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Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from South Africa and Kenya

BLOEMFONTEIN, Tuesday - There was relief in the Sri Lanka camp after they had got through their first hurdle of the 2003 cricket World Cup with a convincing 47-run win over New Zealand here yesterday. It was a must-win situation for both sides and that Sri Lanka came up trumps and took four points from that game has given the team the morale booster they have been looking for to go through the rest of the tournament.

Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya once again led from the front executing a fine century and then picking up a wicket to make his own contribution to his side's fine victory.

However at the post match press conference there was hardly any emotions on Jayasuriya's face although coach Dav Whatmore was beaming.

Jayasuriya said that had he won the toss he would not have hesitated to bat first because it was a good batting pitch, although it later became slow and turned a bit.

He said the exposure they got from playing in South Africa and Australia prior to the World Cup, were beginning to show.

"Although we didn't perform all that well, we are now beginning to reap the rewards of playing under those conditions," said Jayasuriya.

He said that he was not disappointed that the rest of the batting apart from him and Hashan Tillakaratne who made an unbeaten 81, failed.

"If we play six batsmen we want at least two of them to get big runs. On this occasion it was me and Hashan, the others of course chipped in not with big scores. But you have to accept that," said Jayasuriya.

"Hashan has improved a lot at the no. 3 slot. He is more aggressive now and I am very happy the way he played today. There is more stability in the batting with him around," he said.

Whatmore said that he was smiling for the first time after a one-day game because there was no no-balls bowled.

The Sri Lankan bowlers especially the faster ones, were guilty of constantly bowling no-balls on the tours to South Africa and Australia. But yesterday, although they sent down only 15 overs amongst them, there was not one single no-ball bowled.

"It is something that the bowlers are painfully aware of. Thankfully, they are concentrating a lot more than otherwise was the case some months ago. They have been working on it," said Whatmore.

He said the game against New Zealand was very important to both sides, almost a double pointer, and having won that, it now gives Sri Lanka a little chance to play a couple more matches (against Bangladesh, Canada and Kenya) before taking on the West Indies, which according to him could be another game which should decide which side goes through.

Whatmore said that when his team was shot out for 65 by Australia 'A' at Adelaide they came to the conclusion that enough was enough.

"We reached the depths of despair when we got bowled out for 65. But from thereon I think the whole squad agreed that whatever we do, whether we go down or not, we just give it our full 100 percent commitment," said Whatmore.

He admitted the players were all nervous when they took the field, but added it was nothing new and it was quite normal to react that way.

Whatmore described Jayasuriya's century as one he worked pretty hard to achieve.

"It was not a typical Sanath innings. He played a very good patience game in many ways. We are used to seeing Sanath hit the ball to all parts of the ground, but he really didn't do it until the ninth or tenth overs when he played one of his trademark shots," said Whatmore.

"From that point of view I am exceptionally pleased he is able to once again show he is able to get a hundred by not just whacking a fifty in the first ten to 15 overs. If Sanath does well there is more chances for the team to win. In fact he doubles up as a left-arm spinner as well. I am glad that he is on our side," he said.

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