KANDY, Sri Lanka (CMC) – Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed a century in a World Cup record opening stand and returned to undermine Zimbabwe in a devastating spell, as Sri Lanka cruised into the quarter-finals with an uncomplicated 139-run win here yesterday.
The right-handed Dilshan scored 144 from 131 balls and shared a stand of 282 with Upul Tharanga who hammered 133 from 141 balls, to lift the hosts to 327 for six off their allotted 50 overs.
Later in the match, Dilshan who was named the man-of-the-match, bowling off-breaks snatched, four wickets for four runs in a three-over spell, to send Zimbabwe tumbling to 188 all out in 39 overs.
The African side were given a lively start of 116 from Brendan Taylor (80) and Regis Chakabva (35) but once the partnership was broken in the 20th over, the momentum dwindled and the innings declined rapidly.
Playing at the Pallekele International Stadium, Dilshan stole the show as he almost single-handedly hauled Sri Lanka to an impressive victory and to the top of Group A with seven points, dominating the opening partnership with Tharanga, counting 16 fours and a four while his partner reeled off 17 boundaries.
Tharanga lofted seamer Chris Mpofu (4-62) to extra cover in the 45th over to end the partnership two runs short of the One-Day International record and Dilshan departed in the next over to end the fireworks.
Sri Lanka then lost five wickets for 38 runs in 26 balls as they failed to get the late-over acceleration they wanted.
Taylor then played a cameo, striking nine fours and a six off 72 balls as Zimbabwe made a gallant start to their run chase.
The stand was becoming worrying when Chakabva played down the wrong line to off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s doosra and lost his off-stump, thereafter no one put his hand up and when Taylor clipped seamer Angelo Matthews to Mahela Jayawardene at mid-wicket, the Zimbabwean resistance folded.
All that was left was for Dilshan to make another cameo appearance, wrecking the middle order and narrowly missing a hat-trick in the 30th over after Jayawardene floored Graeme Cremer at slip.

SCORECARD

SRI LANKA innings
U. Tharanga c Chigumbura b Mpofu    133
T. Dilshan c Chigumbura b Utseya    144
T. Perera c Chigumbura b Price    3
M. Jayawardene c Chakabva b Mpofu    9
K. Sangakkara not out    11
A. Mathews c Chigumbura b Mpofu    0
C. Silva c Panyangara b Mpofu    4
T. Samaraweera not out    8
Extras: (b-2, lb-3, w-9, nb-1)    15
Total: (6 wickets, off 50 overs)    327
Fall of wickets: 1-282, 2-289, 3-296, 4-300, 5-302, 6-308.
Bowling: Mpofu 7-0-62-4, Panyangara 6-0-51-0, Price 9-1-46-1, Chigumbura 3-0-20-0, Utseya 10-0-50-1, Cremer 7-0-42-0, Lamb 8-0-51-0.

ZIMBABWE innings
B. Taylor c Jayawardene b Mathews    80
R. Chakabva b Muralitharan    35
T. Taibu c wkp. Sangakkara b Mathews    4
P. Utseya stp. Sangakkara b Dilshan    4
C. Ervine lbw b Dilshan    17
E. Chigumbura c Perera b Muralitharan    6
G. Lamb c Jayawardene b Dilshan    0
G. Cremer not out    14
R. Price c Samaraweera b Perera    11
T. Panyangara lbw b Dilshan    0
C. Mpofu b Muralitharan    1
Extras: (b-2, lb-2, w-12)    16
Total: (all out, 39 overs)    188
Fall of wickets: 1-116, 2-125, 3-132, 4-150, 5-156, 6-156, 7-165, 8-185, 9-185.
Bowling: Malinga 8-0-51-0, Kulasekara 8-0-33-0, Perera 6-0-33-1, Muralitharan 9-0-34-3, Mathews 5-0-29-2, Dilshan 3-1-4-4.
Man-of-the-Match: T. Dilshan.