Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Full Match Highlights World Cup 2011
When Elton Chigumbura chose to bowl in Pallekele, to avoid his spinners having to struggle with a dew-soaked ball, little did he think his team would fail to take a wicket for 44.3 overs. But Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga batted forever, notching up the first double-century opening partnership in World Cup history, and their hundreds set up Sri Lanka's victory, officially securing their place in the quarter-finals.
The result was a foregone conclusion once Sri Lanka scored 327 but there was a flutter of hope in the Zimbabwe camp when Brendan Taylor was at the forefront of the pursuit. He combined orthodoxy and innovation during an aggressive half-century, taking advantage of a wayward Sri Lankan pace attack. The hosts gathered themselves, though, and struck twice at the other end after a century opening stand. Taylor eventually departed for 80 in the 25th over, and with him ended Zimbabwe's improbable chances.
Current Points Table
Group A
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | Net RR | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | +2.705 | 1071/168.4 | 729/200.0 |
| New Zealand | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.848 | 746/141.3 | 630/184.0 |
| Pakistan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +0.760 | 970/200.0 | 818/200.0 |
| Australia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | +1.813 | 469/84.0 | 377/100.0 |
| Zimbabwe | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.690 | 819/200.0 | 878/183.3 |
| Canada | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2.083 | 582/195.3 | 1012/200.0 |
| Kenya | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.403 | 521/200.0 | 734/122.1 |
Group B
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | Net RR | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | +0.992 | 1109/182.3 | 1017/200.0 |
| England | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | +0.054 | 1132/198.4 | 1124/199.1 |
| West Indies | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.667 | 611/112.2 | 396/142.5 |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.754 | 739/142.5 | 513/150.0 |
| Ireland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.296 | 714/149.1 | 742/146.0 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.764 | 546/150.0 | 607/112.2 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.728 | 716/200.0 | 1168/185.1 |
The struggle of Zimbabwe's batsmen was in contrast to the ease with which Dilshan and Tharanga had entertained a packed house. They started at top speed, taking 84 of the first 11 overs by playing a shot a minute, and then shifted to a lower gear, bleeding Zimbabwe steadily and so easily through the middle overs. There were regular bursts of acceleration later in the innings and a concerted push during the final ten overs. At no stage were they bothered and rarely has a bowling performance looked so toothless - Chris Mpofu's shout after striking Tharanga's pad with the first ball of the game was the only appeal against the openers. Tired shots, rather than incisive bowling, brought about the dismissal of Tharanga and then Dilshan, and more middle-order wickets fell as batsmen came, swung and pushed the total beyond 300.
Tharanga and Dilshan broke Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti's World Cup record of 194 for the first wicket and then became the first openers to score hundreds in the same World Cup innings. They reached 200 in 33.4 overs. During the batting Powerplay, taken in the 41st over, Tharanga's inside-out play through cover was exquisite. With the highest opening partnership in ODIs - 286 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Tharanga at Headingley 2006 - within striking distance, Tharanga holed out to deep cover, bringing Zimbabwe some relief. Dilshan followed in the next over, leaving the finishing touches to his well-rested team-mates.
As impressive as Sri Lanka's display was, Taylor played some of the best shots of the game. Using Malinga's pace, Taylor flicked a low full toss to the backward square-leg boundary, pushed a wide one through covers and chipped a short one over Kumar Sangakkara's head. There was only touch and timing in those shots, no power. Taylor got to his fifty off 39 balls and carried on batting aggressively.
Muttiah Muralitharan came on only in the 16th over, after the bowling Powerplay was completed, and in the 20th he spun a doosra on to Regis Chakabva's off stump, ending the opening stand on 116. Tatenda Taibu was bent on reverse-sweeping Murali whenever he could, and got away with it. He didn't get away with edging Angelo Mathew though, and Sangakkara dived to his right to take the catch inches off the ground.
Those two wickets set back Zimbabwe's chase considerably, and Taylor's dismissal was the definitive blow. On 80, he chipped a slower ball from Angelo Mathews straight to midwicket and the contest was over. Dilshan returned to torment Zimbabwe, picking up four batsmen - his finishing touches on a terrific game. And Murali, playing his final ODI in front of his home crowd, took the final wicket.
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