Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, T20 Canada, King City

Sri Lanka 107 for 5 (Dilshan 33, Price 2-9) beat

Zimbabwe 106 for 8 (Taibu 45*, Mendis 3-15) by five wickets

Sri Lanka opened the T20 Canada tournament in King City with a five-wicket win against Zimbabwe, but were made to work hard chasing 107 in a match reduced to 17 overs per side by early-morning rain. Ray Price bowled a superb economical spell of left-arm spin, and a couple of run-outs increased the pressure, however Sri Lanka's middle order completed the chase with an over to spare in front of a few hundreds spectators.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Udawatte began briskly, adding 36 in four overs, before Udawatte was caught behind. Price caused problems from the start and debutant Jeevantha Kulatunga struggled for 20 balls - and was dropped at deep midwicket - until being bowled for 8. A mild dose of panic hit the middle order as Thilina Kandamby was run out trying for a quick single, followed next ball by captain Mahela Jayawardene who fell without facing. It's a long way to come to not face a ball.

Dilshan was playing neatly, but in the next over he became Price's second scalp and suddenly Sri Lanka's reply was far from smooth at 77 for 5. It was proving tough to score against the spinners, while there was a hint of rustiness from Sri Lanka who only arrived in Canada two days ago.

However, no one could quite match Price's effort and when he finished his four-over spell the pressure was released. Chamara Kapugedera and Farveez Maharoof both hit sixes to calm the nerves and the sixth-wicket pair finished the match with an over to spare.

Zimbabwe's efforts in the field were commendable, but their batting let them down after a delayed start due to a damp outfield. Sri Lanka's bowlers proved a tough proposition with Maharoof nipping out two with the new ball, Thilan Thushara a brace in the middle and Ajantha Mendis - on his Twenty20 debut - three at the end.

Tatenda Taibu, the former captain, offered the most prolonged resistance as he finished on 45 off 47 deliveries to push Zimbabwe into three figures. He was at the crease in the fourth over after Maharoof removed both openers and Thushara, the left-arm quick, further dented Zimbabwe's progress with a tight spell of 2 for 19.

Mendis has proved too good for far better players than Zimbabwe's lower order and he helped himself to a few easy pickings. Elton Chigumbura was caught behind and Prosper Utseya was stranded by Mendis' carrom ball, which turns away from the right-handers. Sri Lanka weren't at their best, but it was still enough to clear the first hurdle.

BCCI’s 10-year agreement for $70 million with Sri Lankan board

Getting the benefit of the weakness of the Sri Lankan cricket board facing financial crisis nowadays, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has finalized a 10-year agreement with the Sri Lankan board for an amount of $70 million.

Under this agreement, the Sri Lankan players are bound to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Champions Trophy.

Sri Lanka’s ministry of sports has directed the cricket board to release the players for participating in the IPL and the reason is the attractive $70 million deal offered by the BCCI to the Sri Lankan board.

Sri Lankan board agreed to sign this deal due to its monetary crisis but this deal has left the question mark regarding its international cricket.

Sri Lanka has to tour England from May 21 to 30 for an two-Test series but now it seems impossible according to an official of the Sri Lankan board.

The English Cricket Board (ECB) has not given any indication for Sri Lanka’s playing with its junior team.

However, Sri Lankan board has offered the ECB to hold three One-day matches after May 25.

Sri Lanka lifts domestic ban on 'rebel' ICL players

Sri Lanka will re-admit players aligned with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League into domestic cricket, officials said on Friday, in a move that defies the world cricket establishment.

"Players will be allowed to play for their respective clubs and share their expertise, but cannot represent the country,"

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) media manager Shane Fernando said.

The SLC had last year banned its five ICL players -- Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Avishka Gunawardena and Saman Jayantha -- from playing any official cricket matches.

The decision comes two days after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) joined its counterparts from other countries in banning 13 players, including former captain Habibur Bashar, who has signed up with the ICL.

The ICL, bankrolled by India's largest listed media company Zee Telefilms, was launched last year in a direct conflict with the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The BCCI not only barred any ICL player or official from taking part in official cricket, but also convinced other boards to take similar action against their 'rebel' players.

The Indian board also started its own lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition, featuring the world's top stars, to counter the ICL.

Not surprisingly, ICL officials welcomed Sri Lanka's decision.

"This is a step in the right direction,"

ICL business head Himanshu Mody told the Cricinfo website.

"We hope that this decision will pave the way for Sri Lankan cricketers to play both for the ICL and their country in the near future."

The ICL's first season last year comprised Twenty20 and 50-overs-a-side matches between eight teams that included a mix of international players and domestic Indian cricketers.

Among the top stars aligned with the ICL are retired former Test captains Brian Lara of the West Indies and Inzamam-ul Haq of Pakistan, besides fiery New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond and veteran Chris Cairns.

The Dhaka Warriors will be added as the ninth team in the second season starting on October 10.

Jayawardene calls for single Twenty20 vision

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has said there should only be one major Twenty20 cricket event a year so as to preserve a balance with the Test game and ensure a fairer spread of the sport's riches.

Authorities in India, world cricket's financial powerhouse, were initially wary of the shortened format, which has proved popular with fans around the world after being pioneered professionally in the English county game.

But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has since embraced Twenty20 with the creation of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a lucrative competition featuring the world's best players appearing for franchise teams.

Now there are plans to expand the IPL and, in the meantime, English cricket chiefs, alarmed about losing control over their own players, have signed up to a million dollars a man winner-takes-all Twenty20 clash in Antigua in November against a Caribbean 'Superstars' side put together by Texan-born billionaire Allen Stanford.

Next year will see the launch of the English Premier League (EPL) and Jayawardene, a nominee for the International Cricket Council's player of the year award, due to be presented in Dubai on Wednesday, said the feeding frenzy had to stop for the overall good of the global game.

Jayawardene was in no doubt about what should happen next. "The way forward would be to have one big T20 tournament, whether that's IPL, EPL or Stanford, and it will accommodate everyone's interests.

"The best players will play over a short period and the income generated can be shared,"

the 31-year-old veteran of 98 Tests and 283 one-day internationals explained.

"That way, you still have your ODIs and Tests, and the FTP (Future Tours Programme) functions properly."

Sri Lanka's senior players are currently in dispute with their board over next year's hastily arranged tour of England, brought about by England's decision to break off cricket relations with Zimbabwe.

Jayawardene said the row revolved around financial security for his side which, for all the exciting cricket it often plays, is not considered a big commercial draw by other nations.

"There's no compromise when it comes to playing for our country,"

said ayawardene.

"We put everything on the line but, regardless of how well we play against England or Australia, we'll still get paid what we get right now (about 2,500 pounds per Test and 1,500 pounds for a one-day game).

"But when we're given an opportunity like the IPL, it's a chance to play six weeks of cricket and make the sort of money that the rest of the world makes just by playing for their countries."

Sri Lanka, a small island nation plagued by civil war, have consistently punched above their weight in international cricket but Jayawardene said a lack of matches was restricting their progress in five-day Tests, still widely considered as the pinnacle of the sport.

"I think we have only 10 Tests in the next three years. Out of that, we're playing Bangladesh (Test cricket's weakest nation) home and away. So where's our opportunity to climb up the ladder?"

India level series with tense victory over Sri Laanka

Mahendra Singh Dhoni capped Zaheer Khan's devastating spell with a crucial 39 as India posted a tense three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international here on Wednesday.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer ran through the top order in his incisive opening spell to finish with 4-21 as India bundled Sri Lanka out for a meagre 142. He was brilliantly backed by paceman Praveen Kumar (3-34).

But India skipped a few heartbeats before achieving the modest target with more than 10 overs to spare to level the five-match series 1-1.

They were wobbling at 75-5 after seamers Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara shared four wickets, but skipper Dhoni and debutant Subramaniam Badrinath (27 not out) held their nerve under pressure.

When Dhoni inside-edged paceman Dilhara Fernando's delivery on to his stumps, his team were just eight runs short of the win with four wickets in hand.

Unorthodox Sri Lankan spinner Mendis yet again made the Indian batsmen struggle for runs with shrewd variations, getting the big wicket of Yuvraj Singh before finishing with 2-22 off 10 overs.

Yuvraj (20) tried to ease the pressure by smashing Thushara for three fours in two overs, but his flourish did not last long. He was trapped leg-before by Mendis to leave his team wobbling at 52-3.

India appeared to have squandered the advantage given by Zaheer when they lost makeshift opener Irfan Pathan and Suresh Raina in Kulasekara's opening spell and then Virat Kohli (37) and Rohit Sharma in Thushara's one over.

Dhoni and Badrinath then applied themselves well to add 60 for the sixth wicket which proved vital in a low-scoring game.

Sri Lanka were earlier in danger of falling to their lowest-ever total of 96 against India when they were reduced to 44-6, but Thushara (44) and Kulasekara (25) rallied their side with a defiant 74-run stand.

The Indian skipper's decision to put the hosts in to bat after winning the toss produced instant results as Zaheer bowled Kumar Sangakkara with his sixth
delivery which moved in sharply to hit the off-stump.

Man-of-the-match Zaheer claimed two wickets in his third over, removing in-form Jayawardene and Chamara Kapugedera.

Kumar had Chamara Silva caught by Kohli at point to reduce the hosts to 11-4. He also ended Sri Lanka's fightback when he dismissed Thushara and Kulasekara in the same over.

Sri Lanka's aggressive opener Sanath Jayasuriya, watching the disaster unfold from one end, was not allowed to play strokes as he faced 37 balls for his 13 runs before being trapped leg-before by Zaheer.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (16), the last specialist batsman, was caught by a diving Badrinath at deep midwicket off a mistimed pull off seamer Irfan Pathan.

Sri Lanka named Fernando in their playing eleven in place of left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas, who missed the match due to a hamstring injury.

The third match will be played in Colombo on Sunday.

India’s 170-run win levels series against Sri Lanka

Teenager Ishant Sharma gave a superb display of fast bowling to help India square the series with a 170-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test here on Sunday.

Sharma finished with 3-20 off 15 testing overs as Sri Lanka were shot out for 136 in their second innings in the closing session on the fourth day chasing a challenging 307-run target.

India lost the opening match of the three-Test series by an innings and 239 runs. The final match starts in Colombo on August 8.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (4-51) and leg-spinner (2-41) built on Sharma's effort to help their team win with more than a day to spare.

Harbhajan, who took six wickets in the first innings, completed his fifth haul of 10 or more wickets in a Test.

The 19-year-old Sharma wrecked Sri Lanka's top order with two quick wickets in a sharp opening spell before returning to break a stubborn partnership in his second spell.

Sri Lanka were on the backfoot following Sharma's double-strike before collapsing against spin late in the day. The hosts lost their last five wickets for just six runs, with Harbhajan taking three and Kumble two.

The hosts began the chase on a disastrous note as they lost three wickets for a meagre 10 runs in the opening four overs, with Sharma taking two and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan one.

India's spinners were expected to call the shots on a wearing track but the tourists seized the advantage through their fast bowlers as Sharma unsettled the batsmen with his pace and bounce and Zaheer with his movement.

Thilan Samaraweera (67 not out) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (38) alone defied the Indian pace-spin combination with a 76-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Sharma broke the stand immediately after the tea-break when he had Dilshan caught by wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik. Harbhajan had Prasanna Jayawardene caught by Sourav Ganguly, who took a well-judged catch at square-leg.

Sri Lanka were in deep trouble after losing Kumar Sangakkara (one) and in-form skipper Mahela Jayawardene (five), who were known for playing long innings.

Sharma, who removed Malinda Warnapura with his third ball, got the big wicket when he had Jayawardene caught by Rahul Dravid at gully. Jayawardene scored a century in the opening Test and 86 in the first innings here.

Zaheer struck in his second over when he dismissed Sangakkara, beaten by the movement to be caught by Venkatsai Laxman at second slip.

Michael Vandort was dropped before he had opened his account when Dravid failed to latch on to a high catch at third slip in Zaheer's opening over.

The Sri Lankan batsman was on six when he offered another chance, this time Dravid holding the catch but off a Zaheer no-ball. His uncomfortable stay at the crease ended when he fell leg-before in Harbhajan's opening over.

India earlier faltered against Sri Lankan spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan as they were bowled out for 269 after resuming at 200-4. They lost their last five wickets for 17 runs in a dramatic collapse.

Unorthodox spinner Mendis, who took six wickets in the first innings, finished with 4-92 to complete a maiden 10-wicket haul in only his second Test.

Muralitharan took two of the six wickets that fell in the morning to finish with 3-107.

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, SSC, Colombo, 4th day

Sri Lanka 600 for 6 dec (Jayawardene 136, Dilshan 125*, Warnapura 115, Samaraweera 127) beat India 223 (Laxman 56, Murali 5-84, Mendis 4-72) and 138 (Gambhir 43, Murali 6-26, Mendis 4-60) by an innings and 239 runs

In a match dominated by not one but two spin wizards, Sri Lanka completely destroyed the Indian batting line-up twice over to script their best win at home. India started the fourth day needing 242 runs to avoid the follow-on but, with 77 minutes to go to stumps, they had slumped to their third-worst Test defeat ever with an abject collapse to the pair of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Murali and Mendis, assisted by the ever-alert close-in fielders and the wicketkeeper, did not loosen the vice-like grip they had had over the batsmen from the moment the ball was thrown to Mendis in the 10th over of India's first innings. With Mendis keeping the batsmen on a leash - his only two bad deliveries were the full tosses in his first two overs - and leaving the batsmen mesmerised, it was Murali who smiled his way to two five-fors, his 21st ten-wicket haul, which was also his fourth at the SSC.

There was no respite for the batsmen from either end as 19 wickets fell to the spin pair, who bowled 87.5 overs out of the 117.5 that India faced in the match. Mendis' non-bowling hand, just before delivery, was the most symbolic image of the match: the left hand came down with the index finger pointing out, just as when an umpire gives a batsman out. One of the most anticipated debuts of recent times turned out to be the best for a Sri Lankan.

The Indian batsmen had struggled in the first innings, but the second was a greater embarrassment as Murali and Mendis nailed the batsmen with similar deliveries to the ones that had done them in in the first innings. With India trailing by 377 in the first innings, the follow-on decision was a no-brainer. The new-ball bowlers were fresh: they bowled only 16 overs in the innings, with Murali and Mendis bowling 49 successive overs in tandem. In the second innings, the fast bowlers had even lesser work to do: Jayawardene promptly summoned his spinners five overs into the second, and the move worked immediately. Murali accounted for Sehwag in a controversial manner, with what was the last ball before lunch. Sehwag shouldered arms to one that pitched barely on leg stump and straightened. Umpire Mark Benson turned down the appeal, but changed his mind after what seemed like errors from the Virtual Eye and third umpire Rudi Koertzen.

The next session sealed the game for Sri Lanka, as India lost five wickets. Perhaps hoping for a repeat of Kolkata 2001, India sent Laxman, the first-innings half-centurion, at No. 3. He hit three beautiful boundaries off the medium-pacers, before Mendis had his number. This time it was the quicker googly which baffled him. Laxman didn't have a clue as to which way it would spin, and was out plumb in front.

Sachin Tendulkar was a tad unfortunate when he missed a sweep outside the leg stump, and the ball caught the back of the bat and lobbed to leg slip. Tendulkar stood his ground, and it needed a review to send him on his way. Gambhir was drawn forward for the second time in two innings and beaten in flight before Prasanna Jayawardene completed an exceptional stumping.

Just before tea, Murali and Mendis worked their magic again in successive overs. Sourav Ganguly never looked comfortable against Murali and edged to second slip. Mendis then made Rahul Dravid revisit the first-innings horror when a quick carom-ball legbreak just missed off stump. The next ball, a googly, had Dravid playing in front of his pad. The inside edge lobbed to short leg, and though the appeal was turned down, the review came into play again, making Dravid the third Indian batsman to perish in that manner. The rest was just a formality, which Murali and Mendis finished in style, with Mendis taking the last two in the same over.

The first half of the day was slightly better only when compared to what transpired later. Muralitharan completed his 64th five-for with Harbhajan Singh's wicket, but it was Mendis who inflicted major damage. Even Laxman had trouble picking him, the carrom ball being his main tormentor. Laxman was let off in the second over of the day, as an outside edge off Mendis bisected the keeper and Mahela Jayawardene at slip. The other batsmen were even more clueless. Anil Kumble and Zaheer were trapped by Mendis' top spinners. Harbhajan played for a Murali doosra, but got an offspinner, which resulted in an easy bat-pad catch.

Despite having only the tailenders for company, Laxman didn't farm the strike, twice allowing his partners to take a single off the last ball of the over. Harbhajan fell in the over that followed, while Zaheer survived. When Ishant Sharma joined him, Laxman finally took more of the strike and continued to do so until he was fairly confident in Ishant's ability. Laxman had himself grown in confidence, reading Mendis better and employing the wristy flick. Despite the odd leading edge, he continued to attack. But Mendis, after having bowled an unbroken 27-over spell, returned from Murali's end to get his man. He first beat him with a 95kph legbreak, angling in and then breaking it away, before squaring him up with a googly, ending his 158-minute stay at the crease. Dravid and Laxman foxed in each innings of his first Test - as dream debuts go, there can't be many better than this.

Through the first two-and-a-half days of the match, the pitch seemed a shirtfront and a draw seemed the most likely result, especially given the inclement weather at the start. The magic of two outstanding spinners meant the game didn't even go into the fifth day. Sri Lanka last lost a Test at home in April 2006, against Pakistan in Kandy. With Murali and Mendis so frighteningly effective in tandem, it's hard to imagine an overseas team defeating this double threat any time soon.

Mendis named in first Test squad

International cricket's new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis was named in Sri Lanka's 14-member squad for the first Test against India starting at the SSC on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Mendis, who bowled Sri Lanka to a 100-run victory over India in the Asia Cup final in Karachi this month, is most likely to make his Test debut and partner Muttiah Muralitharan, the Test world record holder.

Selection committee sources said that Sri Lanka could opt for a 'six batsmen and four bowlers' combination.

Sri Lanka have, however, fallen short in the fast bowling department with Dilhara Fernando also out of the reckoning along with Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof - all recovering from injuries. Fernando, who last played a Test in December, suffered a knee injury while bowling in the three-day match against the Indians which concluded at the NCC grounds yesterday. The selectors have named Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara in the squad, one of whom will partner the experienced Chaminda Vaas with the new ball.

While batsmen Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene have sealed their spots, there could be a tussle for the No.6 slot between Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Silva was impressive in the tour game, compiling half-centuries in both innings. Chamara Kapugedera, another middle-order batsman, makes a comeback to the Test squad after an impressive last few months with the one-day team.

Army promotion for Mendis after Asia Cup victory

Sri Lanka's new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis has been given a double promotion in the army after his exploits in the Asia Cup final, officials said on Wednesday.

Mendis, 23, a gunner, was promoted to 2nd lieutenant by President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Mendis destroyed India with record-breaking figures of 6-13 as Sri Lanka won Sunday's Asia Cup final in Karachi by 100 runs.

It was the best bowling performance in the continental tournament, surpassing Pakistani Aaqib Javed's 5-19 against India in Sharjah in 1995.

Mendis, who hails from the Colombo suburb of Moratuwa, finished with 17 wickets in the tournament.

"I am delighted to have played a part in Sri Lanka's victory,"

Mendis said after returning from Pakistan.

"I just want to bowl as best as I can every time I come to the bowling crease. I did that on Sunday."

The young Mendis uses an unusual grip in which he appears to squeeze the ball out of his fingers, bowling off-spin, leg-spin, googly, the top-spinner and the flipper.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the first to concede that Mendis was simply unplayable.

"We just could not read him and we knew he was a surprise bowler,"

he said.

"You need to be there in the middle to understand what he bowls. It was tough to pick his deliveries. It is not that the batsmen played badly, they played expecting something and the ball did something else."

India will face Mendis again when they tour Sri Lanka from next week for three Tests and five one-day internationals.

Rohit and Ojha included for Sri Lanka Tests

India have included uncapped players Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha in the 16-member squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka. Yuvraj Singh has been left out, while Gautam Gambhir wins the opener's slot ahead of Wasim Jaffer. Zaheer Khan also returns to the team after injury niggles ruled him out of international action so far this year. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni opting out, the selectors have named two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel. The selection committee also announced the 30 probables for the Champions Trophy in September.

A source in the BCCI said the selectors decided to give Yuvraj "a break" with an eye on the amount of cricket coming up and considering the slim chances of him getting a slot in the final XI for the three Tests in Sri Lanka.

"The selectors decided to give him a break, considering the amount of cricket he has played recently and the cricket that is coming up in which he will play a crucial role,"

the source told Cricinfo.

"Also, they felt it would have been difficult to accommodate him in the final XI for the Tests in a line-up that already has Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly. These were the two main factors that were considered in Yuvraj's case."

Unlike Dhoni, Yuvraj did not ask for a break, but it was felt that he needed one, the source said.

Yuvraj marked his comeback to the Test team with a 169 against Pakistan in Bangalore last year, but was dropped from the XI after scoring 19 runs in four innings during the Test series in Australia. Yuvraj is also susceptible against spin, another factor that could have gone against him, given the conditions in Sri Lanka.

Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Mohammad Kaif and Ramesh Powar are the other omissions from the Test squad that featured in the home series against South Africa. Harbhajan Singh returns to international cricket after completing his five-match ODI ban for slapping Sreesanth, who wasn't in the reckoning as he's still recovering from a side strain. The squad consists of seven batsmen, two wicketkeepers, four fast bowlers and three spinners.

Part of the winning ICC World Twenty20 side in South Africa, Rohit impressed in the CB Series in Australia earlier this year and continued his form for the Deccan Chargers in the IPL. Ojha, the Hyderabad left-arm spinner, recently earned a call-up to the ODI side.

"It's a dream come true. Any cricketer would want and expect to play for the country,"

Ojha told Cricinfo.

"I didn't particularly think about the Sri Lanka series but I knew if I keep bowling well I would get a chance. No wild celebrations now as I want to perform on the field. I will be concentrating on my flight and changes in pace and will generally try to bowl like I do in the Ranji Trophy."

Gambhir forces his way back into the Test team on the string of impressive performances in limited-overs cricket and domestic tournaments. He replaces Jaffer, who's had a poor run in Tests since the Eden Gardens Test against Pakistan last year, in which he scored a double-century.

Parthiv last played for India in October 2004; since then Karthik and Dhoni have won favour for a spot in the Indian team. Karthik last played the Bangalore Test against Pakistan, which Dhoni had to skip due to an ankle injury. Karthik had played as a specialist opener in Test series in Bangladesh and England last year, and in the home Tests against Pakistan.

Karthik was surprised with his selection.

"I didn't know if Dhoni was playing the series or not. It feels great that they have given me a chance."

he told Cricinfo.

"I don't see this a stop-gap arrangement for Dhoni but will look at this as a great opportunity to perform and prove my credentials.

"Ajantha Mendis will be a tough bowler to pick but it's really exciting challenge to play someone like him. I am confident that if I get a chance I will do my best to perform both in batting and wicketkeeping."

Parthiv was due to lead India A in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia. Suresh Raina replaces him, while S Badrinath will captain the team. Parthiv had an impressive 2006-07 first-class season, scoring 1103 runs in 13 games at 58.05 as he captained Gujarat to victory in the Ranji Trophy Plate League.

"It's a great opportunity,"

Parthiv told Cricinfo.

"I've been performing really well in the last three domestic seasons. At the back of my mind, there was the possibility of me being picked. I know what it takes to be a Test player."

Source: Cricinfo

ECB name Sri Lanka as Zimbabwe replacement

England will host Sri Lanka for two Tests and three ODIs in April and May next year. Sri Lanka's tour slots in the fixture gap caused by England's decision to suspend bilateral ties with Zimbabwe and the cancellation of their 2009 visit.

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, was pleased with Sri Lankan's willingness to step in and ensure England will have a competitive series ahead of the Ashes later in the summer.

"The strong and close relationship which we built up during our recent winter tours to Sri Lanka allowed the ECB, at short notice, to be able to approach Sri Lanka and confirm their availability for the international matches in the early part of next summer,"

he said.

The ECB cancelled Zimbabwe's tour last month, minutes after Gordon Brown, the prime minister, told the House of Commons that he wanted the tour scrapped. The ban on a team from Zimbabwe entering the country also put in doubt England's hosting of next year's World Twenty20 next year, but as of now the issue has been resolved with Zimbabwe pulling out of the event.

Sri Lanka play three three-day games ahead of the Tests series, followed by a warm-up one-dayer before the ODI series.

India v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Karachi

Sri Lanka 273 (Jayasuriya 125, Dilshan 56, Ishant 3-52) beat
India 173 (Sehwag 60, Mendis 6-13) by 100 runs

Eight years ago, , Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka's bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi's National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now 39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13.

Virender Sehwag's blistering early onslaught was rendered irrelevant as Sri Lanka stormed to a 100-run victory, retaining the Asia Cup and extending India's miserable record in tournament finals.

With Sehwag hammering an exhilarating 60 from just 35 balls, India had romped to 76 from just nine overs. Muttiah Muralitharan prefers not to bowl during the Powerplays, and it was to Mendis, who the Indians had never faced before, that Mahela Jayawardene turned as he sought to staunch the flow of runs.

Even he couldn't have predicted the impact that Mendis would have. Like a combine harvester scything through a field of corn, Mendis sliced through a line-up that has quite a reputation when it comes to playing spin. Sehwag charged his second delivery and watched helplessly as it drifted away from him. Kumar Sangakkara did the rest. Two balls later, Yuvraj Singh was utterly befuddled by one that skidded on. Suddenly, 274 appeared a long way away.

That Sri Lanka got anywhere near that was down to a man who refuses to bow to Father Time. India picked up four wickets in the first 12 overs, with Ishant claiming three of them, but Jayasuriya's 114-ball 125, and a 131-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan utterly changed the complexion of the game.

It's perhaps no coincidence that India haven't won the Asia Cup since Jayasuriya became a regular at the top of the Sri Lankan order, and his mastery over the opposition was best revealed in the 16th over, bowled by RP Singh. RP had managed to escape relatively unscathed in his opening spell, conceding 24 from five overs, but when he returned, Jayasuriya took to him like a bull that had been riled by the matador's cape.

Sixes on either side of the sightscreen were followed by two wallops over cover, and after a one-ball lull, he pulled one over midwicket for six more. With Dilshan then taking three successive fours off Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had no option but to turn to spin, with Pragyan Ojha and Virender Sehwag managing to have something of a fire-extinguishing effect.

India had started poorly, with RP conceding two boundaries to fine leg in the opening over, but a mix-up between two experienced hands gave them the opening they so desperately needed. Jayasuriya tapped one to short mid-off, and Sangakkara had already hared halfway down the pitch before he realised the striker had no interest in a single. Suresh Raina's underarm flick was the ultimate punishment.

But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back a measure of control, despite Jayasuriya's sporadic bursts of aggression. With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardene slapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. A swivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan's introduction was greeted with three fours in the over.

The problem was at the other end, where Ishant was wreaking havoc with the extra bounce he extracted from a comatose pitch. Bounce and a hint of lateral movement had Chamara Kapugedera playing one off the leading edge to point, and two balls later, the other Chamara - Silva - inside-edged one back on to the stumps.

Jayasuriya's version of consolidation involved a pull for six off Ishant and a slice of luck as a as a miscue off Pathan evaded RP, who ran around in circles and failed to get his hands to the ball. Dilshan contributed only four to the first 50 the pair added, from 30 balls, but he did his part, turning the strike over to allow Jayasuriya to inflict maximum damage.

With Sehwag and Ojha - Rohit contributed three tidy overs too - taking the pace off the ball, it was a different story. With the field spread, the boundaries dried up and the runs came mainly in singles. India missed a couple of run-out opportunities and Dhoni put down a sharp chance offered by Dilshan when he was on 37, but the helter-skelter pace of the Powerplay overs soon gave way to relative calm.

Eventually, the lack of action got to Jayasuriya and a flat slog-sweep off Sehwag only found Ishant at deep midwicket. After that, Sri Lanka lost their way. Dilshan eased to 50 from 68 balls, but when Pathan returned to bowl round the wicket, he popped a catch to Dhoni. Vaas, back in the fray after missing the last game, square-drove Ishant for the first four in more than 20 overs, but was castled by RP soon after.

Nuwan Kulasekara flailed the bat to finish with an unbeaten 29, but a target of 274 was expected to be well within reach for an Indian side that had included seven specialist batsmen. But after his extraordinary first over, Mendis soon set about making a mockery of the predictions.

Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout before he decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to a delivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on the back pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardene decided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4 for 8.

No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmen appeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one. That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ball that was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catching was his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, and hardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as he possibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.

With Mendis casting such a spell, Murali's introduction went almost unnoticed, but with him in parsimonious mood, the tourniquet was tightening around India. Robin Uthappa and Dhoni added 38 in attritional fashion before Murali struck from round the wicket. Uthappa missed a flick, and the appeal from the bowler was just a formality.

Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the 30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next. Pathan's attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, and RP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take off stump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was as perplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Pragyan Ojha was.

Dhoni had watched it all from the other end, defending stoutly and striking the odd four when he could. But once he inside-edged Chaminda Vaas to the keeper, the Sri Lankan dressing room readied for the celebrations. When Kulasekara cleaned up Ishant with 63 balls still to be bowled, they could begin in earnest. The combination of the six-hitting veteran and the six-wicket carrom-ball spinner had been far too much for India to handle.

Asia has become cricket’s powerhouse: Sangakkara

Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara Saturday said Asia leads international cricket as the financial hub and custodian of the game which has pioneered unprecedented globalisation.

"Asia have transformed from minnows of world cricket to the true powerhouse of cricket and we are now the economic driving force behind the world cricket,"

said Sangakkara at a seminar marking the silver jubilee of the Asian Cricket Cricket Council (ACC).

The seminar, "past, present and future of Asian cricket" was attended by current and former cricketers and administrators from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and various other Asian countries.

The ACC was formed in 1983 and now has four full and 18 associate members. The seminar was hosted on the sidelines of ninth Asia Cup which is hosted by Pakistan.

Sangakkara, who will play for Sri Lanka in the final against India on Sunday, said Asia was now the spiritual home of the game.

"There is no doubt that Lord's in London has traditionally been accepted as traditional home of the game but, in my opinion, there has been a gradual shift with magnificent stadiums in Asia.

"The ravages of tsunami being soothed by the panacea that is cricket and when I see this all I have to ask has Asia not now become the new spiritual home of world cricket? I think it has."

Sangakkara said Asia had produced world class players who have revolutionised the game.

"Asia have produced teams that have impacted the game in profound ways and cricketers who have individually shaped the way cricket is played and introduced new skills in the game,"

he said.

ACC chief executive Ashraful Huq said Asian cricket had come a long way in the last 25 years.

"From a body formed by some eight experienced administrators, the ACC has come a long way and so has Asian cricket. It is a long successful journey and we are proud to be the leaders of world cricket,"

said Huq.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf, who will take over as ACC chairman from Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga on Sunday, said Asian cricket had progressed by leaps and bounds.

"Asian cricket is like Ferrari, going fast and smooth and if we follow the rules of transparency and integrity there is no reason why Asian cricket do not attain maximum heights,"

said Ashraf.

India v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

India 310 for 4 (Gambhir 68, Dhoni 67, Raina 54) beat
Sri Lanka 308 for 8 (Kapugedera 75, Jayawardene 50, Silva 50) by six wickets

For the second day in succession, a target of 309 was overhauled without much trouble. Each of India's batsmen played their part as India reached the final with a convincing six-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Muttiah Muralitharan was the only bowler to unsettle the batsmen but, with little support from the rest, India triumphed with 19 balls to spare.

In contrast to their bowling effort, four of Sri Lanka's top six made significant contributions to help them post an imposing total. However, having already qualified for the final, they rested the experienced Chaminda Vaas as well as their new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis, a decision that worked in India's favour.

Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag provided their now-familiar blazing start as India started their chase in earnest. It wasn't an all-out assault from them. Runs were scored with a combination of well-timed boundaries and a host of sharp singles - even Sehwag's six over midwicket was an effortless pick-up off his pads. In fact, the only shot in the first Powerplay, based on brute force, was an on-drive from Gambhir off Nuwan Kulasekara in the 10th over.

With little in the pitch for the fast bowlers, the openers were only troubled when taking some ill-judged singles. Gambhir demonstrated his confidence level by repeatedly charging the fast bowlers while Sehwag nonchalantly pulled even length deliveries to midwicket. Though India had raced to 71 in the first 10 overs, Jayawardene decided to take the second Powerplay. The decision seemed to backfire as 21 runs came off the next nine balls but the breakthrough came when Sehwag tapped a slower ball down leg side to Dilhara Fernando at short fine leg.

Suresh Raina started off with a confident pull to midwicket but was fortunate to see a lofted drive dropped by substitute Jehan Mubarak at cover. He and Gambhir took India to 135 before Gambhir was trapped lbw for 68, failing to pick a straighter one from Murali. Dhoni promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh probably to ensure two left-handers didn't have to deal with the wiles of Murali.

Dhoni hardly showed any effects of having kept in back-to-back matches and playing a long innings yesterday as he and Raina scampered quick singles and twos. He started out cautiously before opening out after the 30th over - four fours (including a powerful, fine paddle-sweep off Murali) and a six came in the next four overs as the required-rate dipped to manageable levels.

Raina was run out soon after when going for a tight third and Dhoni was foxed by a quicker one from Murali to leave with two new batsmen at the crease, and 56 runs in the arrears. Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma, though, settled India's nerves with a composed partnership and set up a rematch in Sunday's final.

Unlike the Sri Lankan bowlers, India started off well as the new-ball bowlers turned in a much-improved performance, so much so that the first convincing boundary came only in the seventh over.

Ishant Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, exploiting the variable bounce in the pitch and effectively using the slower ball to trouble the batsmen. In one of cricket's typical quirks, amid an excellent spell, Ishant got his wickets off two of the worst deliveries he sent down - both short and down the leg side.

His opening partner RP Singh was also economical and Sri Lanka were limited to 39 for 1 after eight. The introduction of Irfan Pathan, though, let them off the hook as 26 came off his two overs. Sanath Jayasuriya had just switched to fifth gear before gloving one to Dhoni off Ishant. With the pitch easing up, Jayawardene and Kapugedera collected the singles against the spinners while punishing the loose deliveries from the faster bowlers to put on 78. Kapugedera, in particular, was impressive with a series of classical off-driven boundaries early on.

Risk-free batting took Jayawardene on to his half-century but he perished soon after as he stepped out and chipped Pragyan Ojha straight to long-off. Kapugedera was next to go, trapped lbw by Praveen, but not before he added 68 with Chamara Silva. Silva used the cut and sweep shots well against the spinners to make a well-deserved fifty and cameos from Kaushalya Weeraratne and Thilan Thushara pushed Sri Lanka beyond 300.

India's cause wasn't helped by their fielding, which has been below par right through the Asia Cup - catches were misjudged, dives at the boundary rarely saved the fours and several run-out opportunities were spurned. Ultimately, though, their batting covered up the deficiencies in the other departments to take them to the final at the expense of Pakistan.

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

Sri Lanka 332 for 8 (Jayasuriya 130, Sangakkara 121) beat

Bangladesh 174 (Raqibul 52, Nazimuddin 47, Muralitharan 5-31) by 158 runs

As birthday bashes go, this was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into submission as Sri Lanka sauntered into the Asia Cup final. Kumar Sangakkara's elegant 121, just 24 hours after a century against Pakistan, was the supporting act, and with Muttiah Muralitharan at his supple-wristed best with the ball, Bangladesh were brushed aside by a massive 158 runs. Nazimuddin and Raqibul Hasan showed some defiance, but even against an attack missing Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof, 333 was never on.

Some of the Bangladesh players were still in diapers when Jayasuriya made his debut, and they must have felt as helpless as babies when he celebrated his 39th birthday with the fluent shot-making and power-hitting that typified his halcyon years. He raced to a century off only 55 balls, and though it turned out to be a two-man show, Sri Lanka still had enough to pull off their fourth successive win of the tournament.

Having added 201 with Sangakkara in only 27.5 overs, Jayasuriya finally ran out of puff in the Karachi heat. A poor delivery from Alok Kapali was lofted to deep cover where Tamim Iqbal took the catch. There was scarcely any joy from the fielders, because by then Jayasuriya had pounded 130 off only 88 balls, with a heady rhythm of cuts, pulls and drives.

Sangakkara carried on though, having been reprieved by Kapali off his own bowling on 51. He drove beautifully down the ground and made good use of both the orthodox sweep and the slogged version. Occasionally, he would also come down the track and loft the ball over the infield, and Bangladesh appeared bereft of options.

When Jayasuriya lashed Mashrafe Mortaza's opening delivery past point for four, it appeared to be a sign of things to come, but with Shahadat Hossain bowling a maiden first-up, Bangladesh conceded only 20 in the first five overs. The trouble started after that, with Jayasuriya dusting off his pull stroke and driving over the infield with immense power.

Sangakkara wasn't to be left behind, piercing the packed off-side field cleverly occasionally, but after a while he gave up trying to keep pace. Jayasuriya was unstoppable. When the bowlers dropped short, he would pull over midwicket. If they were too full, the disdainful flick was unveiled. Too much width and the hoardings behind the point boundary were battered with short-arm cuts. And if all that wasn't punishment enough, he would also jump down the pitch before lashing the ball over the covers.

The half-century took only 31 balls, and when Abdur Razzak came on, he was taken for 19 runs in his second over. Two crisp fours off Farhad Reza and a single to long leg later, he had a century, the 26th of an illustrious career. Sangakkara, who had caressed some lovely drives himself, was the perfect foil, and Bangladesh's cause wasn't helped when Mushfiqur Rahim fluffed a catch behind the stumps off Razzak right after Jayasuriya had got his hundred.

His eventual departure, after slamming 16 fours and a mere six sixes, did stem the tide though, with the other batsmen unable to support Sangakkara. Mahela Jayawardene eased to 20 before pulling a long hop from Kapali to midwicket and neither Chamara, Kapugedera or Silva, could get going. Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out by a direct hit from Raqibul, and when Razzak finally sneaked one under Sangakkara's defence, Bangladesh had managed a comeback of sorts. But thanks to their openers becoming only the 18th pair to score centuries in the same game, Sri Lanka were nearly out of sight by then.

Bangladesh were notionally in the contest till the halfway stage of their innings, with Nazimuddin and Raqibul playing some fine strokes in the face of an imposing asking-rate. Nazimuddin took his time to settle, but then launched into some delightful cuts and drives. Ajantha Mendis, who had bamboozled the Pakistanis, was thumped for a four and a six, and only a miscommunication with Raqibul saw him run out when in sight of a half-century.

By then, he had already seen Tamim and Mohammad Ashraful, the side's leading lights, depart. With Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara giving nothing away early on, Tamim quickly became restless, and a tame nibble at a Vaas delivery was easily taken by Dilshan, deputising for Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Ashraful came in and took three fours off a Vaas over, but then had one of those brain-fades that he's become prone to. He was in no sort of position to try and pull Thilan Thushara, and the top-edge came down into Dilshan's hands.

But with Raqibul starting in strokeful fashion and Nazimuddin determined to tilt at windmills, the run-rate quickly soared, with Thushara coming in for harsh treatment. Nazimuddin's dismissal, halted the charge though, and after that it was all about Murali.

Mushfiqur edged one to slip and Kapali was trapped in front by a doosra. Raqibul's brave innings was curtailed by another that went the wrong way, and Razzaq cleaned up going for the sweep. When Mortaza top-edged a sweep, he had five wickets for the ninth time in ODIs. It may sometimes be a young man's game, but it was the old hands that blew the candles out on Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka v UAE, Group A, Asia Cup, Lahore

Sri Lanka 290 for 9 (Udawatte 67, Jayawardene 61, Shah 3-49) beat

UAE 148 (Amjad 77, Mendis 5-22) by 142 runs

Sri Lanka scored another big victory to make it two wins in two days and progress to the second round with two points, by virtue of their win over fellow qualifiers Bangladesh. UAE, who are now out of the tournament, looked like they would make a match of it as opener Amjad Ali made a spectacular half-century, but they hurtled to defeat after his departure.

Shrugging away any exhaustion after having kept wickets earlier, Amjad made his aggressive intentions clear from the first over. He took three consecutive fours in the opening over by Nuwan Kulasekera. A wristy flick over square leg, a fine glance past fine leg and then a punch between mid-on and midwicket proved Amjad was not going to wait for the bowler to err.

Perhaps the shot of the day came in the next over when a mere forward punch from Amjad, powered by a Brian Lara-esque high backlift, sent the ball racing past mid-off. Even the loss of his opening partner Arshad Ali, who was beaten by a brilliant pick and throw by Chamara Kapugedera early on, did not hinder Amjad's approach.

His cavalier approach had UAE at standing firm at 83 for 1 after 15 overs and even forced Mahela Jayawardene to delay taking the third Powerplay. Although their hopes of reaching the target in 39.1 overs - in order to pip Bangladesh to the second round - looked unlikely, they were still in with a chance to pull off an upset. However, those hopes faded when Amjad fell trying to clear the long-on boundary off Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 24th over.

There was hardly any resistance from the others and with the tail unable to deal with Ajantha Mendis' mystery spin, UAE slumped to a 142-run loss. Mendis finished with career-best figures of 5-22 as UAE lost their last six wickets for 15 runs.

Despite the huge margin of defeat, it wasn't the easy game Mahela Jayawardene would have expected. Having elected to bat first Sri Lanka received an immediate jolt when yesterday's centurion, Kumar Sangakkara, was trapped plumb low on his back leg by the accurate Zahid Shah. Bowling a tight line and hitting the seam hard, Shah kept the batsmen guessing and was easily the best fast bowler on the day.

After that initial setback, Sri Lanka picked themselves up and sped to 76 for 1 by the end of the first Powerplay. Shah didn't get any support from Fahal Alhashmi, his new-ball partner, who was, at best, erratic. After bowling two wides in his first over, Alhashmi delivered four more in his next, conceding 15 runs off that over, including an exquisite straight boundary by Mahela Udawatte, who went on to make a patient 67.

There was a brief lull before Shah was clubbed by Jayawardene for four consecutive boundaries. But it was important to keep the tempo going in the muggy heat and Jayawardene, who had reached his half-century, looked tired after the drinks break and was run out off a direct hit when going for a tight single.

At one stage, Sri Lanka seemed likely to cross 300 for the second successive day, but a mixture of exhaustion, poor shot selection and impatience helped UAE, who had only played 10 ODIs coming into the game, restrict them.

The two Chamaras, Kapugedera and Silva, didn't show any patience and, attempting to force the issue, threw their wickets in quick succession. Though Sri Lanka raced to 147 in 20 overs, they had lost four top-order batsmen and were left with their last recognised pair of Udawatte and Tillakaratne Dilshan at the crease. The run-rate started to dip as just seven boundaries were scored after the 15th over. And there was not one six in the entire innings.

The onus fell now on the tiring Udawatte and Dilshan. But UAE sensed they had an opportunity as runs dried up in the middle overs. Alhasmi came back in style to first get rid of Udawatte, who mistimed while trying to clear the rope and holed out to midwicket. Dilshan then chased a wide off-side delivery and managed a thick edge to the keeper.

With just the tail to deal with and Sri Lanka stuttering at 189 for 6 after 30 overs, UAE failed to curb Kaushalya Weeraratne and Nuwan Kulasekara, who stopped the slide and constructed a valuable 53-run eighth-wicket partnership.

UAE managed to put on a much better show than the other Associate nation in the tournament, Hong Kong, but the big boys proved too strong for them.

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Group A, Asia Cup, Lahore

Sri Lanka 357 for 9 (Sangakkara 101, Kapugedera 74, Jayasuriya 72) beat

Bangladesh 226 for 7 (Mushfiqur 44, Mortaza 34*) by 131 runs

Mohammad Ashraful was left to rue his decision at the toss - on the sort of pitch where they had piled 300-plus the previous day, Bangladesh decided to field first and paid a heavy price as Sri Lanka, fired by some superb top-order batting by Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, piled a massive target before inflicting a heavy defeat.

Chasing an insurmountable target, Bangladesh never seemed like waging a battle although a fourth-wicket stand of 78 between Mushfiqur Rahim and Raqibul Hasan played a major hand in delaying the inevitable. For a while the duo played with patience, character even tackled smartly the spin of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. But eventually, Muralitharan got the better of their grit, effectively ending the Bangladesh fight.

Earlier the responsibility, once again, fell on Ashraful to play the multiple role of anchor, hustler and finisher. Yesterday, Ashraful had scored a composed century. Today, after his top edge was spilled by Jayasuriya, Ashraful went for a brash pull against a short ball from Dilhara Fernando. The umpire Simon Taufel thought the ball had brushed his gloves but the batsman started his walk with disbelief.

If Bangladesh meandered towards defeat, Sri Lanka always seemed formidable with the bat. Such was the dominance of the Sri Lankans that rarely did their run rate drop below seven. Much of the credit went to the opening pair of Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, who quickly got into the groove once they had gauged that they had nothing to fear from the bowling or the pitch. What unfolded over the next hour was a spectacular batting display that resulted in a 116-run opening partnership, which was the perfect platform for the other batsmen to build on.

It didn't matter that this was the first time in two years the pair went out to open. After the World Cup, this was the seventh pair Sri Lanka had tried out and it proved decisive as it was the first century opening partnership since the 2006-07 New Zealand tour where Jayasuriya had successfully paired with Upul Tharanga.

As Sangakkara caressed the ball to the boundary from close to his body, Jayasuriya cut hard, charged, pulled and hit at everything. Dolar Mahumud suffered the worst carnage as his second over was taken for 25 runs by Jayasuriya, which included two spectacular cuts on his toes past the point boundary.

Bangladesh's bowling was erratic to say the least. Apart from the dependable Mashrafe Mortaza and the left-arm spin of Abdur Razzak, the rest of the bowlers never stuck to the thumb rule of bowling to the fields. Time and again, Ashraful rushed to his bowlers, but as Sri Lanka's final total indicated, that didn't do much good.

Sangakkara took command after Jayasuriya departed, bowled trying to cut Razzak's spin. One of the highlights of the innings came in the 20th over, as Sangakkara clobbered five fours off Mahmud. The first ball was a wide, while the next one was smacked low by Sangakkara past mid-off. The next, a slower one, was swept to long leg for another boundary, after which he smacked one over the bowler's head for the third four. Mahmud had a chance to make amends, but made a mess of a caught-and-bowled chance the next ball. Sangakkara celebrated by sending the last two balls - both of which drifted down the leg side - for fours as well to speed towards his eighth ODI hundred and the second this year.

He accomplished that feat by pushing a single off legspinner Alok Kapali, whose first two balls were pulled for consecutive fours. He fell soon after, though - increasingly tired in the energy sapping heat, he miscued a pull to give Mahmudullah his only wicket.

But Chamara Kapugedera made sure the momentum was never lost, as he piled an intelligent 74, stitching important partnerships with Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan. He was especially severe on Kapali, regularly stepping down the pitch to loft.

Sri Lanka now have the leisure of rotating the line-up in tomorrow's final group-stage clash against UAE, while Bangladesh will enter the second round with mixed feelings.

WI coach hails team’s victory against Sri Lanka

West Indies coach John Dyson heaped praise on his side Sunday for clinching their One-day International series against Sri Lanka with a game to spare.

Sri Lanka ran into the rampant pair of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels, and lost the rain-marred match by seven wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis Method on Saturday at Queen's Park Oval.

Chanderpaul hit an unbeaten 52, and Samuels scored 54 not out in a stand of 107 - unbroken - for the fourth wicket, as West Indies, chasing 125 for victory from 25 overs, hit the jackpot with 27 balls remaining.

"The guys did a sensational job overall,"

Dyson told reporters.

"We bowled well and fielded well. There were a couple little errors that we would like to avoid, but overall the fielding effort was very, very good.

"When we batted, the experience of Chanderpaul and Samuels was perfect. They batted superbly."

The victory gave West Indies an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, after they won the opening ODI by one wicket in a dramatic finish last Thursday at the same venue.

"Every series is important,"

he said.

"I've always said that at international level, your aim is to win the series.

"Our group of guys has been working hard for some time and I'm really pleased for them that they've been able to put it together in front of their home crowd."

The third and final ODI in the series will be contested on Tuesday at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia.

West Indies beat Sri Lanka in sensational contest

Chaminda Vaas lost his nerves, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul kept his, and struck a four and a six off the last two balls to hand West Indies a sensational one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first One-day International here.

Chasing 236 for victory from their allocation of 50 overs, West Indies entered the final over at Queen's Park Oval needing 13 runs to win.

Sri Lanka turned to Vaas, their most experienced bowler, to deliver the last over, and he restricted the West Indies last wicket pair of Chanderpaul and batting bunny Fidel Edwards to three runs from the first four balls of the over.

But Vaas, whose line and length had been unerring throughout the match, delivered a full length delivery and Chanderpaul drove him through mid-off for four.

Sri Lanka would still have favoured their chances with West Indies needing a six off the last ball when Vaas ran up and delivered a full toss, which Chanderpaul duly dispatched over the wide long-on boundary to spark massive celebrations in the stands.

Chanderpaul was undefeated on 62 from 63 balls which included five fours and one six.
The victory gives West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, which continues at the same venue on Saturday before ending next Tuesday with a day/night fixture at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia.

A record sixth-wicket stand of 159 between Chamara Silva and Chamara Kapugedera had helped Sri Lanka reach a respectable 235 for seven off their allotment of 50 overs, after they were sent in to bat on a hard, true pitch under partly cloudy skies.

Kapugedera struck seven fours and three sixes in the top score of 95 from 117 balls and Silva collected seven boundaries in 67 from 96 balls to get Sri Lanka back on course, after Dwayne Bravo triggered a slump that restricted them to 49 for five in the 15th over.
Then openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith emerged from an uneasy start to give West Indies a solid foundation of 53 for the first wicket.

Sri Lanka were made to toil for almost 13 overs before they scalped another wicket, as Ramnaresh Sarwan joined Gayle and they added 56 for the second wicket.

But Sri Lanka savoured a purple patch, when they captured three wickets - two to Kulasekera - in the space of seven balls to leave West Indies 110 for four in the 28th over.

ODI newcomer Ajantha Mendis had Gayle lbw for 52 with the last ball of the 27th over, Sarwan was caught behind for 35 off the third ball of the next over from Kulasekera, who also had Marlon Samuels adjudged lbw for a duck off the last ball of the same over.
ODI newcomer Ajantha Mendis bamboozled the West Indies batsmen with his clever variations to collect three wickets for 39 runs from 10 overs, and Nuwan Kulasekera bagged three for 43 from 10 overs.

Sri Lanka eye record-setting win over Windies

Sri Lanka can kill the proverbial two birds with one stone when they face West Indies in the second and final Test, starting on Thursday at Queen's Park Oval.

When Sri Lanka flew into the region a fortnight ago, they had a single objective on their mind - to win a Test series on Caribbean soil for the first time.

They gained a welcomed boost to their chances when they clinched the opening Test at the Guyana National Stadium by 121 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the brief series.

But there is an extra special reason that Sri Lanka will pursue victory vigorously in the second Test - and that is to become the first side visiting the Caribbean to sweep a Test series of any length.

Australia came close five years ago, when they won the first three Tests in a series of four before the West Indies embarked successfully on a World record 418 to win the final Test at St. John's.

Jayawardene acknowledged that his side outplayed West Indies in every department in the opening Test, but he does not intend to ease up on his opponents.

"We are going to pay attention to all areas of our game, and see where we can tighten-up,"

he said.

"This is how we work. The first Test is finished, and the next venue is totally different, and conditions will be totally different.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle is well aware that his side faces an enormous challenge to win and level the series - but he would settle for a draw at this stage to spare the flak from another failed mission.

"I believe that if we can remain positive and focus, we can win the Test,"

Gayle said. It's a must win situation for us to square the series.

"We'll try and see what Sri Lanka has to offer a second time around both in the batting and bowling, so it is just for us to return to the drawing board, and come up with a plan, and come prepared to play a tough Test."

Gayle would love to make a couple of changes to fortify the West Indies line-up, but the selectors have tied his hands, since they have retained the same squad from the first Test, except for left-hander Ryan Hinds, who will miss the Test because of a hamstring strain which should rule him out of cricket for about two or three weeks.

One of the places up for grabs is the opening slot alongside Gayle - although the West Indies captain dropped down the order in the second innings of the opening Test, he said he would return to the top for the second Test.

With scores of 14 and 10 in the opening Test, Devon Smith failed to cement his place in the side, and left-handed opener Sewnarine Chattergoon should make his Test debut, after illness prevented him from receiving this distinction in his native Guyana.

The only other selection dilemma facing West Indies would be the composition of their attack -Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell should reclaim their places, but the selectors are mulling over whether to boost the attack with another fast bowler, or add a second spin bowler.

Beanpole left-arm spin bowler Sulieman Benn did reasonably well on his Test debut and both Gayle and Head Coach John Dyson favour his retention, but hometown boy Amit Jaggernauth has made strong claims for his first Test cap, following a 10-wicket match haul in a West Indies domestic first-class match against Barbados over the weekend.

Squads:

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice captain), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Fidel Edwards, Amit Jaggernauth, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jaywardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara (vice captain), Ishara Amerasinghe, Tillakeratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Prasanna Jaywardene, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Chaminda Vaas, Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Chanaka Welegedera.