The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sangakkara, Jayawardene shine

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Sunday, Aug 21, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Sangakkara, Jayawardene shine

DURBAN: Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene hit polished half-centuries for the Asia XI in the second Afro Asia Cup match against an Africa XI at Kingsmead Saturday.

The Asia XI, needing a victory to stay in with a chance of winning the three-match series, made 267 for seven after winning the toss.

The left-handed Sangakkara made a boundary-studded 61 off 70 balls, hitting nine fours and a six.

By contrast, the right-handed Jayawardene's 52 off 72 balls included only two boundaries, a four and a hooked six off Monde Zondeki which raised his half-century.

Thomas Odoyo of Kenya was the most successful African bowler, taking three for 45 with his medium-paced deliveries. He and Africa XI captain Shaun Pollock were the only bowlers to send down their full quota of ten overs.

Good start

Sangakkara and India's Virender Sehwag (38) put on 91 for the second wicket off 101 balls after Shahid Afridi had played a typical innings, hitting the first ball he faced from Heath Streak for six over cover then playing across the line to be leg before off the next delivery. Pakistanis Yousuf Youhana and Asia XI captain Inzamam-ul-Haq made 42 and 38 not out respectively, but the Asia XI was unable to accelerate in the second half of their innings after reaching 140 for three after 25 overs.

Both teams showed changes because of injury. Star South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was ruled out of the Africa XI team with a back muscle strain suffered when loading his luggage onto a van Friday, while Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble could not play because of a hamstring strain.

The Asia XI was beaten by two runs in the first of three matches at Centurion Wednesday. — AP

Scoreboard

Asia XI: V. Sehwag c Boucher b Odoyo 38, S. Afridi lbw b Streak 6, K. Sangakkara c Boucher b Odoyo 61, M. Jayawardene st Boucher b Odoyo 52, Y. Youhana c Pollock b Kemp 42, Inzamam (not out) 32, A. Razzaq run out (De Villiers) 0, S. Akhtar c Boucher b Streak 6, Zaheer (not out) 13. Extras (lb-6, nb-5, w-6) 17. Total (for seven wkts. in 50 overs) 267.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-98, 3-120, 4-199, 5-225, 6-225, 7-235.

Africa XI bowling: Pollock 10-3-36-0, Streak 9-0-64-2, Zondeki 9-1-64-0, Odoyo 10-0-45-3, Boje 4-0-24-0, Kemp 8-0-28-1.

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