Sri Lanka thrash Kenya by nine wickets

Colmobo: Pacer Lasith Malinga made a grand entry into the World Cup by notching up an unprecedented second hat-trick in the mega event as Sri Lanka crushed minnows Kenya by nine wickets in a group A match, here today.

Sri Lanka shot out Kenya for a meagre 142 with Malinga, playing his first match of the tournament, single-handedly destroying Kenya with a career-best six-wicket haul.

Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in their Group A match of the cricket World Cup here today. For Sri Lanka, Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis have been pencilled into the squad in place of Thisara Perera and Rangana Herath.

And replying, the hosts cruised to 146 for one in just 18.4 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (44), Upul Tharanga (67 unbeaten) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (27 unbeaten) scoring freely.

Malinga also earned the distinction of becoming the first bowler to take a hat-trick in World Cup for the second time as he first achieved the feat earlier in the 2007 edition against South Africa.

It was also the second hat-trick of the ongoing World Cup in as many days after West Indies’ Kemar Roach produced the first against the Netherlands in Delhi yesterday.

Obuya brothers — Collins (52) and David (51) — were the only batsmen from Kenya to reach the double-digit mark and it was because of their fighting 92-run third-wicket stand that the African nation could reach near the 150-run mark.

Malinga, who had not played the first two games due to a back problem, accounted for four opposition wickets, including a hat-trick, in a span of 12 balls at the R Premadasa stadium. Kenya’s lower middle-order spoilt the hardwork of Obuya brothers as they lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs.

Opting to bat, Kenya found the Lankan pace duo of Malinga (6/38) and Nuwan Kulasekara (1/18) too hot to handle as they lost openers — Maurice Ouma and Seren Waters — for just eight runs.

Kulasekera struck early for the home team, trapping Ouma in the second over with a delivery that moved in after pitching. The batsman went for the review but TV umpire upheld the decision.

Malinga soon got into the act and trapped Waters in the next over with a lethal indipping yorker that hit the batsman on his toes.

The Teams:
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain and wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis.

Kenya: Jimmy Kamande (captain), Tanmay Mishra, Shem Ngoche, Collins Obuya, David Obuya (wicketkeeper), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma, Steve Tikolo and Seren Waters.

Umpires: Tony Hill (New Zealand) and Shahvir Tarapore (India). Third Umpire: Ian Gould Match Referee: Chris Broad.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka:
U Tharanga not out 67
T Dilshan c Ouma b Otieno 44
K Sangakkara not out 27

Extras (W-7, NB-1) 8 Total (For one wicket in 18.4 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-72.
Bowling: P Ongondo 3-0-28-0, N Odhiambo 5-0-26-0, S Ngoche 4-0-39-0, J Kamande 1-0-14-0, E Otieno 4-0-26-1, C Obuya 1.4-0-13-0.

Kenya:
M Ouma lbw b Kulasekara 1
S Waters lbw b Malinga 3
C Obuya b Malinga 52
D Obuya c Samaraweera b Muralitharan 51
S Tikolo c Dilshan b Mathews 7
T Mishra lbw b Malinga 0
J Kamande run out 1
N Odhiambo not out 8
P Ongondo b Malinga 0
S Ngoche b Malinga 0
E Otieno b Malinga 0

Extras (B-1, LB-6, W-9, NB-3) 19  Total (all out in 43.4 overs) 142

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-102, 4-120, 5-127, 6-128, 7-137, 8-137, 9-137.
Bowling: L Malinga 7.4-0-38-6, N Kulasekara 9-1-18-1, A Mathews 7-0-20-1, A Mendis 9-2-23-0, M Muralitharan 8-0-24-1 C Silva 3-0-12-0.