Back
Sport
-
World Cup
Atapattu's century lifts Sri Lanka
Atapattu scored 124 off 129 deliveries and shared a belligerent 152-run partnership with veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva, who hit a brisk 73, to lift Sri Lanka's total to 268 for nine in 50 overs.
South Africa needs to win to advance to the second round. Sri Lanka, which won four of its five opening matches, can advance despite a loss, depending on its run rate.
Sri Lanka will edge out New Zealand on run rate unless South Africa reached 269 runs in 33.4 overs or less.
Sri Lanka, which was threatening to boycott this match, played under protest after its appeal against an International Cricket Council interpretation of the qualification criteria for the Super Six was rejected.
Sri Lankan officials said the players were ``extremely perturbed and disappointed'' at the interpretation of the rules which determine which teams advance to the second round if two or more nations are equal on points after the group stage.
``The alleged clarification is particularly disadvantageous to Sri Lanka and is indeed unfair. We feel that it is an attempt to keep Sri Lanka away from the Super Six round,'' the Sri Lankan board said in a statement.
Team officials held emergency talks with cricket board officials in Colombo during the night and then convinced the players to abandon their boycott threat.
Involved in a mix-up that resulted in the run out of skipper Sanath Jayasuriya for 16, Atapattu blazed 18 boundaries in posting his ninth one-day century.
The Atapattu-de Silva partnership helped Sri Lanka recover from a slump in the middle of the innings when the departure of Hashan Tillakaratne and Mahela Jayawardene reduced it to 90 for three in the 23rd over.
Launching his assault with three boundaries in South African skipper Shaun Pollock's second over, Atapattu opened up with a straight-driven four and then cover drove two successive deliveries to the fence.
Jayasuriya, who won the toss, was run out by Gary Kirsten's direct hit from mid-on as he tried to regain the crease after setting off for an impossible run.
Tillekeratne fell for 14 by edging an outswinger from Jaques Kallis, who finished with three for 41, to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Jayawardene was caught behind off Andrew Hall in attempting a leg-side slog.
Former captain de Silva spiked South Africa's hopes of running through the middle order with a classic 78-ball knock of 73, which contained two huge sixes and six boundaries.
Atapattu fell in the 44th over as he tried to hit out against Hall, only to loft a catch to substitute Robin Robinson on the at mid-on.
De Silva hooked paceman Makhaya Ntini for a six into the top tier of the stadium and then lofted Hall over the mid-on fence.
Ntini had his revenge when de Silva hit a catch to Graeme Smith at mid-on.
Sri Lanka lost four more wickets in the slog overs as the South African pacemen managed to stop Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan from hitting out.
South Africa took a big gamble by picking young pace bowler Monde Zondeki, who has only played for one-dayers — two during the World Cup — ahead of veteran pace ace Allan Donald.
Donald has been off-colour during this tournament and the South African attack has lacked penetration. But Zondeki limped out of the ground after bowling six unimpressive overs, suffering from cramps in both his legs.
SCOREBORAD
| SRI LANKA | |
| M. Atapattu c sub (Peterson) | 124 |
| S. Jayasuriya (run out) | 16 |
| H. Tillekeratne c Boucher
| 14 |
| M. Jayawardene c Boucher
| 1 |
| A. de Silva c Smith b Ntini | 73 |
| R. Arnold b Pollock | 8 |
| K. Sangakkara c Pollock
| 6 |
| C. Vaas (run out) | 3 |
| M. Muralitharan b Kallis | 4 |
| D. Fernando (not out) | 1 |
| Extras (lb-2, w-11, nb-5) | 18 |
| — — | |
| Total (for nine wkts.
| 268 |
| — — | |
| SOUTH AFRICA BOWLING | ||||
| O | M | R | W | |
| Pollock | 10 | 1 | 48 | 1 |
| Ntini | 10 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
| Zondeki | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Kallis | 10 | 0 | 41 | 3 |
| Hall | 10 | 0 | 62 | 2 |
| Klusener | 4 | 0 | 31 | 0 |