Tillakaratne Dilshan essayed a strokeful half-century as Sri Lankan batsmen built themselves up for a big total in their World Cup Group A match against Canada at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on Sunday.
Published: Feb 20, 2011, 02:28 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 20, 2011, 02:28 PM (IST)
Tillakaratne Dilshan slams a strokeful half-century against Canada
By CricketCountry Staff
Hambantota: Feb 20, 2011
Tillakaratne Dilshan essayed a strokeful half-century as Sri Lankan batsmen built themselves up for a big total in their World Cup Group A match against Canada at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on Sunday.
Dilshan showed aggressive intent from the word go, clunking Henry Osinde for a boundary through the cover region off only his second ball before coming up with two sizzling boundaries off Khurram Chohan in the third and fifth over to keep the early momentum going even as his opening partner Upul Tharanga played second fiddle to him.
Canada were dealt a blow early on when Osinde was taken off the attack at the start of his fifth over after he suffered a hamstring tear and was replaced by Harvir Baidwan who was shown scant respect by Dilshan.
The right-hander tore into Baidwan, collecting four boundaries and also scaled a personal milestone – reaching 5,000 one-day international runs.
Baidwan, however, had some consolation when the Sri Lankan opening partnership was broken off his bowling when Tharanga was run out following a terrible mix-up with Dilshan almost like the Sachin Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag one at Mirpur on Saturday.
Dilshan kept the scoreboard ticking over and soon brought up his half-century when he worked one from spinner Jimmy Hansra to the square-leg region for a single. But he fell in the very next over, caught in the deep by John Davison off the bowling off Rizwan Cheeema.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene raised an unbeaten half-century stand to lay the platform for a strong push at the death.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 146 for 2 in 27.5 overs (Tillakaratne Dilshan 50) vs Canada.
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