Press Trust of India
Hobart, March 11: Kumar Sangakkara (124, 95, 13×4, 4×6) created history by notching up a record fourth consecutive ODI century that powered Sri Lanka to a crushing 148-run win over Scotland in their final group league match of the ongoing cricket World Cup here Wednesday.
In becoming the first man in history of ODIs to score centuries in four successive innings, the 37-year-old Sri Lankan veteran together with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (104, 99b, 10×4, 1×6) helped the team put up a mammoth 363 for nine after electing to bat at the Bellerive Oval here.
Set a daunting target in the Group A match, Scotland’s innings ended at 215 in 43.1 overs, and the minnows have another match to play in the mega-event where they have failed to win a single game so far.
Sri Lanka are now second in the points table, behind New Zealand, with four wins in six games. However, the final positions in the group will be known only after the New Zealand-Bangladesh and Australia-Scotland games.
The 195-run partnership for the second wicket was Sangakkara and Dilshan’s 20th century stand in ODIs, leaving them second only to Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly who have 22.
After the departure of the two centurions, skipper Angelo Mathews (51, 21b, 1×4, 6×6) smashed the second-fastest half century of this World Cup, off 20 balls. The Islanders though lost a series of wickets towards the end, denying them a 400-plus total.
The Scots were off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets with just 44 runs on board within the first 12overs. The game was as good at that point but Freddie Coleman (70, 74b, 7×4) and skipper Preston Mommsen (60, 75b, 7×4) shared 118 runs for the fourth wicket to give the Scottish total a semblance of respectability.
Among the Lankan bowlers, Nuwan Kulasekara (3/20) bowled well and was well supported by debutant Dushmantha Chameera (3/51). Lasith Malinga (2/29) who opened the bowling, was however, unlucky as two chances were grassed off his bowling.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 363 for 9 ((Tilakaratne Dilshan
104, Kumar Sangakkara 124; Josh Davey 3/63, Richie Berrington 2/31) beat Scotland 215 in 43.1 overs (Freddie Coleman 70, Preston Mommsen 60; Nuwan Kulasekara 3/20, Lasith Malinga 2/29) by 148 runs.
