Courtesy of AAP, where the title is “Sri Lanka’s Sangakkara hits into history”
SRI Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has become the first cricketer to score four successive one-day international centuries, leading his side to a solid 148-run World Cup victory over Scotland in Hobart last night. Already guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, Sri Lanka’s win leaves them second in Pool A with four wins and two losses.
Kumar dilscoops a boundary -Pic by AFP
Sangakkara produced a thrilling, at times cheeky, contribution of 124 in his team’s total of 9-363.
Despite a 118-run partnership between skipper Preston Mommsen (60) and Freddie Coleman (70), the Scots were all out for 215 in the 44th over, and remain winless in the tournament. Coleman’s exit sparked a succession of wickets and, with 10 overs remaining, the Scots needed 167 runs from 60 balls.
Sangakkara last night also passed Adam Gilchrist (52 dismissals) at the top of the list of most dismissals by a keeper in World Cup matches, with 54. The 37-year-old also passed 500 ODI dismissals.
With the bat, Sangakkara wasn’t the only Sri Lankan to fire. He partnered Tillakaratne Dilshan (104 off 99) for a 195-run stand for the second wicket. And batting at No 5, captain Angelo Mathews smashed 51 off 21 balls. The highlight of his swashbuckling knock was four successive sixes off Matt Machan (1-46) in the 44th over.
Mathews was caught by Freddie Coleman, who had earlier dropped him, as he attempted to hit a fifth straight six off Machan. Josh Davey took 3-63 for Scotland to take his wickets tally to a tournament high 14.