Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has become the first cricketer to make four successive One Day International centuries, leading his side to a thundering 148-run World Cup victory over Scotland at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Wednesday.
All ready guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, Sri Lanka’s win puts them second in Pool A with four wins and two losses. Australia and Bangladesh still have a game to play and could overtake Sri Lanka in the Pool standings.
Against Scotland, Sangakkara produced a thrilling, at times cheeky, contribution of 124 in his team’s total of 9-363.
Despite a 118-run partnership between Scotland skipper Preston Mommsen (60) and Freddie Coleman (70) the Scots were all out for 215 in the 44th over, and remain winless in their World Cup campaign.
Coleman’s demise sparked a quick succession of wickets and with 10 overs remaining the Scots needed 167 runs from 60 balls.
In Scotland’s innings, Sangakkara passed Adam Gilchrist (52 dismissals) at the top of the list of most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in world cup matches, with 54.
The 37-year-old Sri Lankan also passed 500 one day international dismissals.
With the bat, Sangakkara wasn’t the only Sri Lankan to fire.
He teamed with Tillakaratne Dilshan (104 off 99) for a 195-run partnership for the second wicket.
And batting at No.5 captain Angelo Mathews smashed 51 off 21 balls.
The highlight of the skipper’s swashbuckling knock was four successive sixes off Matt Machan (1-46) in the 44th over.
Mathews was caught by Freddie Coleman, who had earlier dropped him, as he attempted to hit a fifth six in a row off Machan.
Josh Davey took 3-63 for Scotland to take his World Cup 2015 tally to a tournament high 14.
Scotland’s innings started poorly with Kyle Coetzer falling for zero in the first over leaving Scotland 1-0 two balls.
Nuwan Kulasekara (3-20) was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, while Dushmantha Chameera finished with 3-51.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein, but nobody knows if he…
This series’ twelfth and final team has a distinct West Indian flavour at the top of the order, and a domineering captain.
Mitch Marsh has been appointed as Australia's men's Twenty20 captain, set to lead a squad to the World Cup that does not include Steve…
Australia are set to turn their back on rising star Jake Fraser-McGurk’s whirlwind IPL form and drop Steve Smith in their T20 World Cup…
If people can lose their job, and clubs can face massive payouts, due to the behaviour of coaches, it will drastically change the way sporting teams in Australia will be run.
Australian fast bowling great Jason Gillespie has been named head coach of Pakistan's Test team, as the nation overhauls its coaching department ahead of…
