SPORTS

Colombo ODI: Sri Lanka crush England again, pocket series 5-2

December 16, 2014 22:20 IST

Kumar Sangakkara, playing his final one-day international on home soil, set a record for the most runs in a calendar year as Sri Lanka thumped England by 87 runs in the last match of the series in Colombo on Tuesday.

- Scorecard

Sri Lanka continued to dominate the touring side, taking the series 5-2 in a warm-up for next year's World Cup.

The Sri Lankans posted an imposing total of 302 for six from their 50 overs and bowled out the English for 215 in the 46th over.

Sangakkara, who will retire from ODIs after next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, made 33 off 51 balls.

When he got to six, the 37-year-old broke Ricky Ponting's record for the most international runs, in all formats, for a calendar year. The former Australia captain scored 2,833 in 2005.

His dismissal had little impact on Sri Lanka's innings as Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a century in his 300th ODI.

Dilshan made 101 off 124 deliveries, featuring nine fours and one six, to register his 18th ODI hundred and pass 9,000 career runs.

Dinesh Chandimal (55 not out) and Thisara Perera (54) both knocked up half-centuries to take the total past 300, a target that proved too much for the struggling English side.

Beleaguered England captain Alastair Cook made a scratchy 32 and only Joe Root played a significant innings with 80, his second half century of a series in which he also made a hundred.

Root struck five fours in his 99-ball knock before falling lbw to Seekkuge Prasanna.

Dilshan, starring with both bat and ball, captured three wickets with his off-breaks.

Image: Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka celebrates with Angelo Mathews after dismissing Moeen Ali of England during the 7th One Day International in Colombo.

Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Recommended by Rediff.com

NEXT ARTICLE

NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email