battle for qualification.
Only a victory will do for India against Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh need to defeat Bermuda to keep alive their hopes of qualification.