Record-breaking Sangakkara, Dilshan power Sri Lanka to 363

Hobart, March 11 (IANS) Kumar Sangakkara (95-ball 124) became the first batsman to record four consecutive hundreds in One-Day International (ODI) cricket as Sri Lanka posted an imposing 363 all out in 50 overs against Scotland in a World Cup Pool A game at the Bellerive Oval here on Wednesday.

Continuing his rich vein of form, Sangakkara, 37, once again showed his master class and registered his 25th ODI ton. In the process, he also became the first batsman to score four centuries in a World Cup.

Seasoned opener Tilakaratne Dilshan (104) stroked to his 22nd ODI century and combined with Sangakkara to forge a 195-run partnership for the second wicket. It helped them register fourth 300-plus totals in the World Cup.

Coming at the fall of left-handed opener Lahiru Thirimanne (4) with the team only at 21/1 in the sixth over, Sangakkara and Dilshan batted with aplomb. They were hardly troubled by the Scotland bowlers and maintained a very good run rate. They reached 71 in 15 overs.

While Dilshan reached his fifty in 54 balls, Sangakkara scored his half-century in 56 balls. They upped the ante after getting past the halfway mark.

However, Sangakkara, unusually, was more aggressive of the duo. Both completed their tons in the 34th over of the innings. While Dilshan completed a 97-ball 100, Sangakkara took just 30 balls to smack next 50 runs for his fourth century of the tournament.

Dilshan got out after hitting 10 fours and a six. He mis-timed to Calum MacLeod at mid-off off medium pacer Josh Davey but not before putting his team in command at 216/2 in the 35th over.

Sangakkara hit 13 fours and four sixes off the 95 balls he faced in his innings. He edged it to wicketkeeper Matthew Cross off a Davey delivery.

Mahela Jayawardene (2) struggled to get it going in 13 deliveries but lost his wicket to Davey.

At the death, Angelo Mathews' 21-ball 51 that comprised of six sixes and a four ensured that Sri Lanka go past the 300-run mark with ease. The skipper notched up his 26th ODI fifty.

Scotland pulled things back in the last five overs as Sri Lanka batsmen threw their wickets away in search of big runs. But eventually they managed to reach 363, that was the highest-ever total against Scotland in ODI cricket.

For Scotland, Davey picked up three wickets, while Richie Berrington and Alasdair Evans picked up two wickets apiece. Rob Taylor and Matt Machan scalped a wicket each.

Brief scores: Kumar Sangakkara 124, Tilakaratne Dilshan 104, Angelo Mathews 51; Josh Davey 3/63, Richie Berrington 2/31) vs Scotland.