Malinga uproots Kenyan hopes

Fast-bowler finishes with six wickets as Sri Lanka destroy minnows.

NEW DEHLI: Sri Lankan slingshot Lasith Malinga became the first man to claim two World Cup hat-tricks with a sensational destruction of hapless Kenya in the group match.

The 27-year-old, who took four wickets in four balls against South Africa in the 2007 edition, finished with a career best six for 38 as Kenya were bowled out for 142, struggling under a barrage of trademark Malinga toe-crushers.

Opener Upal Tharanga then hit an unbeaten 67 as Sri Lanka raced to a nine-wicket win with more than 31 overs to spare.

Captain impressed

“Malinga as usual, the champion that he is [with] the ball reversing, did a great job for us,” said Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, whose team had lost by 11 runs to Pakistan on Saturday.

Malinga had Tanmay Mishra lbw with the final ball of the 42nd over and then bowled Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche with the first two of the 44th to complete his hat-trick.

The bowler, who had earlier dismissed opener Seren Waters and top-scorer Collins Obuya, missed the chance for another four in four when he unleashed a wide past Elijah Otieno.

But he was not to be denied, bowling the hapless number 11 with another unplayable delivery for a fourth wicket in six balls.

His hat-trick was the second of the 2011  World Cup following West Indies seamer Kemar Roach’s achievement against the Netherlands on Monday.

“Every time the captain gives me the ball, he asks for a wicket,” said Malinga, who missed the first two matches with a back strain.

Tournament’s weakest team

Kenya, who went into the Group A game at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo with the tournament’s worst record, were eight for two before brothers Collins (52) and David Obuya (51) put on 94 for the third wicket.

But their last seven wickets went for the addition of just 22 runs to leave the home side with a straightforward target to avenge their shock 53-run defeat against Kenya in Nairobi in the 2003 World Cup.

‘It’s like a habit for us now’

Speaking about the Obuya brothers, Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande said, “They played very well but they could have been there until the end because they were settled.

“It’s always going to be hard work for the new batsmen coming in so once they got out we crumbled again. It’s like a habit for us now,” added Kamande, whose team had already lost by 10 wickets to New Zealand and 205 runs to Pakistan.

Collins Obuya, whose five wickets helped Kenya upset Sri Lanka at the 2003 World Cup, hit four boundaries during his sedate 100-ball knock. His elder brother hit three fours during his 106-ball innings.

But with Malinga firing all cylinders, four of the last seven batsmen failed to score.

Kenya, who have no points after three matches, now face fellow minnows Canada in New Delhi on March 7.

World Cup hat-tricks

Year         Bowler                                         Opposition

1987         Chetan Sharma (Ind)     v           New Zealand

1999         Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak) v           Zimbabwe

2003         Chaminda Vaas (SL)     v           Bangladesh

2003         Brett Lee (Aus)                v           Kenya

2007         Lasith Malinga (SL)       v           South Africa

2011         Kemar Roach (WI)         v           Netherlands

2011          Lasith Malinga (SL)      v        Kenya

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2011.