PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) — Sanath Jayasuriya recovered from cramps to smash a century and spur Sri Lanka to a 198-run victory over Bangladesh in their World Cup Group B match yesterday.

Sri Lanka amassed 318 for four to underline their form and then skittled Bangladesh for 112 in 37 overs for their second thumping victory. The target was reduced to 311 in 46 overs after rain forced a second 30-minute break in the match.

The result put Sri Lanka in pole position to reach the next round from Group B although there could be a three-way tie for points if India and Bangladesh triumph in their final matches.

The islanders meet India in their final group game tomorrow which their beleaguered rivals need to win to be in contention for one of the two Super Eights qualification berths.

The 37-year-old Jayasuriya struck 109 off 87 balls, having limped off clutching his left leg on 83 in the 25th over soon after returning from a 30-minute rain break in the morning.

Opening bowler Lasith Malinga grabbed three wickets as Bangladesh never recovered from a top order collapse. Mohammad Ashraful was 45 not out.

Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar fears the result could scupper his unfancied team’s hopes of qualifying for the Super Eights.

Bangladesh boosted their chances of advancing into the second round for the first time after shocking 1983 champions India by five wickets in their opening Group B match. But all the hard work seemed to come undone yesterday.

“I’m very sorry, it was a bad match for us,” said Bashar, who dropped two catches and misfielded. “It was a bad day. I hope we will never have a day like this again.”

A Sri Lanka victory tomorrow would knock out India and Bangladesh could qualify with Sri Lanka if they beat debutants Bermuda on Sunday.

“We’ve to look at the India-Sri Lanka game now,” Bashar said.

Even if India win, Bangladesh can force a three-way tie in which case two teams with superior run rate would go through.

“We have a little advantage, we would know what we need to do,” Bashar said referring to the fact that they will play their final group game two days after India.

“Even if we had lost by a close margin, we could have improved our net run rate which would have helped us in the last match.”

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene praised Jayasuriya and his team’s “clinical” job against a young Bangladesh side.

“From the first ball itself we knew what we had to do,” he said.

“It was a brilliant effort from Sanath, a great hundred,” he said. “I remember somebody asking him whether he wants to retire. This is the time to ask him.”

Jayasuriya, the man-of-the-match, was modest despite needing treatment for cramp.

“I’m not worried about getting hundreds,” he said. “It was a crucial match today and we wanted to win convincingly.”

Sri Lanka produced sparkling all-round cricket in bleak conditions after play had to be stopped twice due to rain.

Jayasuriya hammered seven fours and seven sixes, including hoisting one against spinner Abdur Razzak over midwicket to reach his second World Cup hundred in his fifth appearance.

His 24th century allowed him to nose ahead of Australian skipper Ricky Ponting to second in the list for most one-day hundreds. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 41.

Jayasuriya dominated a 98-run opening partnership with fellow left-hander Upul Tharanga (26) before Kumar Sangakkara (56) and Chamara Silva (52 not out) notched their second successive fifties in the tournament. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene hit a chancy 46.

Bangladesh paid a heavy price for sloppy fielding and catching with skipper Habibul Bashar, who put in the opposition at Queen’s Park Oval, dropping two of them.

Syed Rasel and stumper Mushfiqur Rahim missed direct run out attempts against Tharanga and Jayawardene before they had touched double figures.

Jayasuriya was eventually caught reverse-sweeping in the 48th over after hitting Razzak for two consecutive sixes.