Sangakkara steers Sri Lanka to 265-9 against Kiwis

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MUMBAI: Captain Kumar Sangakkara hit a brilliant century to help Sri Lanka to set a modest target of 266 runs for New Zealand in their last match of the World Cup Group B here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

Winning the toss, Sri Lanka batted first and made 265 for nine in their 50 overs with the help of a 145-run partnership for the third wicket between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, which pulled the team out of early trouble.

Sangakkara made 111 off 128 balls with twelve fours and two sixes while Jayawardene hit 66 with six boundaries.

The two teams have already made it to the quarter-finals and the result of this game will determine their final Group A positions.

Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga early when he was run out in the third over. He backed up too far and Tim Southee (3-63) managed to get his hand to a straight drive from Tillakaratne Dilshan before the ball rolled on to hit the stumps.

Dilshan followed his partner to the pavilion soon, lobbing a simple catch to Jacob Oram off Southee while trying to go for an ambitious shot on the leg side, plunging Sri Lanka to 19-2.

Jayawardene got embroiled in a controversy early in his innings as he tried to play a defensive shot in the 24th over against off-spinner Nathan McCullum but ended up chipping the ball back to the bowler.

McCullum dived and managed to get his right hand under the ball to cap what looked like a stunning effort.

But even as McCullum broke into a celebration, TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.

A furious McCullum and Kiwi skipper Ross Taylor angrily protested the decision with on-field umpire Asad Rauf.

Jayawardene, then on 26, hit six fours in a dour 90-ball innings before being adjudged trapped leg before off Southee, a decision he asked to be reviewed but in vain.

Sangakkara played a captain's innings, racing to his 11th century and completing 9,000 ODI runs in the process, the fourth Sri Lankan player to the mark.

This was Sangakkara's first three-figure score in 63 innings, having gone without a ton since June 2008.

He was bowled by McCullum in the 42nd over after facing 128 balls and hitting 12 fours and two sixes.

Angelo Mathews provided the late impetus to the innings with an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls.