Sri Lanka demolishes New Zealand
March 18, 2011 11:38 pm
Spin king Muttiah Muralitharan destroyed New Zealand on Friday as Sri Lanka claimed a crucial win while confident Bangladesh prepared to face South Africa in a must-win World Cup clash.
Co-hosts Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan have already booked their quarter-final slots from Group A but final positions are crucial as a higher finish means you avoid the best teams from the other group.
In the two sides’ last group game, New Zealand, chasing Sri Lanka’s total of 265-9, had no answer to the bowling of Muralitharan, who took four for 25 in his eight overs. The Black Caps were dismissed for 153 to lose by 112 runs.
The leading Test and one-day wicket-taker appeared to be in some discomfort following a failed dive to regain his ground when batting but showed few ill effects as he bamboozled the New Zealand batsmen.
Muralitharan said he was confident that the injury will not affect his participation in next week’s quarter-finals.
“It’s not a big tear in the hamstring and there was just a little bit of discomfort,” he said after the game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium which will stage the April 2 final.
“I’m bowling well and the dew factor helped me. I am used to the conditions having played a lot of day-night games in England. I wanted to bowl slower so the ball skids off the surface.”
In-form acting captain Ross Taylor top-scored with 33 but the next highest score was just 20.
Earlier, skipper Kumar Sangakkara (111) and Mahela Jayawardene (66) put on 145 for the third wicket to rescue their side from trouble at 19-2.
The two sides were involved in an angry standoff when umpires struck down what appeared to be a clean catch by Kiwi slow bowler Nathan McCullum off his own bowling after Jayawardene had chipped the ball towards him.
But even as McCullum celebrated, the TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.
A furious McCullum and Taylor angrily protested the decision with on-field umpire Asad Rauf.
Words were then exchanged between Jayawardene, on 26 at the time, and the bowler while Sangakkara stood at the bowler’s end.
“If I felt it was a clean catch, I would have walked,” said Jayawardene. “It was a 50-50 thing and it was fair it went to the TV umpire.”
Taylor refused to dwell on the controversy.
“We thought the third umpire’s decision was out, but it wasn’t and we had to get on with it,” he said
Sri Lanka move to the top of Group A, level with Australia on nine points but ahead on run-rate. Either Australia or Pakistan, who meet in Colombo on Saturday, will top the final standings. (AFP)
Co-hosts Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan have already booked their quarter-final slots from Group A but final positions are crucial as a higher finish means you avoid the best teams from the other group.
In the two sides’ last group game, New Zealand, chasing Sri Lanka’s total of 265-9, had no answer to the bowling of Muralitharan, who took four for 25 in his eight overs. The Black Caps were dismissed for 153 to lose by 112 runs.
The leading Test and one-day wicket-taker appeared to be in some discomfort following a failed dive to regain his ground when batting but showed few ill effects as he bamboozled the New Zealand batsmen.
Muralitharan said he was confident that the injury will not affect his participation in next week’s quarter-finals.
“It’s not a big tear in the hamstring and there was just a little bit of discomfort,” he said after the game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium which will stage the April 2 final.
“I’m bowling well and the dew factor helped me. I am used to the conditions having played a lot of day-night games in England. I wanted to bowl slower so the ball skids off the surface.”
In-form acting captain Ross Taylor top-scored with 33 but the next highest score was just 20.
Earlier, skipper Kumar Sangakkara (111) and Mahela Jayawardene (66) put on 145 for the third wicket to rescue their side from trouble at 19-2.
The two sides were involved in an angry standoff when umpires struck down what appeared to be a clean catch by Kiwi slow bowler Nathan McCullum off his own bowling after Jayawardene had chipped the ball towards him.
But even as McCullum celebrated, the TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.
A furious McCullum and Taylor angrily protested the decision with on-field umpire Asad Rauf.
Words were then exchanged between Jayawardene, on 26 at the time, and the bowler while Sangakkara stood at the bowler’s end.
“If I felt it was a clean catch, I would have walked,” said Jayawardene. “It was a 50-50 thing and it was fair it went to the TV umpire.”
Taylor refused to dwell on the controversy.
“We thought the third umpire’s decision was out, but it wasn’t and we had to get on with it,” he said
Sri Lanka move to the top of Group A, level with Australia on nine points but ahead on run-rate. Either Australia or Pakistan, who meet in Colombo on Saturday, will top the final standings. (AFP)
