Jayawardene ton powers Lanka to 173 for 7 against Zimbabwe

Providence (Guyana), May 3 (PTI) Mahela Jayawardene's
scintillating century powered Sri Lanka to a commanding 173
for seven against Zimbabwe in a Group B match of the Twenty20
World Cup here on Monday.
A win was imperative on Monday for the 2009 finalists to
stay afloat for a Super Eight berth and Jayawardene shepherded
the side with a masterly 64-ball 100 -- only the fourth
century in the short history of Twenty20 Internationals --
bejewelled with 10 fours and four sixes.
The defeat against New Zealand in the Group B opener had
pushed the Lankans to the brink of disaster and there was no
way they could underestimate giant-killer Zimbabwe who have
humbled Australia and Pakistan in warm-up matches.
Further compounding their crisis today was the news that
Muttiah Muraliatharan will miss the remainder of the
tournament with a groin injury.
Jayawardene's demeanour, however, betrayed no signs of
any trouble whatsoever as the right-hander took the rival
attack by the scruff of its neck once Kumar Sangakkara won the
toss and decided to set Zimbabwe a total.
The first shot Jayawardene offered was a delectable
square cut that raced to the boundary. He followed it with an
elegant drive that cleared the long off ropes for a sweet six
and finished the over with a four, milking 14 runs off the
first over sent down by Chris Mpofu.
Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya withdrew Mpofu and
pressed Elton Chigumbura in service and the pacer prolonged
Tillakaratne Dilshan's (2) bad patch with his first delivery.
As if to avenge it, Jayawardene hit Chigumbura for two
fours and a six in his next over and went on to add 56 runs
with Thissara Perera (19) before the Lankans lost three
wickets in quick successions.
Neither Sangakkara (3) nor Dinesh Chandimal (9) could
make their presence felt and the Lankans, comfortably placed
80 for one in the ninth over, suddenly slumped to 113 for
four.
Jayawardene, however, kept going at the other end and
brought up his century in 63 balls before Price finally
removed him in the penultimate over. PTI AY
AHM


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