Sri Lanka win with record score
Jayasuriya played a major part in Sri Lanka's record win
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Friday, 14, Sep 2007 12:11
One of the favourites for the World Twenty20 tournament, Sri Lanka, have sent a message to their potential opponents by setting a new world record in their opening match against Kenya.
An inspired innings from veteran Sanath Jayasuriya anchored the effort with 11 fours and four sixes to score 88 at an amazing strike-rate of 200 to help his side to 260-6.
Team captain Mahela Jayawardene also scored heavily by swatting away the African side's attack for 65 runs off 27 balls.
And the final nail in Kenya's coffin was dealt by left-handed number seven batsman Jehan Mubarak, who cracked an astonishing 46 not out from just 13 deliveries.
His innings featured one over including four sixes, which went for 29, before he eventually finished with three fours and five sixes overall.
Sri Lanka's run-rate across the entire innings was an incredible 13 runs per over.
The final total destroyed the previous record for a Twenty20 international innings, which was Australia's 221-5 against England during the Ashes tour of 2006/07.
In reply, the Kenyans were always going to struggle against such an imposing total and so it proved as Sri Lanka's experienced bowlers put the stoppers on any run-chase, however unlikely.
Chaminda Vas took two wickets for just 15 runs in his four allotted overs, which included the unusual sight in Twenty20 of a maiden over.
Jayasuriya backed up his superb performance with the bat, taking 1-9 from three overs, and Lasith Malinga chipped in with two wickets of his own as Kenya struggled to score runs while consistently losing wickets.
Number seven batsman Alex Obanda top-scored for the minnows with a spirited 21 from 25 balls, but only three players made it into double figures as Kenya made only 88 all out from 19.3 overs and lost by 172 runs.