Woeful Windies crash to another Super Eight defeat
… Jayasuriya blasts brilliant 115
By Vemen Walter
Guyana Chronicle
April 2, 2007
SANATH Jayasuriya cracked a magnificent 115 to set up a commanding 113-run victory for Sri Lanka over a lethargic West Indies in their crucial Cricket World Cup (CWC) Super Eight match yesterday.
The left-handed opener’s scintillating knock together with a well-composed 82 from skipper Mahela Jayawardene propelled Sri Lanka to a huge 303 for five in their allotment of 50 overs of which, the West Indies responded with 190 all out in 44.3 overs, never really threatening their target at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
Jayasuriya pulverised the extremely sloppy West Indies bowling in a breathtaking knock, slamming ten fours and four massive sixes off 101 balls and, in company with Jayawardene, shared in an authoritative 183-run third-wicket stand off 183 deliveries that effectively stunned the Caribbean team.
It was Jayasuriya’s 25th One-day International century and his second in this year’s World Cup.
Sri Lanka have now moved into the second position in the Super Eight point standings with four points from two games while the West Indies on two, having being beaten in all of their three matches so far and must win against South Africa, Bangladesh and England in their remaining matches to be in with an outside chance for a place in the final four.
Once West Indies plunged to 42 for three in the 11th over with Chris Gayle (10), Dwayne Bravo (21) and Brian Lara (2) gone, defeat was inevitable as it was always going to be an uphill task against a determined Sri Lanka bowling line-up.
Gayle, never suggesting permanency, skied a Lasith Malinga slower ball to Dilhara Fernanda at mid-off. Bravo, opening the batting, was bowled off the inside edge by Chaminda Vaas who also accounted for Lara, smartly stumped by Kumar Sangakkara.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul clouted five sixes and a four in (76) from 110 balls and, in alliance his fellow countryman Ramnaresh Sarwan (44), posted 92 in 24 overs for the fourth wicket, the only partnership of substance.
But once the pair was separated with the total on 134 in the 35th over when Sarwan was stumped, failing to negotiate a delivery from left-arm-spinner Jayasuriya, it was a steady procession to and from the pavilion as West Indies lost seven wickets for 56 runs and their last five for 43.
Chanderpaul took a liking for Muttiah Muralitharan, clobbering the champion off-spinner for four sixes before he was eighth dismissed, being undone by a Malinga Yorker.
Man-of-the-match Jayasuriya, apart from the wicket of Sarwan, accounted for Denesh Ramdin (2) and last-man Daren Powell (2) to finish with figures of three for 38 while Muralitharan, with two for 59, claimed the scalps of Marlon Samuels (3) and Jerome Taylor (13), both via leg-before.
Dwayne Smith was the other West Indies batsman to perish, running himself out for a duck.
When the contest, which started 45 minutes late due to early morning rain, Sri Lanka were put under some early pressure by excellent bowling from the West Indian pacers, after they were sent in to bat in cloudy conditions, on a track that offered some bounce earlier on.
Powell, who conceded a mere 12 runs from his first six overs, struck in the sixth over of the day, sending the middle and off stumps of Upul Tharanga (8) cart-wheeling out of the ground, as the batsman played over a full-length delivery, and, with Kumar Sangakkara (10) flinging at the fourth ball of Bradshaw’s first over, edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, Sri Lanka were reduced to 38 for two in the 9th over.
Continuing to find run-scoring difficult, it took Sri Lanka 14.3 overs to bring up their 50 before Jayasuriya decided that it was time to free the shackles.
The 37-year-old, veteran of 384 ODIs,’ commenced stamping his authority with successive fours off Bradshaw in the 17th over -- one a hook to long leg and the other, a lofted drive over the top of mid-off.
He followed up by smashing two more fours, both square of cover and then a straight six, all in the very next over that cost 18 runs from Smith.
By then, the reportedly sell-out crowd over 12 000, predominately West Indian supporters were already aware that they were in to witness another spectacular batting masterclass from perhaps the world’s most brutal batsman in this form of the game.
Certainly, Jayasuriya did not let them down, chalking up his 50 from 47 balls, spiced with seven fours and a six, and alongside Jayawardene, brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 in the 22nd over.
With West Indies’ encouraging commitment exhibited in the initial stages disintegrating almost to bootstraps, the pair of Jayasuriya and Jayawardene capitalised fully amidst some ragged bowling, not assisted by several jitters in the outfield, hammering the leather to all parts of the ground.
Jayasuriya reached his 100 with a simple sweep behind square for a single off the 84th ball faced and by then he had counted nine fours and four sixes, none better than a slog sweep that sailed over the ropes at backward square.
Jayawardene, playing the supportive role to Jayasuriya was not to be left out, arriving at his half-century off 81 balls with one four and a six.
Just after rattling up their team’s 200 that came in the 36th over, Jayasuriya’s magnificent innings was finally terminated when he missed an attempted slog off Powell (2-38) and was bowled.
After Jayasuriya departed the scene with the total on 218 for three in the 39th over, Chamara Silva (23) join forces with Jayawardene and continued the onslaught until the 45th over when Bravo (1-59) scattered the stumps of Jayawardene.
The Sri Lankan skipper exited with the score on 251 as he tried to score as many runs as possible and although Sliva (23) was next to go, falling prey to the leg-spin of Sarwan (1-17), caught by Lara at cover, it was not enough to prevent Tillekeratne Dilshan from slamming two fours and two sixes, one off the inning’s last ball in a cameo 22-ball 39, that ensured Sri Lanka got past the 300 marks, which eventually proved to be a mountainous task for a sorrowful West Indies.
West Indies match skills with South Africa in their next assignment in Grenada on April 10 while Sri Lanka battle with England in Antigua on Wednesday.
SRI LANKA innings
U. Tharanga b Powell 8
S. Jayasuriya b Powell 115
K. Sangakkara c wkp. Ramdin b Bradshaw 7
M. Jayawardene b Bravo 82
C. Silva c Lara b Sarwan 23
T. Dilshan not out 39
R. Arnold not out 4
Extras: (lb-7, w-13, nb-5) 25
Total: (5 wickets, 50 overs) 303
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-35, 3-218, 4-251, 5-268.
Bowling: Taylor 8-1-32-0 (w-4), Powell 10-1-38-2 (nb-2, w-2), Bradshaw 10-0-67-1 (nb-1, w-1), Smith 3-0-23-0, Gayle 9-0-60-0 (nb-2, w-3), Bravo 7-0-59-1 (w-2), Sarwan 3-0-17-1 (w-1).
WEST INDIES innings
C. Gayle c Fernando b Malinga 10
D. Bravo b Vaas 21
S. Chanderpaul b Malinga 76
B. Lara stp. Sangakkara b Vaas 2
R. Sarwan stp. Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 44
M. Samuels lbw Muralitharan 3
D. Smith run-out (Malinga/Sangakkara) 0
D. Ramdin c Vaas b Jayasuriya 2
I. Bradshaw not out 6
J. Taylor lbw Muralitharan 13
D. Powell b Jayasuriya 2
Extras: (lb-1, w-8, nb-2) 11
Total: (all out, 44.3 overs) 190
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-40, 3-42, 4-134, 5-147, 6-148, 7-158, 8-173, 9-187.
Bowling: Vaas 8-1-19-2 (nb-1), Malinga 5-0-34-2 (w-2), Fernando 7-3-19-0 (nb-1, w-1), Dilshan 4-0-11-0, Arnold 3-0-9-0; Muralitharan 9-0-59-2 (w-2), Jayasuriya 8.3-0-38-3.
Result: Sri Lanka won by 113 runs
Points: Sri Lanka 2, West Indies 0