Dilshan, Tharanga heroics send Lanka to quarters

Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from Pallekele

A record opening stand and a four wicket haul from Tillekeratne Dilshan carried Sri Lanka to an impressive 139 run victory over Zimbabwe in their ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup Group ‘A’ match worked off under lights at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy yesterday.

The Lankans rattled up an imposing 327 for 6 from their 50 overs after been put into bat and then dismissed Zimbabwe for 188 runs from 39 overs to book a place in the quarterfinals of the 14 nation tournament.

Sri Lanka of course came in for a surprise when the Zimbabwe openers Brendan Taylor and Regis Chakabva put on 116 runs for the first wicket from 19.5 overs before they were separated by Muttiah Muralitharan.

But it was Tillekeratne Dilshan who really sent the Zimbabweans sliding towards defeat with four quick wickets including two in two deliveries following his batting heroics during the Sri Lankan innings.

The pair of Dilshan and Upul Tharanga bettered the previous World Cup record opening partnership of 194 runs held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Wajahtulla Wasti against New Zealand at Manchester in 1999.

They of course missed out the One Day International record by a mere four runs which was 286 runs held by a Sri Lankan combination of Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga against England in July 2006 at Leeds.

The explosive Tillekeratne Dilshan led the way by racing to his maiden World Cup hundred from just 95 deliveries inclusive of one six and a dozen of boundaries.

The dashing right hander got his act together well from the start and launched a fierce assault on the Zimbabwe bowlers.

Left hander Upul Tharanga who played the supporting role during the initial stages opened out in the last few overs after having completed his tenth One Day International century and his first in a World Cup fixture.

Dilshan also missed the record for the highest runs in an innings by a Sri Lankan in a World Cup by a whisker as he finished one short of Aravinda de Silva`s 145 against Kenya in the 1996 World Cup.

Dilshan hit a magnificent 144 from 131 deliveries inclusive of one six and sixteen boundaries. However he was able to overtake England’s Andrew Strauss as the highest run getter so far in the World Cup with a tally of 283 runs from five matches.

Sri Lanka made two changes to their team bringing in fast bowler Nuwan Kulaskeara and all rounder Thisara Perera in place of spinner Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.

SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga Chigumbura b Mpofu		133
T. Dilshan c Panyangara b Utseya	144
T. Prera c Chigumbura b Price		  3
M. Jayawardene c Chakbva b Mpofu	  9
K. Sangakkara not out			 11
A. Mathews c Chigumbura b Mpofu		  0
C. Silva c Panyangara b Mpofu		  4
T. Samaraweera not out			  8
Extras: (b2, lb3, nb1, w9)		 15
Total: (for six wkts; 50 overs)		327
Fall of wickets: 1-282 (Tharanga), 2-289 (Dilshan), 3-296 (Prera), 4-300 (Jayawardene), 5-302 (Mathews), 6-308 (Silva).
Bowling: Mpofu 7-0-62-4 (nb1, w2), Panyangara 6-0-51-0 (w2), Price 9-1-46-1 (w2), 
Chigumbura 3-0-20-0, Utseya 10-0-50-1 (w1), Cremer 7-0-42-0 (w1), Lamb 8-0-51-0 (w1).

ZIMBABWE
B. Taylor c Jayawardene b Mathews	80
R. Chakabva b Muralitharan		35
T. Taibu c Sangakkara b Mathews		 4
P. Utseya st Sangakkara b Dilshan	 4
C. Ervine lbw b Dilshan			17
E. Chigumura c Prera b Muralitharan	 6
G. Lamb c Jayawardene b Dilshan		 0
C. Cremer not out			14
R. Price c Samaraweera b Perera		11
T. Panyangara lbw b Dilshan		 0
C. Mpofu b Muralitharan			 1
Extras: (b2, lb2, w12)			16
Total: (all out; 39 overs)		188
Fall of wickets: 1-116 (Chakabva), 2-125 (Taibu), 3-132 (Taylor), 4-150 (Utseya), 5-156 (Ervine), 
6-156 (Lamb), 7-165 (Chigumbura), 8-185 (Price), 9-185 (Panyangara), 10-188 (Mpofu).
Bowling: Malinga 8-0-51-0 (w11), Kulasekara 8-0-33-0 (w1), Perera 6-0-33-1, 
Muralitharan 9-0-34-3, Mathews 5-0-29-2, Dilshan 3-0-4-4