Sri Lankan cricket fans were happy that their team held lightly regarded Canada to a record-low 36 runs in their World Cup match on Wednesday, saying it would give the team confidence going into tougher matches ahead.
”Canada is inexperienced, (but) still they are an international side. The credit cannot be taken away from our cricketers,” said Zuhry, a marketing representative who only gave his first name.
He said the performance helped some bowlers gain confidence for the big games against the West Indies on Feb. 28 and South Africa on March 3.
”We can only hope that the team continue the winning streak,” Sri Lankan cricket board chief executive Anura Tennakoon said on Wednesday.
”Canada was able to beat Bangladesh, a full member nation. In that context this is a very good performance,” he said. Canada defeated Bangladesh by 60 runs on February 11.
Yet some Sri Lanka fans weren’t impressed after their team on Wednesday held the Canadians to 36 runs — lowest total ever in the World Cup and in limited-over international cricket — en route to a nine-wicket victory inside five overs at Paarl, South Africa.
Canada set the previous World Cup record low when it scored just 45 runs against England in 1979, its last appearance in cricket’s premier event.
”The performance is good, but there is a huge difference when minnows play against the experienced” teams, said Mohammed Shafeen, a 25-year-old computer systems administrator.
”The record cannot be rated high because Sri Lanka played against an inexperienced side,” said Lawrence Francis, an employee at an advertising firm. – Sapa-AP