Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 14 runs on D/L method
PROVIDENCE: Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 14 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method in their rain-affected World Twenty20 group match here on Monday.
Chasing a difficult target of 174, Zimbabwe were four for no loss when rain stopped the play which resumed later and Zimbabwe were set a revised target of 43 under Duckworth/Lewis method but they finished at 29, 14 short of the par score.
The only batsman Zimbabwe lost was Hamilton Masakadza, run out for four. Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor remained not out on 12 and 13, respectively when the play ended.
Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene hit a brilliant hundred to guide Sri Lanka to set Zimbabwe a difficult target of 174 runs.
Jayawardene became the fourth batsman in T20 international cricket, third in the World T20 and second in the current tournament to make a century.
The former captain, opening the Sri Lankan innings, scored exact 100 runs from 64 balls with four sixes and ten fours.
Jayawardene''s hundred came just a day after India batsman Suresh Raina scored 101 in a World Twenty20 group match against South Africa in Saint Lucia.
After captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and decided to bat first, Sri Lankan batsmen made 173 for seven in the allotted 20 overs.
However, only two Sri Lankan batsmen besides Jayawardene got into double figures. Thissara Perera made 23) and Chamara Kapugedera scored 13 as extras were 14.
Sri Lanka, who needed to win to qualify for the second round Super Eights after losing the tournament opener to New Zealand by two wickets, suffered a huge blow before play began when star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a groin injury.
Suraj Randiv came in for Muralitharan and Thissara Perera, a medium-pace all-rounder replaced Chanaka Welegedara.