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Sri Lanka skipper demands more intensity
by AFP


Event:ICC World Cup 2006/07

DateLine: 6th March 2007

 

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene believes there is plenty more to come from his team despite a commanding World Cup warm-up win over Scotland.

 

Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, cruised to a 159-run win at The 3Ws Oval, a victory based on a 117-run opening stand between Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga.

 

"We had a great day out and we are pleased with the result at the end of the day," said Jayawardene.

 

"We still can get better and we will be working on our intensity. There were times on Monday when we slackened of a bit, so we know what we have to do come Friday (when Sri Lanka face New Zealand in a final warm-up).

 

"The only thing we would have liked to have done is one of the guys batting through the innings and getting 100."

 

Three players came close to that target.

 

After choosing to bat, Sri Lanka made 294-7 off their 50 overs with veteran opener Jayasuriya, a survivor of the 1996 campaign, hitting 77 off 62 balls.

 

Tharanga made 70 from 112 deliveries while top scorer was Kumar Sangakkara who made 81 off 87 balls faced.

 

The Scots never recovered from losing three quick wickets.

 

Left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas, who claimed a rare hat-trick at the last World Cup in South Africa in 2003, did the damage removing openers Fraser Watts, who was lbw, while partner Majid Haq was bowled.

 

Fellow opening bowler Lasith Malinga removed Navdeep Poonia lbw for a second ball duck to leave the Scots 35-3.

 

Gavin Hamilton, one of two former England players in the Scotland line-up, top-scored with a painstaking 25 off 51 balls before the Scots were all out for 135.

 

"You can't go out there and play against Muttiah Muralitharan or Chaminda Vaas and expect to succeed if you haven't played them before," Scotland skipper Craig Wright told reporters.

 

"We have that experience now. We don't get the opportunity to play against the top sides in the world very often.

 

"I thought our fielding stood up pretty well to what is a vastly experienced and top-quality batting line-up."

 

After, Jayasuriya, Tharanga and Sangakkara had caused the damage, Tillakaratne Dilshan then hammered home Sri Lanka's advantage with an attractive 14-ball cameo which brought him 28 runs with two giant sixes.

 

They also targeted Scotland skipper Wright whose one over of medium pace cost 20 runs.

 

Dougie Brown, who played nine internationals for England before switching his allegiance back to his native Scotland, took two wickets as did opening bowler John Blain.

 

Sri Lanka play New Zealand in their final warm-up match on Friday while Scotland will face Bangladesh on Thursday.

 

Mahela Jayawardene's team then move on to Trinidad for their first round Group B matches where they will take on India, Bangladesh and Bermuda while Scotland play in Group A at St Kitts with champions Australia, South Africa and the Netherlands.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)

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