Lanka record best NRR at World Cup

Meets England in Saturday’s quarter-final:

Dinesh Weerawansa

Sri Lanka has registered the best net run rate (+2.582) out of all 14 teams which competed in the semi-league qualifying round of the ICC World Cup 2011 cricket tournament in the subcontinent. On completion of the 42 first round matches, during which seven teams competed under two groups on a semi league basis, Sri Lanka enjoys the best net run rate (NRR), calculated by scoring run rate minus run rate of opponents. (NRR=(total runs scored/total overs faced )-(total runs conceded/total overs bowled)

After their six qualifying round matches in Group ‘A’, Kumar Sangakkara and his men collected nine points with four wins, one loss and one no result to secure the second place in Group ‘A’ behind Pakistan which has ten points. Sri Lanka’s crucial qualifying round match against the defending champions Australia ended in a no result following heavy rain towards the end of the home team’s innings.

The Group ‘A’ table leaders Pakistan (+0.758) and the third-placed defending champions Australia (+1.123) are well behind Sri Lanka on NRR. Even none of the Group ‘B’ teams has been able to register a better NRR than Sri Lanka. Group ‘B’ leaders South Africa (+2.026), second-placed India (+0.900) and England (+0.072) are well behind Sri Lanka on NRR after the completion of the semi league qualifying round matches. Each team played six matches in round one.

Sri Lanka will now meet England in the fourth quarter-final at the Premadasa Stadium on Saturday (March 26). If Sri Lanka beats England in their quarter final game, they will qualify to play the winners of third quarter-final between New Zealand and South Africa in the first semi-final to be played at the Premadasa Stadium on March 29.

The final-quarter final line up was announced after India convincingly beat the West Indies in their last qualifying round match played in Chennai on Sunday. In England, Sri Lanka has been lucky to face a relatively weak opponent in the quarter final. England’s quarter-final berth was confirmed after South Africa’s convincing victory over Bangladesh on Saturday.

Reports from India said that England spent the second half of their weekend at a holding camp in the capital New Delhi waiting to see where they would begin their knockout campaign and the identity of the opposition. Having lived on the edge throughout their World Cup campaign, England will face tough task against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

England will have to be much more consistent if they are to upset Sri Lanka, one of the hot favourites. Ian Bell feels that England still hasn’t “got it all right at the same time”. However, Bell believes that the tournament now switches to knockout cricket that would suit England, who began their elimination matches earlier than some with the must-win meeting against West Indies.

England will be looking forward to an improved performance from the opening partner of Andrew Strauss. With Kevin Pietersen forced to return home early with his hernia operation, Matt Prior has returned to the role but managed uncertain scores of 15 and 21 in his two innings.

England is unlikely to make experiments and change the line-up, but Bell is a tempting option to partner the consistent Strauss in the quarter-final against Sri Lanka

Meanwhile the week-long gap that Sri Lanka got from its last league match against New Zealand in Mumbai last Friday and the fourth quarter final came in handy. That would give ample time for their star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to recover.

The spin wizard suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s 112-run win over the Kiwis.

The celebrated of spinner who has captured 530 wickets in 347 one day internationals (ODIs) is a vital ingredient in the Lankan team and skipper Sangakkara will pay extra attention to get him on feet for their decisive quarter final game.

Muralitharan, who captured 4 for 25 against New Zealand, could well pose a serious threat to England batsmen who have often failed on slow subcontinent wickets.

He has already announced his retirement from international cricket after the current World Cup tournament and even if Sri Lanka goes all the way to the final, Muralitharan would end up with 533 ODIs for Sri Lanka.