Bangladesh v Sri Lanka at Pietermaritzburg, 14 Feb 2003 CricInfo Live Report

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka at Pietermaritzburg, 14 Feb 2003
Anand Vasu

Sri Lanka, Pool B innings: End of match,
Pre-game: Toss & Teams,
Bangladesh innings: End of innings,

SRI LANKA WALTZ TO CONVINCING WIN
Sri Lanka have been confidence personified this World Cup. After destroying Bangladesh with a Chaminda Vaas-inspired performance, the batsmen rattled off the 125 needed for victory in just 21.1 overs with all ten wickets in hand. Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu were at their domineering best, clattering the bowlers to all parts of the park in a savage attack.

From the time the first ball was bowled, there was an air of arrogance to both opening batsmen. Jayasuriya’s trademark on-the-rise drives easily raced off his favoured Kookaburra blade and flew over the infield. Atapattu, for his part, reminded the world that his run of five ducks in six Test innings was an aberration with cover drives that were a classicist’s delight.

Shortly after the break for lunch, Atapattu resumed where he left off, pinging the onside with a ferocious pull off mediumpacer Mashrafe Mortoza. Sanwar Hossain then suffered the same fate as he dropped the ball short and saw it disappear to the mid-wicket fence.

Not to be left out, Jayasuriya too picked up the pace, sweeping Sanwar Hossain effortlessly to the fence just behind square on the leg side. Soon after he brought up his first six, pulling Alok Kapali with immense power to bring up his half-century.

In the 22nd over, Bangladesh’s misery was cut short. The Sri Lankans completed a handsome 10-wicket win. Unusually, Atapattu with 69 outscored Jayasuriya who had 54 to his name.

Sri Lanka now have two wins from as many games. They now seem strong contenders in this tournament.

VAAS BRINGS BANGLADESH DOWN TO ITS KNEES
Chaminda Vaas blew away the Bangladesh batting in a never-before performance at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg. Taking a hat-trick off the first three balls of the game, Vaas sent Bangladesh into deep shock. Adding a further fourth wicket off the fifth ball of the over, he left Bangladesh crippled at 5/4 at the end of the first over. From there on Bangladesh stuttered to 124 all out.

The first ball of the match was a vintage Vaas curve ball. Slanting away from right-handed Hannan Sarkar, the ball dipped in at the last moment sneaking past the bat to knock over the stumps.

Mohammad Ashraful, the next man in, awkwardly fended at a short one from Vaas, only to dab the ball back for Vaas to take the simplest of catches.

The field closed in as Vaas completed his celebrations, hands spread wide like an eagle in flight ready to swoop down for the kill.

Ehsanul Haq was the nervous batsman getting ready to face the third ball of the innings with plenty of fielders close to the bat for company. A full delivery perfectly pitched on the off induced a nervous poke. The resulting edge flew straight to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips who made absolutely no mistake.

For the first time ever three wickets had fallen in the first three balls of a one-dayer.

Vaas’ hatrick was the third in World Cup history, after Chetan Sharma’s effort against the Kiwis in 87 and Saqlain Mushtaq against Zimbabwe in 1999. Vaas also becomes the third person in one-day history to take two hat-tricks joining Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq.

But Vaas was not sated by his explosive start.

Off the fifth ball of his first over, he had Sanwar Hossain trapped in front of the stumps.

From then on there was little joy for the Bangladeshis. Despite the honest, lusty hitting of Alok Kapali who made 32 from 37 balls (2 fours and a six) the minnows could only manage 124 all out.

Skipper Khaled Mashud battled hard for 20 off 67 balls, but really, there was little Bangladesh could do after Vaas’ early blast.

The magic of Muttiah Muralitharan kicked in (10-3-25-3) with sharp off breaks and cunning floaters that went away from the right-handers completely bamboozling the Bangladeshis. Nothing compared to Vaas, however, who returned 9.1-2-25-6.

SRI LANKA PUT BANGLADESH IN TO BAT
Minnows Bangladesh are up against it when they take on a pumped up Sri Lanka at the City Oval, Pitermaritzburg.

After beating New Zealand in their opening game, a charged up and confident Sri Lankans had no hesitation in putting Bangladesh in to bat after they won the toss.

The Sri Lankans made just one change to their side bringing Prabath Nissanka in for Pulasthi Gunaratne.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, are reeling from their shock 60-run defeat at the hands of unfancied Canada.

Conditions have just a bit for the bowlers, with a little grass on the wicket and this no doubt has prompted Jayasuriya to put Bangladesh in.

Bangladesh team: Hannan Sarkar, Al Sahariar, Mohammad Ashraful, Ehsanul Haq, *+Khaled Mashud, Sanwar Hossain, Alok Kapali, Mohammad Rafique, Manjural Islam, Tapash Baisya, Mashrafe Mortaza.

Sri Lanka team: MS Atapattu, *ST Jayasuriya, HP Tillakaratne, DPMD Jayawardene, PA de Silva, +KC Sangakkara, RP Arnold, WPUJC Vaas, M Muralitharan, CRD Fernando, RAP Nissanka.