Sanath back in form blasts Worcestershire bowlers
Jeevan (99 no), Angelo (81) help Lanka to 351/5:
Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting, New Road,
Worcestershire, Wednesday
A belligerent unbeaten knock of 99 by left hander Jeevan Mendis who
was unfortunate to miss a well deserved century and smashing knocks from
Sanath Jayasuriya 79 and Angelo Mathews 81 took Sri Lanka to 351 for 5
in their 50 over game against Worcestershire at New Road County Ground
here, today.
Mendis hit 99 in 71 balls with 11 fours and 3 sixes and was involved
in 5th wicket partnership of 163 in 22 overs with Angelo Mathews 81 in
90 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes.
But it was the devastating knock of 79 in 60 balls from left hander
Sanath Jayasuriya who opened the innings that laid the foundation for
this run assault on the Sauce County bowlers after Sri Lanka won the
toss and batted first.
Jayasuriya who opened batting with Mahela Jayawardena was in
excellent nick as he tore into the Worcester bowling from, the first
ball he faced and raced to his 50 in 45 balls and his 79 came in 60
balls with 10 smashing fours and three big sixes.
Jayasuriya who was surprisingly left out of the Sri Lanka 2011 World
Cup squad, gave the selectors of that time 79 reasons as to why he
should not have been ignored for the World Cup. It was the consensus
that had he been in that squad Sri Lanka would have done the Indians in
and won the World Cup for a second time.
Padding up after quite a lay off, Jayasuriya did not show any
rustiness as he got his batting act going, and stroking the ball like
old times, he simply made the Worcester bowlers dance to his tune as he
with consummate ease, sweet timing and Eveready power mauled the
bowlers.
The 10 fours he hit and the three sixes were from the meat of the bat
and went screeching to the fence and over it and the bowlers and
fielders had to watch in obeisance the flight of the ball. Among the
crowd were Sri Lankans who were disappointed when the ‘Matara Mauler’
was finally dismissed.
Vice Captain of the team Thilina Kandamby made 35 from 47 balls.
Earlier Mahela Jayawardena made 18 and Dinesh Chandimal was unfortunate
to be out without scoring.
Angelo Mathews who was out of the Test squad owing to injury, showed
that he is back to full fitness and not lost his form of old as he broke
out into his renowned big hitting. Jeevan Mendis joined Mathews and
played cameo innings as he made the Worcester bowlers suffer thrashing
them all over the ground.
On this form the selectors will find it tough to keep him out of the
internationals against England. Watching Mendis performing, it was a
pity that he was not with the Test team.
His all round ability- exquisite batting, excellent fielding and
tantalizing leg spin/googly bowling would have bolstered the team and
his bowling would have added the all important variety and troubled the
England batting. Unfortunately the rains have continued to follow the
Sri Lankans every where they play and Worcester was no exception.
It is hoped that the rains will keep off when the twenty20 and 50
over internationals against England begins.
SRI LANKA
DPMD Jayawardene c Cox b Saeed Ajmal 18
ST Jayasuriya c Ajmal b Choudhry 78
LD Chandimal lbw b Saeed Ajmal 00
SHT Kandamby c Choudhry b Ajmal 35
AD Mathews c Cameron b Whelan 81
BMAJ Mendis not out 99
KMDN Kulasekara not out 13
Extras: (lb 7, w 20) 27
TOTAL: (5 wickets) 351
Did not bat: NLTC Perera, S Randiv, SL Malinga, BAW Mendis
Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-56, 3-131, 4-169 , 5-332
Bowling: Mason 5-1-32-0, Whelan 10-0-82-1, Saeed Ajmal 10-1-42-3,Ali 9-0-65-0,
Mitchell 6-0-34-0, Choudhry 7-0- 9-1, Pinner 3-0-20-0.
WORCESTERSHIRE
MM Ali not out 87
JK Manuel c Jayasuriya b Malinga 04
AN Kervezee c Jayasuriya b BAW Mendis 45
ND Pinner run out (Mendis) 03
JG Cameron not out 10
Extras: (lb 3, w 1, nb 1) 05
Total: (3 wickets) 154
To bat: DKH Mitchell, SH Choudhry, OB Cox, CD Whelan, MS Mason, Saeed Ajmal
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-117, 3-127
Bowling: Malinga 6-0-25-1, Kulasekara 3.1-0-28-0, Perera 2-0-26-0, Mendis 3-0-31-1.
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