Sports
Confident Sri Lanka to take fresh guard versus England
St John's Antigua | April 04, 2007 8:47:34 PM IST
Sri Lanka will not dwell on last year's 5-0 series sweep in England when the teams meet again in a World Cup Super Eights match today, skipper Mahela Jayawardene said. Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga took 13 wickets and young opener Upul Tharanga amassed 347 runs with two hundreds in the series and both have since grown in stature. Malinga looms as a daunting prospect again, his low-slung action making it tough for batsmen to pick. He is the leading bowler at the tournament with 13 scalps, after his feat of taking four in successive deliveries in a dramatic one-wicket loss to South Africa in their opening Super Eights clash. Sri Lanka bounced back with a 113-run victory over West Indies in Guyana on Sunday after explosive opener Sanath Jayasuriya stroked 115, his second hundred of the tournament. "For us it is about starting that all over again," Jayawardene told reporters yesterday. "It is different if England is thinking about it (5-0 loss). "For us it is not an issue because we are playing in a different situation ... and probably (against) different personnel as well." STRONG TEAM Both England skipper Michael Vaughan and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff missed that home series due to injuries. Sri Lanka have four points and two more wins would almost certainly secure a semi-final spot. They are expected to go through with champions Australia and New Zealand, who both head the table with six points, and South Africa. Jayawardene said last year's success in England was the launchpad for a strong team, comments that could worry England who looked below their best in beating debutants Ireland by 48 runs on Friday to score their first points. Three-times finalists England have said their tournament would start in earnest against Sri Lanka. "If they (England) say it is the start of their World Cup, I don't know it is the right way to go about it. "For us it is one game at a time, every game two points." "All the teams we face in the Super Eights, it will be big games. "We don't know exactly how many points will secure you a last four place." Reuters PDS VP0526
Viewer's Comment |
Comments Not Available |
|
| |
Rajapaksa visits Pakistan Eggs that bounce like rubber hit China markets Runaway bride awarded for revolting against lack of loo Families corner one-third of Congress tickets in Goa (Goa Newsletter) India successfully test-fires missile interceptor (Lead) Culinary delights of walled city with five-star comfort German side Hoffenheim sacks coach Stanislawski Nasheed calls for release of 500 supporters
| 
