Sanath Jayasuriya clubbed a vintage hundred and Sri Lanka all but ended the West Indies’ World Cup semifinal hopes with a 113-run Super Eights win on Sunday.
Jayasuriya’s 115 from 101 balls and his 183-run third-wicket partnership with skipper Mahela Jayawardene (82) set up Sri Lanka’s imposing 303 for five.
The West Indies had never chased more than 300 to win a limited-overs international and its chances this time were scuppered when Brian Lara was stumped for two to make the total 42-3 in the 11th over.
The hosts were dismissed for 190 in 44.3 overs, with Jayasuriya taking 3-38 in 8.3 overs.
Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul (76) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (44) offered any decent resistance, albeit at a slow run-rate.
With heavy losses to Australia, New Zealand and now Sri Lanka, West Indies’ semifinal prospects rely on it winning its next three matches and results of other matches falling its way.
After a promising start, having Sri Lanka in trouble at 35-2 in the ninth over, the West Indies’ fielding deteriorated, the extras mounted up and the batting failed again.
Guyana’s National Stadium, purpose-built for the first World Cup in the Caribbean, was almost full after disappointingly small crowds at previous matches.
The 12 208-strong crowd was hushed by Jayasuriya’s 25th hundred in one-day internationals, and almost silenced during the West Indies’ reply.
Lasith Malinga had Chris Gayle (10) out misjudging a slower ball to Dilhara Fernando at mid-on with the total at 20. Makeshift opener Dwayne Bravo scored 21 before he played on to a ball from Chaminda Vaas.
Kumar Sangakkara’s sharp stumping, standing up to the left-arm seamer Vaas, caught Lara out with his back foot hovering over the crease.
The required run-rate soared above 10 with Chanderpaul and Sarwan inching along against the slow bowlers — with 102 balls between boundaries until Chanderpaul’s slashing four against Fernando in the 25th over.
The 92-run fourth-wicket stand ended when Sangakkara stumped Sarwan (44) off Jayasuriya’s bowling in the 33rd over.
Chanderpaul brought up his 50 from 94 balls with a six over mid-wicket off Muttiah Muralitharan during a stage when the West Indies lost its last seven wickets for 56 runs.
He hit his fifth six of the 110-ball innings, lofting Malinga behind square, before he was yorked on the next ball.
Malinga’s second wicket made him the leading bowler so far in the tournament with 13.
Jayasuriya’s innings was a contrast to Chanderpaul’s. After a cautious start, the veteran Sri Lankan reached his 100 from 86 balls.
His 18 runs off the 18th over took him past Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq to No. 2 in the list of most prolific batsmen in ODIs, behind only India’s Sachin Tendulkar.
Jayasuriya, one of four survivors of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winning team, now has 11 816 and Tendulkar has 14 847. Both have played 384 matches.
Jayasuriya was finally out when he played on to a ball from Powell in the 39th over and he was followed by Jayawardene, who only added three after he was dropped by Smith on 79.
Tillekaratne Dilshan finished unbeaten on 39 from 22 balls, benefiting from some sloppy West Indies fielding to get four on the penultimate ball and smashing a six to finish.
The win moved Sri Lanka to four points after two of its six Super 8s matches. It carried two points forward from the group stage and lost by one wicket to South Africa to start the second round. – Sapa-AP