Nairobi, Oct 4: Sri Lanka thrashed West Indies by 108 runs in their preliminary match in the ICC knock out Cup here today, with the Caribbean top order letting their team down badly.
If the margin of defeat was not higher, it was thanks not to Brain Lara or Sherwin Campbell but some lower order resistance from
Laurie Williams and Mahendra Nagamootoo. They put on 74 runs for the seventh wicket. Williams made 41 and Nagamootoo 33.
If this is being stressed on, it is only to highlight the ineptitude, one would say even casual approach of the first four batsmen. Courtney Browne is perhaps not much of a genius at batting, but better was expected of the new skipper Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara. With Jimmy Adams reportedly out for several weeks with an intercostal muscle tear, one wonders what is going to happen to the team under this uninspiring leadership.
Lara was indifferent on the field, offering Campbell not a word of advice, and looked like he was just going through the motions when batting. West Indies might have to think seriously about what effect his attitude is having on the team as a whole.
In contrast, the Sri Lankans were cheerful and vibrant on the field, each of them contributing in some way. Look at Muthiah Muralitharan. It is a rare match when he goes without a wicket. This might have been because of the high proportion of lefties in the oppositon, converting his off break into a ball that moves away.
But today his aim seemed to be to give away no runs whatsoever. He returned amazing figures of 10-4-9-0.
Medium pacer Zoysa got the initial breakthroughs (three for 34), while Jayasuriya's slow left armers broke the partnership between Williams and Nagamootoo. Jayasuriya got two wickets, as did Wickremasinghe.
The Lankans were alert on the field, effecting a good run out of Nagamootu, who was running to the batsman's end with the striker, Nixon Mclean, staring vaguely around.
They took all the catches offered, unlike the West Indies earlier in the day.
Perhaps a West Indies win today was never on the cards, after Lanka had hit up 287, but some losses seem out of synch even with the spirit of the game.
Today's was one such.
Sri Lanka meet Pakistan in the second quarter final on Sunday.
