Sri Lanka beat Protease by 55 runs under D/L method

CENTURION: Sri Lanka won the rain-affected Group B match on the Duckworth-Lewis method defeating South Africa by 55 runs in the opening match of the 2009 Champions Trophy here at SuperSport Park on Tuesday.

Chasing a Sri Lanka total of 319-8, South Africa reached 206-7 in 37.4 overs when rain stopped play.

As no more play is possible there the match was decided under D L method in Sri Lanka’s favour.

Captain Graeme Smith made 58 and Jacques Kallis scored 41 for South Africa while Ajantha Mendis captured three and Lasith Malinga and Angeelo Mathews took two wickets each.

Earlier, opener Tillakaratne Dilshan struck 106 runs as Sri Lanka made 319-8.
Dilshan hit 16 fours and one six in a 92-ball innings and his second-wicket partnership with captain Kumar Sangakkara reaped 158 runs on a slow, even-bounce pitch.

Dilshan finally departed off the first ball of the 29th over, caught at the boundary by Albie Morkel off the bowling of right-arm speedster Dale Steyn on a warm Highveld afternoon.

It was the third ODI century for the 2009 ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year nominee, whose career-best 137 came against Pakistan in
Lahore this year.

Wicketkeeper Sangakkara had departed two overs before Dilshan, caught and bowled by JP Duminy for 54 when he played too early on the leg side and got a leading edge.

The exploits of Dilshan and Sangakkara followed the early, cheap departure of the grand old man of Sri Lankan cricket, 40-year-old Sanath Jayasuriya, for 10 when trapped leg before by Steyn.

Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera proved a further thorn in South African flesh, adding 116 runs off 106 runs for the fourth wicket before they departed from consecutive Wayne Parnell deliveries.