Dilshan scoops Sri Lanka into quarters
Opening batsman plunders Zimbabwe's bowling before snaring four wickets as hosts win by 139 runs in the World Cup.
SRI LANKA:
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed 144 before taking four wickets to help Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 139 runs and reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Together with fellow opener Upul Tharanga, who hit a career-best 133, Dilshan put on a new World Cup opening stand of 282 to guide Sri Lanka to an imposing 327 for six before a packed 30,000 crowd at Pallekele stadium. He then took four wickets for four runs.
Zimbabwe made a fighting reply with Brendon Taylor (80) and Regis Chakabva (35) through a solid 116-run start before the innings fell apart, as they lost their last their last nine wickets for just 63 runs.
Dilshan, who bettered his previous best of four for 29 against India at Dambulla in 2005, also became the 11th all-rounder, and the second Sri Lankan behind Sanath Jayasuriya, to score a hundred and take four wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
The result meant Sri Lanka, with seven points from five matches in Group A, become the first side to enter the last-eight.
New Zealand, with six points from four matches, Pakistan (six from four) and defending champions Australia (five from three) are virtually certain of filling the three other qualifying places from the group.
‘A magician’
“Dilshan has that magic touch with bat, ball and on the field,” said Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who also praised Muttiah Muralitharan who took three for 34 on his last appearance in his home town of Kandy.
“Murali is a champion, and that’s why he is rated the best in the world. When the tough times come, he stands up.”
Man-of-the-match Dilshan said, “This is the best match of my career. I think everyone’s performing well, we are in a good position.”
Record-breaking partnership
Sri Lanka owed their total to Dilshan and Tharanga who set the ball rolling after they were put into bat on a batting-friendly pitch, just failing to beat the world record first wicket stand of 286 runs.
Tharanga, who also featured in that stand, with Jayasuriya against England at Leeds in 2006, hit his 10th ODI century, while Dilshan notched his ninth, and second in the World Cup.
Their stand was also the fourth highest partnership for any wicket in ODI history.
Dilshan, 34, smashed one six and 16 boundaries during his attractive 131-ball knock, cutting loose as early as in the second over, hitting paceman Tinashe Panyangara for three boundaries and a six.
The 26-year-old left-hander Tharanga, whose previous best of 120 came against England at Lord’s in 2006, hit 17 boundaries during his 141-ball innings, as both the openers batted without trouble.
Dilshan reached his hundred with a quick single towards cover off Elton Chigumbura, taking 95 balls to reach the three-figure as a capacity 30,000 gave him a standing ovation.
Tharanga soon joined Dilshan as century maker when he drove Raymond Price towards extra-cover to reach his first World Cup hundred.
Zimbabwe, with two points from four matches, can still make it to the quarters (on better net run-rate) if they win their last two matches, the first of which is against Pakistan on Monday and the next against Kenya on March 20.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2011.
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed 144 before taking four wickets to help Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 139 runs and reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Together with fellow opener Upul Tharanga, who hit a career-best 133, Dilshan put on a new World Cup opening stand of 282 to guide Sri Lanka to an imposing 327 for six before a packed 30,000 crowd at Pallekele stadium. He then took four wickets for four runs.
Zimbabwe made a fighting reply with Brendon Taylor (80) and Regis Chakabva (35) through a solid 116-run start before the innings fell apart, as they lost their last their last nine wickets for just 63 runs.
Dilshan, who bettered his previous best of four for 29 against India at Dambulla in 2005, also became the 11th all-rounder, and the second Sri Lankan behind Sanath Jayasuriya, to score a hundred and take four wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
The result meant Sri Lanka, with seven points from five matches in Group A, become the first side to enter the last-eight.
New Zealand, with six points from four matches, Pakistan (six from four) and defending champions Australia (five from three) are virtually certain of filling the three other qualifying places from the group.
‘A magician’
“Dilshan has that magic touch with bat, ball and on the field,” said Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who also praised Muttiah Muralitharan who took three for 34 on his last appearance in his home town of Kandy.
“Murali is a champion, and that’s why he is rated the best in the world. When the tough times come, he stands up.”
Man-of-the-match Dilshan said, “This is the best match of my career. I think everyone’s performing well, we are in a good position.”
Record-breaking partnership
Sri Lanka owed their total to Dilshan and Tharanga who set the ball rolling after they were put into bat on a batting-friendly pitch, just failing to beat the world record first wicket stand of 286 runs.
Tharanga, who also featured in that stand, with Jayasuriya against England at Leeds in 2006, hit his 10th ODI century, while Dilshan notched his ninth, and second in the World Cup.
Their stand was also the fourth highest partnership for any wicket in ODI history.
Dilshan, 34, smashed one six and 16 boundaries during his attractive 131-ball knock, cutting loose as early as in the second over, hitting paceman Tinashe Panyangara for three boundaries and a six.
The 26-year-old left-hander Tharanga, whose previous best of 120 came against England at Lord’s in 2006, hit 17 boundaries during his 141-ball innings, as both the openers batted without trouble.
Dilshan reached his hundred with a quick single towards cover off Elton Chigumbura, taking 95 balls to reach the three-figure as a capacity 30,000 gave him a standing ovation.
Tharanga soon joined Dilshan as century maker when he drove Raymond Price towards extra-cover to reach his first World Cup hundred.
Zimbabwe, with two points from four matches, can still make it to the quarters (on better net run-rate) if they win their last two matches, the first of which is against Pakistan on Monday and the next against Kenya on March 20.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2011.