Sri Lanka has narrowly avoided a massive boilover in the Cricket World Cup, beating minnow Afghanistan by four wickets.
Set 233 to win, Sri Lanka started abysmally as Afghanistan’s promising pace attack reduced the Test nation to 2 for 2, with both openers out for first-ball ducks.
Things got worse for Sri Lanka as it slumped to 3 for 18, then 4 for 51, before Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews came to the crease.
Jayawardene, playing in his last World Cup before retirement, was calm and collected to rack up 100 runs before a late dismissal put the nerves back into Sri Lanka’s run chase.
Mathews was run out for 44, but the tail came good for Sri Lanka as Thisara Perera (47 not out) and Jeevan Mendis (9 not out) guided their team home with 10 balls to spare.
