Sangakkara pleased with career-best show

Sri Lanka batsman helps team to 180-run win over South Africa.

COLOMBO: Kumar Sangakkara was pleased with his form after he smashed his highest score of 169 off 137 balls as Sri Lanka thrashed South Africa by 180 runs in the first One-Day International (ODI) in Colombo.

The veteran left-hander’s 16th ODI century steered Sri Lanka to a commanding 320 for five after the hosts were sent in to bat in the day-night game at the Premadasa stadium.

South Africa were shot out for 140 in reply, the innings lasting just 31.5 overs, to leave Sri Lanka with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

“It was about staying there and building the innings,” he said. “I stuck in there and there was good support.”

South African captain AB de Villers said the huge defeat was hard to accept, but vowed to fight back.

“It’s not the end of the series,” he said. “We will fight back. There are not a lot of positives we can take from the game, but we hope to improve.”

“We were way below par, but we will come back because we want to win the series.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2013.

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