World Cup Super 8, Guyana: Sri Lanka 303-5 beat West Indies 190 by 113 runs
| By Oliver Brett |
Sri Lanka outplayed West Indies to condemn the hosts to their third defeat in three matches in the World Cup.
After a slow start, Sanath Jayasuriya (115) and Mahela Jayawardene (82) added 183 for the third wicket in 30 overs.
The eventual total was 303-5, before the West Indies responded with a mediocre batting performance. They were all out for 190, losing by 113 runs.
The Windies are in danger of failing to make the last four, even if they win their last three Super 8 games.
Despite a sell-out home crowd at Guyana's new Providence Stadium, Brian Lara's side fielded badly, showed poor body language throughout and their bowling lacked enthusiasm.
There were two notable exceptions.
Daren Powell removed two of Upul Tharanga's stumps on his way to figures of 2-37 and local Guyanese hero Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed five brave sixes in his 76 before being bowled trying to hit another.
Chanderpaul did, however, take a little too long to get going, putting pressure on himself and his team-mates.
The start was delayed by 45 minutes after a heavy early morning downpour and conditions remained overcast with high humidity.
Lara won the toss and it looked a good decision to bowl first when Powell and Ian Bradshaw took early wickets to leave the score 35-2.
Jayasuriya and Jayawardene opted to build in watchful fashion, and refused to be panicked into rash shots.
Then, approaching the end of the powerplay overs, Jayasuriya upped the ante with some big hitting off the West Indies medium pacers.
He hit three fours and one six from one Dwayne Smith over, with two lofted drives, a manufactured sweep and a clinical cut stroke.
Jayasuriya's best shot was a perfectly timed drive over wide long-on for six off Jerome Taylor, one of the faster bowlers.
It was a superb innings from the man who turns 38 in June and who had to be co-erced out of retirement to resume his international career last year.
In the process of reaching his century, he sailed past Inzamam-ul-Haq's tally of 11,739 runs to become the second most prolific scorer in one-day internationals.
But after two more sixes, both off Bradshaw, he began to tire as the oppressive conditions took their toll.
After a gentle paddled sweep off Chris Gayle brought him his 25th ODI century, he eventually played on to Powell.
Sri Lanka skipper Jayawardene started slowly but grew in confidence, hitting a six of his own off Dwayne Bravo before the same bowler yorked him at the start of his second spell.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (39 not out off 22 balls) was responsible for the final onslaught, hitting the final ball of the innings high into the stands.
West Indies had to produce something spectacular to chase down their target and they pulled a rabbit out of the hat by opening with Bravo.
He hit three boundaries but was bowled by Chaminda Vaas off the top of his pad.
Either side of that wicket, Gayle skied a catch to mid-off - Dilhara Fernando taking a fine wicket - and Lara was stumped off Vaas, momentarily lifting his back foot.
That made it 42-3 and a huge amount depended on Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, playing in their home nation.
They began dreadfully slowly, though, only realising the enormity of the task ahead of them when the required rate reached 10 an over.
A few lusty blows sparked a brief flurry of runs before Sarwan was stumped off Jayasuriya - Kumar Sangakkara's excellent glovework in evidence again.
Though Chanderpaul - having finally found his range - continued to smack the odd six, inevitably further wickets tumbled.
Finally, the veteran left-hander fell by the wayside too and it was all wrapped up by man of the match Jayasuriya, bowling last man Powell in the 45th over for figures of 3-38.
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