They battled to the bitter end, but there was no World Cup fairytale finish to the one-day cricket careers of Sri Lankan batting greats, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
The pair had already announced they’d retire when Sri Lanka’s involvement at the 2015 World Cup concluded.
That came on Wednesday night.
After playing in successive losing World Cup final teams against Australia and India in 2007 and 2011, there would be no perfect finale for the duo as a hungry South African side bulldozed Sri Lanka at the SCG.
Chasing just 134 to win, South Africa cruised to a nine-wicket victory in 18 overs.
Sangakkara top scored with 45, while Jayawardene made just four.
Classy left-hander Sangakkara was philosophical about the crushing defeat in his final ODI game.
“That’s the way it goes. Someone has got to lose in a quarter-final it’s a do-or-die situation,” said, Sangakkara, who will keep playing Test cricket.
“I don’t think it (being my last ODI) adds to the disappointment.”
Sangakkara did at least become just the eighth player in World Cup history to score 500 runs in a single tournament.
Despite his prolific form, he had no reservations about his decision, referring to the state of his 37-year-old body.
“It’s like the tape holding my fingers together, I’ve got a lot more holding my body together,” Sangakkara said.
“Retiring from (one-day) cricket is not about form for me personally, it never is.
“I’m sure I can play a year or two more, but I feel the time is now and it’s right …”
He couldn’t have tried any harder to resist the South African push, scrapping his way to an innings-high 45 off 96 balls, in an uncharacteristically subdued but typically determined knock.
It was a far less successful tournament for his long-time teammate Jayawardene, who is retiring from all forms of international cricket.
He ended the competition with 125 runs at an average of 25, with 100 of those runs coming in one innings against associate side Afghanistan
“He’s scored a lot of runs, he’s led our country to a lot of victories and he’s given a lot both on and off the field to the country, so I think he’s going to be sorely missed,” Sangakkara said.
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