| Can Sri Lanka win the World Cup?
Rev. Bro. Nimal Gurusinghe WORLDCUP: I know that every cricket loving fan likes to see Sri Lanka winning the World Cricket Plum. I personally believe it is not going to be an easy task. When we go through our record in the West Indies we cannot be that happy. To be frank we have not done well on Caribbean soil. But there is nothing impossible in this world. We are sure to enter the super eight. Sri Lanka can easily beat Bermuda and Bangladesh. If we want to win all our key batsmen we should return to form. Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, Marvan Athapattu, Chamara Silva, Russel Arnold and Fareez Maharoof should be in the runs. If all contribute to put up a substantial total on the board, we can have some hope. According to the draw our 1st match is vs Bermuda and the 2nd vs Bangladesh. In those two matches if we win the toss our Captain should elect to bat first. That will help our team to get some batting practice and build their confidence. Then vs India we must field 1st if we win the toss. That will help our batsmen to learn the art of chasing a big total. But whether we bat 1st or 2nd our front and middle order batsmen should come to prime form during the group matches. There are seven good batsmen in the team if they can show their real class, our batting department will be O.K. According to my opinion we have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. |
| Chaminda Vass and Muttiah Muralitharan are two world class bowlers. When we won the World Cup in 1996 they were in the team. After that both of them have played so many ODIs including two world cups.
Both of them can be match winning bowlers. Then I see Lasith Malinga bowls very well these days. Also Sanath Jayasuriya could show his colours with his vast experience. Fareez Haharoof is also a very useful bowler. If he bowls to a line and length he can be very dangerous. T. M. Dilshan and Russel Arnold are useful part-time bowlers. So if we look at our bowling attack, could be considered the best in the world. Hope they will not deliver wides and no balls during the World Cup. I am sure by now our coach must have addressed that aspect. If any team is to reach the top it should have a very good fielding side. If all our players give their best in the field we can restrict opponents to modest totals. If we take our players one by one they are all good athletes and excellent fielders. But all must prove their worth in the field. While fielding they must put their heart and soul into it. One excellent catch or a run out can be the turning point of a match. Above all they must be determined and have confidence in themselves. If so any impossible can be possible. Our players must go for this tournament with positive frame of mind. If there is a will, there is a way. I hear West Indian pitches are similar to our ones. Dear cricketers here is a golden opportunity. Make use of it and bring the World Cricket Plum to our country. We all Sri Lankans are with you in spirit and wish you our very best to be the Kings of Cricket. |
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| Sanath Jayasuriya mauls Bangladesh with a blazing century WORLD CUP: Sanath Jayasuriya smashed a quickfire century to help Sri Lanka post a challenging 318-5 against Bangladesh in a World Cup match here on Wednesday. The left-handed opener, who had left the field on 83 due to cramp, returned in the closing overs to score an 87-ball 109 for his 24th hundred in one-day internationals. Jayasuriya struck seven sixes and as many fours in an engrossing display of aggressive batting, reaching his century with a six off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak. The 37-year-old Jayasuriya had already put his team on course for a big total before he had retired hurt, dominating the Bangladeshi seamers and spinners with attractive strokes on both sides of the wicket. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene, wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Silva continued the good work to ensure Bangladesh chased a stiff target in their second Group-B match, which was interrupted for 30 minutes due to rain. Sangakkara smashed a 55-ball 56 and Silva cracked a 48-ball 52 not out for their second successive half-centuries, while Jayawardene hit 46. Bangladesh, who had bowled and fielded superbly against India on the way to a shock five-wicket win, failed to repeat their performance against Sri Lanka as they dropped three catches and missed a few run-out chances. They elected to field after winning the toss, hoping to exploit early moisture on the pitch, but the move failed as Jayasuriya went for big shots early in his innings. Jayasuriya hit two sixes off seamer Syed Rasel to set the trend and went on to add 98 for the opening wicket with left-handed Upul Tharanga (26). Tharanga survived a run-out chance early in his knock before falling to a brilliant catch at point off left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, fielder Aftab Ahmed holding the ball on the second attempt. But there was no respite for Bangladesh as Jayasuriya continued to dominate the attack, hoisting Razzak for two sixes in an over before racing to his half-century off 43 balls. Jayawardene offered a difficult chance on 24, but his counterpart Habibul Bashar failed to latch on to the ball in the covers. That was the only false stroke in his innings. The Sri Lankan captain eventually fell playing a big shot, caught by Ahmed in the deep off left-arm spinner Saqibul Hasan. The stage was set for the late onslaught, with 90 runs coming in the final 10 overs. Both the teams had won their opening matches, with Sri Lanka thrashing debutants Bermuda by 243 runs and Bangladesh whipping India. India thrashed Bermuda by a record 257 runs for their only win in two games. They now need to win their last match against Sri Lanka here on Friday to boost hopes of qualifying for the next round. Bangladesh will meet Bermuda in the final group game here on Sunday. PORT OF SPAIN, AFP SRI LANKA: U. Tharanga c Ahmed b Rafique 26 S. Jayasuriya c Bashar b Razzak 109 M. Jayawardene c Ahmed b Hasan 46 K. Sangakkara c Iqbal b Rasel 56 C. Silva not out 52 R. Arnold not out 5 EXTRAS (lb11, nb3, w10) 24 TOTAL (for four wickets) 318 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-98 (Tharanga), 2-202 (Jayawardene), 3-261 (Sangakkara), 4-300 (Jayasuriya). Bowling: Mortaza 10-0-66-0 (nb3, w2), Rasel 10-0-58-1 (w5), Razzak 10-0-86-1 (w3), Rafique 10-0-48-1, Hasan 10-0-49-1. Overs: 50 |
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| Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya hits a six against Bangladesh at the Queen�s Park Oval, in Port of Spain, in Trinidad and Tobago, 21 March 2007, in the Group Stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 |
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