Published: Feb 22, 2015, 11:16 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 22, 2015, 02:43 PM (IST)
Sri Lanka earned a hard-fought victory against Afghanistan in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Pool A match by four wickets, chasing the 233-run target set by Afghanistan with 10 balls to spare. Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis were unbeaten on scores of 47 and nine respectively, overseeing Sri Lanka’s safe path to victory. It was Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews‘ heroics that setup the victory for Sri Lanka, sharing a 126-run stand for the fifth wicket to rescue their side from an early onslaught by Afghanistan. Full Scorecard
A target of 233 did not seem a very challenging one for the Sri Lankans, who are one of the most dangerous and consistent sides among the participants despite going through a rough patch in the recent past. Afghanistan however, could not be written off at any given stage of the game due to their fighting spirit. The Sri Lankans however, were completely taken by surprise as openers Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan were dismissed for golden ducks, with Sri Lanka losing their fist two wickets with as many runs on the board. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
The Sri Lankan batting line-up however, was still a formidable one with veteran batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene in queue. Sangakkara’s arrival at the crease raised the hopes of the Lankan camp, but came crashing down soon after as Sangakkara was bowled right through the gate off the bowling of Hamid Hassan, who went cartwheeling with excitement after the dismissal. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
Dimuth Karunaratne added 33 runs for the fourth wicket with Jayawardene, before he became the fourth victim of the Sri Lankan innings, getting caught by Nawroz Mangal in the slips off Hassan’s bowling again. At a score of 51 for four, Afghanistan seemed in firm control of the game and the possibility of Afghanistan registering their maiden World Cup victory looking quite possible. Sri Lanka, it seemed, seemed to be facing the prospect of irate fans and an angry board after possible defeat. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
This was when stalwart Jayawardene got into the rescue act, a role that he has donned with perfection and dedication several times in his 18-year career. Jayawardene started off on a slow note with skipper Angelo Mathews, before getting the boundaries towards the middle overs. The pair went on to add 126 runs for the fifth wicket, with Jayawardene bringing up his 19th ODI ton in 115 deliveries. The partnership ultimately came to an end when Mathews was caught well short of his crease to depart on a score of 44 from 81 balls. Jayawardene’s dismissal a few deliveries later brought the tilt of the match once again to a balance. Browse through picture gallery of the match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan here
Perera and Mendis however, ensured that there were no further hiccups as the two added an unbeaten 53-run stand for the seventh wicket with 10 balls and four wickets to spare. Perera was crucial to guiding the Lankans home, smashing half-a-dozen boundaries and a six during his innings of 47 off 26 balls.
Afghanistan were given enough chances to pull off a victory, both in the form of catch and run-out opportunities. The Afghans however, did not hold on to all of them, including several crucial opportunities, and thus had to pay a heavy price towards the end of the game. The Afghans were bowled out for a score of 232, with Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari scoring 54 and 38 respectively. The game saw Lasith Malinga return to form, collecting three wickets while conceding 41 runs, with Mathews’ figures reading the same value.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 232 in 49.4 overs (Asghar Stanikzai 54; Samiullah Shenwari 38; Lasith Malinga 3 for 41, Angelo Mathews 3 for 41) lost to Sri Lanka 236 for 6 in 48.2 overs (Mahela Jayawardene 100, Angelo Mathews 44, Thisara Perera 47*; Hamid Hassan 3 for 45) by 4 wickets.
Man of the Match: Mahela Jayawardene
