Wellington, March 1 (IANS) Lahiru Thirimanne (not out 139) and Kumar Sangakkara (not out 117) compiled graceful centuries to help Sri Lanka crush England by nine wickets in a World Cup Pool A game at the Westpac Stadium here on Sunday.
England had posted a challenging total of 309/6 driven by young Joe Root's 121. But Sri Lanka got off to a very good start and they never looked in any sort of trouble. Tilakaratne Dilshan (44) was in very good form as he stroked four boundaries and two sixes before losing his wicket to spinner Moeen Ali.
Till then their scoreboard read 100/1 in 19 overs and left-hander Thirimanne was going at a great pace. Veteran left-hander Sangakkara came in and got into groove very early and it helped the 25-year-old Thirimanne. They stitched a 212-run unbeaten partnership for the second wicket to help Sri Lanka cross the line with 2.4 overs and nine wickets to spare.
Thirimanne notched up his fourth One-Day International (ODI) ton. He scored 13 fours and two sixes in his 143-ball innings.
Meanwhile, it seemed the 37-year-old Sangakkara started from where he left against Bangladesh in the previous match when he had registered 105. He had reached the three figure mark in 73 balls to record his quickest ODI hundred. On Sunday, he bettered that mark by three deliveries that also gave him his 23rd century. He dominated the English bowlers, hammering 11 fours and two sixes.
With this win, 1996 World Cup champions Sri Lanka recorded their third straight victory in the World Cup, closing on a quarterfinal berth. England crumbled to their third loss in the tournament.
Earlier, right-hander Root scored his fourth century in ODI cricket to power his country to a position of strength. Several batsmen chipped in with useful contributions for England.
Experienced opener Ian Bell made 49 in 54 balls, while Eoin Morgan (27) and James Taylor (25) got two very good partnerships with the 24-year-old Root. Jos Buttler provided late spark with an unbeaten 39 of 19 balls.
England lost their first wicket in the form of last match's centurion Moeen Ali (15). The left-hander offered an easy catch off skipper Angelo Mathews to Suranga Lakmal at mid-off with the scoreboard reading 62/1 in 9.2 overs.
Next man in, Gary Balance (6) was caught by Dilshan off his own bowling that made 71/2 in 12.2 overs.
The partnership between Root and Bell lasted for only 30 runs as the latter had his stumps rattled by medium pacer Lakmal. When Bell fell for 49, with the help of seven fours, their innings looked to be in danger of faltering at 101/3 in 20.2 overs.
Root put on 60 for the fourth wicket with Morgan (27) before the captain's fierce cut shot could only pick out Dilshan at gully off Thisara Perera.
However, England continued their recovery as Root reached his century off 101 balls as he and Taylor (25) attacked in the final 10 overs. They forged a 98-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Lasith Malinga returned to remove Taylor and Herath trapped Root in front of the wickets as Sri Lanka looked to halt England's progress.
England managed to surpass 300 thanks to Buttler's 39 from 19 balls as Sri Lanka struggled to restrict their opponents. Right-hander Buttler hit six fours and a six.
But the total proved to be easy for Sri Lanka thanks to two artistic knocks from Thirimanne and Sangakkara.
Brief scores: England 309/6 (Joe Root 121, Ian Bell 49; Tilakaratne Dilshan 1/35, Angelo Mathews 1/43), Sri Lanka 312/1 (Lahiru Thirimanne not out 139, Kumar Sangakkara not out 117; Moeen Ali 1/50). Sri Lanka win by nine wickets.
Ranbir-Alia: Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt gave a special gift to fans on Christmas, showed the face of daughter Raha for the first time.
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are two of the biggest stars of Bollywood. They are one of the most popular and loved couples in the industry. Ever since their daughter Raha was born, the couple has been
Pregnant woman, her husband forced to walk over 100km without food; rescued by locals
आठ महीने की गर्भवती महिला और उसके पति को सहारनपुर से बुलंदशहर तक की अपनी
Rajasthan in Water Management pact with Singapore co
Jaipur, Feb 25 (IANS) Rajasthan Wednesday signed a grant agreement with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on water management and to develop capabilities in urban water management in the
Corona Updates: 13,166 new cases, 302 deaths in 24 hours in the country; Canada approves first indigenous corona vaccine
In the last 24 hours, 13,166 new cases of the corona were found in the country, 26,968 patients were cured and 302 people died. At the same time, the number of active cases, that is, the number of
Israel-Hamas War: After Gaza hospital, now church attacked, many were killed; Hamas again held Israel responsible
About five thousand people died in the war between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, on Tuesday there was an explosion at Gaza's Al-Ahli Hospital, in which hundreds of people lost their lives. Hamas and
Exclusive: Is it possible to legislate on MSP? Will farmers' income double by 2022? Know what SC committee member Anil Ghanwat said
Anil Ghanwat Exclusive Interview: Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait is adamant about continuing the agitation. They say that until the government accepts other demands including MSP, the movement will not
China is the largest producer of lithium batteries, will India's future be in trouble?
In the last year, the price of lithium has increased by more than four times. The reason is that electric cars cannot be made without this metal lighter than wood. Such cards run on special lithium
Coronavirus Updates: Big drop in corona cases in the country, 1569 cases in 24 hours, 19 deaths
There has been a big decline in the cases of Coronavirus in the country. The Health Ministry said that 1,569 cases of corona have been reported in the last 24 hours. There has been a decrease of about
Russia-Ukraine War Update: Vladimir Putin said – the war dragged on longer than expected
Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear on Wednesday that his military action in Ukraine would continue for a long time. Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Wednesday that his "special
Hyper-growth in tech startups in India: Economic Survey
New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) The information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS) sector, including Business Process Management (BPM), continued to be one of the largest employers in the