<Bt-4z32>Bermuda has a rude awakening to the big time
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BERMUDA suffered the second worst defeat in World Cup history yesterday when former champions Sri Lanka won by 243 runs in their Group B match in Trinidad.But Bermuda captain Irving Romaine said he was proud of his players who were experiencing their very first match at the sports’ highest level.
“The effort was there and I am proud of my boys. You are going up against the world’s best,” said Romaine after the one-sided contest at Queen’s Park Oval which was mainly empty except for a good crowd of Bermuda fans who really got behind the team.
And Romaine promised that Bermuda would do better in their next two group matches against India on Monday and Bangladesh on March 25.
“We have two more games and we will definitely improve,” he said confidently.
After Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat scoring 321 runs for six wickets lost, Bermuda were basically on a mission of survival.
And things looked horrible right from the start when opener Clay Smith was out lbw to left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas in the first over with no score on the board.
Then it was Lasith Malinga who Bermuda had to face in the second over. And there is no doubt they have ever faced a bowler as fast as him. With his slingy low action Malinga gave Bermuda an experience of stage fright with his ferocious pace.
Romaine said: “No matter how much work you do on the bowling machine, with him coming in with that side-arm action it was a totally new experience. And with him breaking through the top order it was always going to be a tough challenge to make a good bit of runs.”
But it was a clinical performance by Malinga and Farveez Maharoof which sent Bermuda crashing to their 78, guiding Sri Lanka to the massive 243-run win.
Malinga had three top-order wickets while Maharoof cleaned up the lower order with four scalps, wrapping up the innings in under 25 overs.
Three fluent half-centuries formed the meat of Sri Lanka’s innings as they rolled along to 321 for six at the end of 50 overs.
Choosing to bat on a flat deck, Sri Lanka’s power-packed line-up didn’t need to do anything out of the ordinary — Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara led a solid batting performance before Chamara Silva erected the skyscraper with an electric 55.
Bermuda’s Kevin Hurdle’s 14-ball third over was a sign of things to come and all their bowlers, barring medium-pacer Saleem Mukuddem, were erratic. Sri Lanka’s batsmen concentrated on picking off the loose deliveries, of which there was plenty on offer, and simply needed to knock the ball around when it was on target. Bermuda were made to pay for costly lapses, that included letting off Jayawardene off the first ball he faced, but they somewhat made up with two blinding ones towards the end of the innings.
Of letting off skipper Jayawardene, Romaine said: “At this level you cannot drop catches. We dropped the captain on first ball and he went on to make a good total and at this level you can’t drop catches. They are costly.”
If Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock had held the catch in the slips, Mukuddem would have been on a hat-trick. But sadly it was not to be.
The 150-run stand between Jayawardene and Sangakkara formed the backbone of the innings as the duo eased through the middle overs at a healthy rate. The long-hops and wide deliveries were dispatched in style and there was little need for any risk in between. Singles and twos were plenty on offer, especially with the batsman manoeuvring the ball in the gaps, and the rate was always on the up.
Jayawardene passed 50 for the first time since June 2006 and also brought up his highest score in World Cup matches. Sangakkara achieved a similar feat and thrilled with his punchy drives down the ground. Their dismissals brought some cheer in the Bermuda camp but Silva ensured that the celebrations were short-lived.
Coming off a brilliant century against India at Vishakapatnam (Sri Lanka’s last ODI before the World Cup), he flayed the bowling to all parts. He was especially severe on the spinners, dancing down the track and slashing wide of the cover fielders. He also hustled between the wickets and brought up a half-century in his first World Cup match.
Sri Lanka’s job was made much easier early on. Hurdle promised much in the opening over of the day. The tall bowler extracted steepling bounce and jammed Sanath Jayasuriya’s left index finger. But he lost his run-up and direction soon after and conceded as many as 15 extras in his nine-over spell. His opening partner, Saleem Mukuddem, was far more impressive. Not as quick but far more accurate, he made the batsmen play regularly and induced a few tentative prods.
He removed the dangerous Jayasuriya — though that was thanks to the batsman’s indiscretion, cutting uppishly to point — and should have had Jayawardene for a first-ball duck, when Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock grassed a regulation chance off an airy flash. Mukuddem was also unlucky not to have had Upul Tharanga’s wicket when he was on 28 after Ian Howell turned down a confident shout for lbw. It was probably one of the few silver linings of the innings.
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Sangakkara said afterwards: “The pitch was difficult to read, maybe a little bit of movement. We were a bit cautious because of the lack of pace and we didn’t really want to get into a false sense of security. It was a wicket you had to spend a long time on to get settled and get in rhythm.
“You needed good shot selection and then exploit the gaps when the opportunity presented itself rather than just looking to hit the big shots. When bad balls are presented to you you make maximum use of it. It is definitely a wicket where you have to play yourself in.”Of his attack on the Bermuda batting, he said: “There was still something in it for the fast bowlers and the guys have been really working hard at practise. They have done a lot of streamlining work since the Indian tour and it is paying dividends.”
Bermuda’s fielders made some good catches — and also dropped some easy ones — notably Leverock who dropped two.
But Janeiro Tucker took two superb catches and Hurdle also took a world-class catch with one hand.
Lionel Cann’s innings of 28 was the highlight of Bermuda’s innings. The big hitter also started rather conservatively — at least for him. But he was soon trying to hit the ball out of the ground and in fact did so with a massive six off the bowling of the world’s best off spinner Muralitharan. It will be something he will tell his grandkids about one day.
Opening bowler Hurdle also hit a nice six before taking his leave.
Teams
Sri Lanka:
Bermuda: Dean Minors (wk), Clay Smith, Janeiro Tucker, Irvine Romaine (capt), Oliver Pitcher, David Hemp, Lionel Cann, Saleem Mukuddem, Delyone Borden, Kevin Hurdle, Dwayne Leverock.
Welcome to the big time
