Sri Lanka Cricket

Kumar Sangakkara's fourth consecutive century led Sri Lanka to a 148-run victory over Scotland at the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Hobart on Wednesday. 

After cruising to hundreds in his classical style against Bangladesh, England and Australia, Sangakkara used a more brutal exhibition of stroke play against the Scots to make it four on the trot at this World Cup. 

Aided by a rapid 104 from Tillakaratne Dilshan and a 20-ball half-century from Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka amassed a total of 363 for nine from their 50 overs—a number that always looked too great for the chasing side. 

Indeed, Scotland found themselves in early trouble at 44 for three following the dismissals of Kyle Coetzer, Calum MacLeod and Matt Machan inside 12 overs, before half-centuries from Preston Mommsen and Freddie Coleman temporarily arrested the slide.

But trailing the required run rate throughout the innings, Scotland crumbled toward the end, collapsing from 162 for three to 215 all out as their winless run at this World Cup continued.  

Sangakkara's Record-Breaking Day

Kumar #Sangakkara set to retire after #cwc15—maybe that’s why he’s making history now #SLvSCO http://t.co/tLnK2R3yQ4 pic.twitter.com/BoUSKiAwXW

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 11, 2015

In his previous match against Australia, Sangakkara had already become the first man in history to record three consecutive centuries at the Cricket World Cup.

On Wednesday, he extended that record to four and, in doing so, became the first man ever to reach centuries in four consecutive one-day internationals.

Additionally, with a pair of catches in Scotland's innings, the veteran took his World Cup dismissal tally with the gloves to 54, breaking Adam Gilchrist's record of 53.  

Shot of the Day

SIX, SIX, SIX, SIX! 50 off just 20 Balls from Angelo Mathews as #SL fly late in their innings in Hobart #SLvSCO pic.twitter.com/ye9ADN3Zzq

— ICC (@ICC) March 11, 2015

Though some of Sangakkara's stroke play was delightful on Wednesday, his captain, Mathews, put on a brief but remarkable display of hitting to help Sri Lanka move into another gear. 

Undoubtedly the highlight was his savage assault on Machan, when the right-hander blasted four consecutive sixes off the spinner to bring up the fastest-ever half-century by a Sri Lankan at the World Cup.

Frankly, it was hard to separate the four of them.  

  

Delivery of the Day

Nuwan Kulasekara produced a beautiful in-swinger to remove MacLeod for 11 in the eighth over:

Scotland 26/2 (7.3 ov)
WICKET!!! CS MacLeod b Kulasekara 11 (21b) pic.twitter.com/Sg2SXtf5B7

— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) March 11, 2015

Catch of the Day

WATCH: Kusal Perera is dismissed after a wonderful catch from MacLeod at deep mid-on. #CWC15 #fireitup http://t.co/1QhqH54iXS

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 11, 2015

Pool A

TEAMS	MAT	WON	LOST	TIED	N/R	PTS	NET RR
New Zealand	5	5	0	0	0	10	+3.090
Sri Lanka	6	4	2	0	0	8	+0.371
Australia	5	3	1	0	1	7	+1.597
Bangladesh	5	3	1	0	1	7	+0.211
England	5	1	4	0	0	2	-1.001
Afghanistan	5	1	4	0	0	2	-1.881
Scotland	5	0	5	0	0	0	-1.769

Reaction

Kumar Sangakkara 105*, 117*, 104, 124 - first to 4 ODI 100s in a row
Herschelle Gibbs missed it in 2002: 116, 116*, 153, 97*#SLvSco#CWC15

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 11, 2015

'Sometimes things just fall into place and everything just clicks' @KumarSanga2 after #SLvSCO & his new World Record pic.twitter.com/RYgIb0PUJN

— ICC (@ICC) March 11, 2015

As if today wasn't good enough, @KumarSanga2 now holds the record for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper (54) in World Cups! #SLvSCO

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 11, 2015

One of those days when a team has scored 363 and you still feel that they could've scored a 100 more. #SLvSCO

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 11, 2015

https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/575641173114667009

https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/575605218689355778

https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/575612007736549376

Scotland's Josh Davey got three wickets today and that takes him to the top of the wicket-takers in the tournament. pic.twitter.com/oz0beXtUA4

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 11, 2015

20 - Angelo Mathews' 20 ball 50 is the 2nd fastest by a Sri Lankan in ODI history (fastest in the CWC). Rapid.

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) March 11, 2015

Thursday's Schedule

Thursday at the World Cup sees action in Pool B resume, with South Africa taking on the United Arab Emirates at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. 

After suffering defeat to Pakistan, the Proteas will be looking for a strong victory to secure second spot in the group ahead of the quarter-finals. 

Kumar Sangakkara secured himself yet another slice of cricket history by becoming the first player to record four successive centuries in one-day internationals.

WORLD RECORD ALERT: Sangakkara has just become the 1st man to score FOUR consecutive one-day international centuries. http://t.co/N4Dkq9Fbty

— telegraph_sport (@telegraph_sport) March 11, 2015

The Sri Lankan is one of the greatest players ever to pick up a bat and came into the match with Scotland in prime form having already racked up centuries against Bangladesh (105), England (117) and Australia (104).

Coming in at No. 3 after the early departure of Lahiru Thirimanne, Sangakkara took to the Scotland bowling with relish.

He brought up his century off 86 balls and in so doing he moved ahead of an elite group of players—Zaheer Abbas, Saeed Anwar, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Ross Taylor—who have three successive tons to their names.

What an amazing player! Kumar Sangakkara scores four World Cup hundreds in a row at the age of 37.

— Malcolm Conn (@malcolmconn) March 11, 2015

Another record Sangakkara set with his knock was he passed Matthew Hayden, Sourav Ganguly and Mark Waugh to become the first player to make four hundreds at a World Cup.

Most hundreds in a single World Cup edition 4 - Kumar Sangakkara 3 - Matthew Hayden(2007) 3 - Sourav Ganguly(2003) 3 - M Waugh(1996) #SLvSCO

— DD Sports (@ddsportsindia) March 11, 2015

While his ODI record is one that could take some time to pass, Sangakkara could well be kicking himself as in the game before he started his amazing run of form he missed out against the minnows of Afghanistan.

Centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara guided Sri Lanka to a 92-run victory over Bangladesh in their World Cup clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, who won the toss and elected to bat, saw his side reach 332-1 in their 50 overs, with Dilshan making 161 and Sangakkara making 105.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Thirimanne	c Taskin Ahmed	b Rubel Hossain	52	105	78	3	0
Dilshan	not out		161	224	146	22	0
Sangakkara	not out		105	117	76	13	1
Extras		0nb 9w 3b 2lb	14
	Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
	Mortaza		10	0	53	0
	Rubel Hossain		9	0	62	1
	Taskin Ahmed		10	1	82	0
	Shakib		10	0	55	0
	Mahmudullah		7	0	49	0
	Rahman		4	0	26	0

The Tigers could make only 240 in their reply as Sri Lanka leapfrogged them in Pool A.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Tamim Iqbal		b Malinga	0		2	0	0
A Haque	run out (Mathews)		29	68	43	1	1
Sarkar	c Sangakkara	b Mathews	25	24	15	5	0
M Haque	c M Jayawardene	b Lakmal	1	4	3	0	0
Mahmudullah	c Herath	b T Perera	28	53	46	3	0
Shakib	c Malinga	b Dilshan	46	57	59	4	1
Mushfiqur Rahim		b Lakmal	36	75	39	2	1
Rahman	c Sangakkara	b Malinga	53	63	62	7	0
Mortaza	st Sangakkara	b Dilshan	7	15	7	1	0
Rubel Hossain	not out		0	13	5	0	0
Taskin Ahmed	lbw	b Malinga	0		1	0	0
Extras		0nb 6w 0b 9lb	15
	Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
	Malinga		9	0	35	3
	Lakmal		8	0	49	2
	Mathews		5.4	0	36	1
	Herath		10	0	43	0
	T Perera		6.2	0	33	1
	Dilshan		8	0	35	2

Dilshan made the highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman in World Cup history, hitting 22 boundaries in his 146-ball innings.

TM Dilshan's 161* is now the highest in ODIs by a batsman without a six #SLvBan#CWC15

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) February 26, 2015

In his 400th ODI, Sangakkara registered the fastest of his 22 one-day international hundreds, with the ton coming up off 73 balls with 12 boundaries and a six.

WATCH: @KumarSanga2 brings up his 22nd ODI ton. See the action on Sky Sports World Cup #cwc15 http://t.co/IT2qLW7Tt3

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 26, 2015

Lahiru Thirimanne (52) and Dilshan put on 122 for the opening wicket, with Rubel Hossain making the only breakthrough in the 23rd over before the 210-run partnership that took the game away from Bangladesh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq7vZvTZwQQ

Mashrafe Mortaza saw his side suffer an instant blow in their reply as Tamim Iqbal was clean bowled by Lasith Malinga with the second ball of the innings.

WATCH: Malinga makes a mess of the stumps! Watch the action on Sky Sports World Cup #cwc15 http://t.co/nwBfe1sBL9

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 26, 2015

They were 60-3 at the end of the powerplay and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with the departure of key man Shakib Al Hasan (46) leaving Bangladesh on 164-6 in the 32nd over.

Malinga polished off the tail to finish with 3-35 as they were all out in 47 overs.

OUT! All Over Malinga strikes & will be on a hat-trick in his next game! Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 92 Runs #cwc15 pic.twitter.com/kXZ3UXsarl

— ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2015

Sri Lanka are now second in Pool A after rebounding from their opening day defeat to New Zealand with victories over Afghanistan and Bangladesh. They will look to extend that run against England on Sunday.

Pool A points table #CWC2015 pic.twitter.com/SMNZdMUC5v

— YATHI®️ (@ursyathi) February 26, 2015

Bangladesh, who also defeated Afghanistan and benefited from a weather-affected no result against Australia, still have hopes of qualifying but cannot afford to slip up in their next match against Scotland on March 5.

Afghanistan gave Sri Lanka a real fright at the Cricket World Cup before succumbing to a four-wicket defeat in Dunedin on Sunday.

The Associate Nation made 232 after being put into bat at the University Oval, and they then reduced the 1996 champions to 18-3 in their reply.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Ahmadi	c Herath	b Lakmal	24	41	23	4	0
Mangal	c Thirimanne	b Mathews	10	34	30	1	0
Stanikzai	c J Mendis	b Herath	54	78	57	5	1
Shenwari	c Mathews	b T Perera	38	91	70	5	0
Nabi		b Malinga	21	32	27	2	1
N Zadran	c T Perera	b Lakmal	10	25	15	0	1
Zazai	c Herath	b Malinga	19	62	38	1	0
Ashraf	c Lakmal	b Malinga	28	38	32	1	2
D Zadran		b Mathews	4	3	5	1	0
Hassan	c J Mendis	b Mathews	0		1	0	0
S Zadran	not out		1	3	1	0	0
Extras		1nb 16w 0b 6lb	23
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Malinga			9.4	1	41	3
Lakmal			10	1	36	2
Mathews			7	0	41	3
T Perera			10	0	54	1
Herath			10	0	41	1
J Mendis			3	0	13	0

However, veteran Mahela Jayawardene came to the rescue with a century and they reached the target with 10 balls to spare.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Thirimanne	lbw	b D Zadran	0		1	0	0
Dilshan	c Zazai	b S Zadran	0	6	1	0	0
Sangakkara		b Hassan	7	26	13	1	0
Karunaratne	c Mangal	b Hassan	23	46	32	3	0
M Jayawardene	c Mangal	b Hassan	100	146	120	8	1
Mathews	run out (Nabi)		44	113	81	2	0
J Mendis	not out		9	36	17	0	0
T Perera	not out		47	31	26	6	1
Extras		1nb 3w 0b 2lb	6
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
D Zadran			9	0	44	1
S Zadran			10	1	48	1
Hassan			9	0	45	3
Ashraf			8.1	0	31	0
Nabi			5.2	0	28	0
Stanikzai			0.5	0	6	0
Shenwari			6	0	32	0

The Afghan top order was blown away when they were thrashed by Bangladesh in their first match but Asghar Stanikzai made 54 as they reached 128-2 after 27 overs.

There were contributions all the way through the order but wickets fell at regular intervals with Lasith Malinga taking out the middle order to finish with 3-41.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMlPVQvOwto

Captain Angelo Mathews also chipped in with three wickets as the minnows were all out two balls shy of their allocated 50 overs.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen had eight long days to reflect on their heavy loss to New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament, but the top three were dismissed inside six overs.

Openers Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan suffered first ball ducks and then lynchpin Kumar Sangakkara was bowled through the gate by Hamid Hassan after making just seven.

Thirimanne 0 (1), Dilshan 0 (1) - for the first time in World Cup history both opener got golden duck in same innings. #CWC15 #AFGvSL

— Cricket Records (@cricinfo_record) February 22, 2015

When Dimuth Karunaratne (23) became Hassan’s second victim in the 12th over the team who have played in the last two finals were just thinking about avoiding an upset rather than improving their net run rate.

Jayawardene, the 37-year-old stalwart, was the man for the occasion as he shared a 126-run partnership with Mathews despite the unusual sight of his bat snapping.

Laughing every time I watch this #SLvsAFG https://t.co/K3RtvlRQ0l”

— Avikal Chhetri (@vulcan_didactic) February 22, 2015

Mathews was run out for 44 in the 41st over but Jayawardene brought up his 19th ODI century two balls later off 118 balls.

However, there was a twist as Jayawardene failed to add to his 100, caught at fine leg as Hassan picked up a third wicket, to leave the Twenty20 world champions needing 54 off 52 balls.

Thisara Perera saw Sri Lanka home with 47 from 26 balls, thumping Mohammad Nabi through the covers for the winning runs in the penultimate over.

Despite scoring nearly 9,500 one-day runs, Tillakaratne Dilshan is in danger of becoming the forgotten man for Sri Lanka at this World Cup.

While Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara get prepared to head into the sunset (or English county cricket in the case of the latter) after the event, the oldest player in Sri Lanka’s squad plans to play on.

But just like his two legendary compatriots who will retire from national duty in March, Dilshan will be a difficult man to replace when he finally decides to call time on his international career.

He is an all-round contributor for his country, a batsman who opponents still fear at the top of the order, a canny bowler capable of picking up wickets and one of the better fielders in the Sri Lanka side.

Most 100s in ODI chases (batting 2nd):
17 Tendulkar-
14 V Kohli-
11 Tillakaratne #DILSHAN-
11 Gayle-
10 Saeed Anwar-
10 Jayasuriya-#NZvSL

— Shahzad Tirmizi Syed (@shahzadtirmizi) January 23, 2015

Indeed, when you watch him still play at the highest level, it is tough to believe that Dilshan is 38.

Seeing him throw himself around in the field would make you think he is actually a youngster freshly plucked out of domestic cricket who is desperately trying to make a good impression.

Sri Lanka often choose to station him in key positions—backward point to the pace bowlers, mid-wicket for the spinners—rather than waste him grazing in the deep.

He defies his age with the bat too.

On the one-day leg of the recent tour of New Zealand, the right-hander finished as top scorer on either side with 397 runs (including two centuries).

His form, coming off the back of a hundred against England on home soil last December, was a plus point for his country in a 4-2 series defeat to the Black Caps.

It also bodes well for the upcoming World Cup, with the Sri Lankans playing three of their six group games at venues in New Zealand. 

Playing on Australian soil should not be a worry for Dilshan. He amassed 513 runs in the Commonwealth Bank Series in 2012, including hitting 106 against the hosts in Adelaide.

Having also hit a ton in the warm-up fixture against South Africa in Christchurch, Dilshan seems to be coming into a purple patch at the ideal time.

He is a calculated risk-taker, never better demonstrated than when he goes down on one knee to play his trademark Dilscoop (by the way—how many other batsmen have a shot named after them?) against the quicker bowlers.

It is a thin line between bravery and foolishness when you choose to tuck your chin into your chest and take your eye off the delivery at the last second in an attempt to ramp it over the wicketkeeper.

But it is also a well thought-out method to finding the boundary in an unprotected area, one Dilshan worked on while playing cricket with a tennis ball in his younger days, per an interview with Bivabasu Kumar in The Times of India.

"I have always wanted to do something special," he said. "Millions of people watch cricket and I wanted to have a special place for myself in their hearts. People forget a player after he retires. But I will continue to live through 'Dilscoop.'"

However, while understanding his role to attack during the opening powerplay, Dilshan also realises the need to cash in once he has built a promising platform.

In making 101 against England in Colombo late last year, for example, the right-hander reached 50 from 59 balls with one six and six fours. He only found the boundary three more times in the remaining 65 deliveries he faced.

While Sri Lanka have had problems finding him an opening partner of late, they can at least lean on Dilshan to lead from the front.

He is also relied on to play a part with the ball. While he has claimed only 97 wickets in 307 one-day appearances, his economy rate is a steady 4.82 runs an over.

Dilshan's off-spin has even been called upon to open the bowling, though it is his role at the top of the batting order where he is most important to his country.

While Jayawardene and Sangakkara provide the style, Dilshan is the one who can give the innings early momentum, a crucial factor ahead of a tournament that is likely to see bat dominate ball.

The one certainty for Sri Lanka is this: They will be relying heavily on their trio of golden oldies for one last time as they bid to reach a third successive World Cup final. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo and Howstat.com

A century and a series victory—Kumar Sangakkara could not have asked for a better way to finish his one-day career in Kandy.

While his future plans are not yet fully clear, the wicketkeeper-batsman confirmed in an interview with Sky Sports that his innings of 112 in the sixth ODI would be his last in front of the people of Pallekele in 50-over cricket.

At the post-match press conference he then confirmed his intention to retire from one-day action after the World Cup next year, per Andrew Fernando of ESPN Cricinfo: "If I'm not able to play in the next World Cup when one World Cup ends, there is no point in me sticking around. All I'll end up doing is taking up the spot of another player"

Sangakkara, though, is not just another player. He is one of the finest batsmen of his generation, a world-class performer in any format of the game who shows no sign of losing his appetite for runs.

"The older he gets the more runs he scores, he is amazing." - Angelo Mathews on @KumarSanga2 #SLvEng pic.twitter.com/Y38at9Ch2r

— ICC (@ICC) December 13, 2014

He still has plenty of games left yet in his Sri Lanka career, including the final match of the home series against England in Colombo on Tuesday.

But, at 37 years of age, it is understandable that he is looking at a future beyond the international game. A move to English county Surrey has been discussed, as per The Sun (h/t the Daily Mail).

He will certainly be playing for Sri Lanka at the World Cup in 2015, where he will be aiming to go one better after final defeats in the last two editions of the tournament.

When you consider how well Sangakkara is playing right now, having just registered his 20th ODI ton, it makes you wonder why he would even contemplate retirement.

25 - Sangakkara has hit 25 scores of 50+ in 2014 across all formats, the most in a single calendar year - Ponting hit 24 in 2005. Output.

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) December 13, 2014

Brute force may be helpful in limited overs cricket, but the left-hander has shown in a career that has spanned nearly 400 matches that there is a place for elegance, timing and a watertight defensive technique in ODI action.

England must be sick of the sight of Sangakkara; he has scored three centuries in the last 18 months against them, including 134 not out in the ICC Champions Trophy in the summer of 2013.

Indeed, since being dismissed for two in the series opener in Colombo, Sangakkara has amassed 419 runs at an average of 104.75.

That figure would have been considerably lower had Alastair Cook not dropped the former Sri Lanka captain on Saturday when he had 41 to his name. It proved an extremely costly miss by the under-pressure England skipper, whose day went from bad to worse when he was dismissed second ball for one run.

Sangakkara had finished up scoring at a run-a-ball rate, his calculated knock including 12 fours and two sixes.

When he was finally dismissed, caught off the bowling of Chris Jordan, the walk off saw him salute all corners of the ground in appreciation of the support he had received, surely not just on the day but throughout his long and distinguished career for his country.

Great knock @KumarSanga2 you are unbelievable with consistent batting. Lot to learn from u legend. Great win today. Well bowled sura.

— Lahiru Thirimanna (@thiri66) December 13, 2014

Not content with his efforts with the bat, Sangakkara then played his part with the gloves as England fell well short in chasing a target of 293 they had to reach to keep the series alive and force a decider in Colombo.

He claimed four catches behind the stumps, including a smart effort to dismiss the dangerous Moeen Ali when stood up to the stumps. There was a little fortune in the diving grab that sent back Ravi Bopara, but few could say he didn’t deserve a slice of luck on his farewell appearance in his own back yard.

After James Tredwell was caught in the deep to condemn the tourists to a 90-run defeat, Sangakkara was given another standing ovation as he led the victorious Sri Lankans from the field.

His compatriots will miss him greatly once he has finally gone, and so too will the international game. Until then, however, Sangakkara still has plenty more to achieve.

Sri Lanka’s one-day international series at home to England moves to Colombo for the fourth game as both prepare for the Cricket World Cup.

The visitors will likely be full of confidence after their win in the third ODI and will be determined to put a run together on Sri Lankan soil.

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Date: Sunday, December 7

Start time: 4:30 a.m. GMT, 10 a.m local time

Live on: Sky Sports (United Kingdom), CSN (Sri Lanka), Fox Sports (Australia), Willow TV (United States and Canada).

Weather: According to Weather.com, Colombo may well be in for some thunderstorms in the afternoon, with temperatures peaking at around 30 degrees Celsius.

Overview

The two sides come into this game with the series interestingly poised at 2-1 to Sri Lanka, but with England having taken their first victory last time out.

Batting first, the hosts made 242-8 from 35 overs in a rain-hit game, led by 63 from Kumar Sangakkara and 62 not out from Lahiru Thirimanne.

Chris Woakes led the way for England’s bowlers with 3-41, while Chris Jordan chipped in with two.

In reply, the away side stumbled, but they were steadied by 58 from Moeen Ali, 55 not out from Jos Buttler and an unbeaten 48 from Joe Root.

They took victory, thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis method by five wickets as they reached their revised target of 236 with eight balls to spare.

In the aftermath of that game, England captain Alastair Cook will be banned because of his side’s slow over-rate and replaced as leader by Eoin Morgan.

It may create some uncertainty for the visitors, but with this victory under their belts, they will be hopeful of more.

Team News

Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shaminda Eranga, Lahiru Gamage, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilina Kandamby, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne

England (from): Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes

Key Players

Kumar Sangakkara

An innings of 63 from 62 balls last time out shows that Kumar Sangakkara is well in form for Sri Lanka on his home turf.

Always a difficult batsman to bowl to, if he is in form, the hosts will be hopeful of getting back to their winning ways.

Eoin Morgan

Handed the captaincy because of Alastair Cook’s one-match ban, a lot will be riding on the performance of Eoin Morgan.

If he can lead effectively and ensure his own batting form does not continue to suffer, England will be in a good position to take another victory.

Angelo Mathews was identified as a future captain and a long-term cornerstone of Sri Lankan cricket well before his ascension into the game's upper echelon of stars, and expectation has closely followed him on his journey to this point.

Mathews is wonderfully talented in both disciplines and a natural leader, and the 27-year-old's bolt to the pinnacle of the game in 2014 has been another case of perfect timing for Sri Lanka, with Mahela Jayawardene retiring from the Test arena and Kumar Sangakkara enjoying the twilight years of his career. 

Indeed, Mathews' remarkable rise since being appointed captain has mirrored the arrivals of Jayawardene and Sangakkara more than a decade ago, when Sri Lanka desperately needed new stars to lean on as Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva waved goodbye. 

Following extremely successful stints against Pakistan, Bangladesh, England and South Africa already this year, Mathews' golden run of form continued against Misbah-ul-Haq's men in August, propelling Sri Lanka to both Test and one-day international series triumphs. 

Scores	Opponent	Match Type	Venue	Dates
91, 25*	Pakistan	Test	Galle	Aug. 6-10
39, 43*	Pakistan	Test	Colombo	Aug. 14-18
89	Pakistan	ODI	Hambantota	Aug. 23
93	Pakistan	ODI	Hambantota	Aug. 26
0*	Pakistan	ODI	Dambulla	Aug. 30

With three scores between 89 and 93 and a further three unbeaten innings, the right-hander finished the month with the finest record of all international batsmen across all formats, averaging almost 100 in the process.

And while Sangakkara, Joe Root, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock all excelled, Mathews' brilliance outshone them all, further enhancing his growing reputation while leading Sri Lanka to a superb run of sustained success. 

Player	Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100s	50s
Angelo Mathews	5	380	93	95.00	0	3
Faf du Plessis	6	378	106	63.00	1	3
Quinton de Kock	6	361	84	60.16	0	4
Kumar Sangakkara	5	361	221	51.57	1	1
Mahela Jayawardene	5	299	67	42.71	0	4
Denesh Ramdin	4	277	169	92.33	1	1
Sarfraz Ahmed	2	265	103	88.33	1	3
Hamilton Masakadza	7	249	70	31.12	0	2
MS Dhoni	4	232	82	46.40	0	3
Joe Root	4	232	149*	77.33	1	1

Perhaps most telling of Mathews' supreme stretch with the bat is that he now stands behind only Sangakkara and AB de Villiers in the ICC Test Batsmen Rankings.

Despite starting the year at No. 16, the Sri Lankan skipper has surged ahead of stars such as Michael Clarke, Hashim Amla, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Younis Khan, Jayawardene, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli to become the third highest ranked batsman in the game. 

Standout Performance

It's extremely rare for teams to win Test matches after conceding 450 runs in the first innings, but that's exactly what Sri Lanka did thanks to a pair of outstanding performances by Mathews and Sangakkara against Pakistan in Galle.

In fact, it has been almost four years since a team won a Test after watching an opposing side amass 450 or more. The last time was when India defeated Australia in Bangalore in 2010.  

To illustrate how rare such a feat is, of the 420 times a side has conceded 450-plus to begin a Test, only 12 of those games have ended in victory for the team batting second. 

Sri Lanka's victory in Galle was the 12th. 

Mathews, of course, played a leading role in the remarkable triumph, compiling a smooth 91 alongside Sangakkara's 221 to push the home side past Pakistan's 451 and onto a decisive total of 533-9 declared. 

It was also Mathews who struck the winning runs in the second innings as his team cruised to their target of just 99 following Rangana Herath's destruction of Pakistan's batting line-up. 

The Road Ahead 

Deservedly, Mathews and Sri Lanka will now enjoy a three-month layoff following a gruelling schedule that began in January, not set to play again until a one-day international series with England commences on November 26. 

Following that seven-match encounter will be both a Test and one-day tour of New Zealand in the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup. 

Given Mathews' outstanding form and Sri Lanka's glittering run of results this calendar year, it's possible the tiny island nation could challenge for supremacy at cricket's fast-approaching showpiece. 

Sri Lanka levelled the one-day international series with Pakistan after a 77-run victory in Hambantota.

Sri Lanka made 310-9 in their 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

2nd ODI: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Hambantota. Sri Lanka have won the toss and chosen to bat. pic.twitter.com/JywmTYiHFT

— PTV Sports Official (@PTVSp0rts) August 26, 2014

They bowled out Pakistan for 233 in 43.5 overs in their reply.

Captain Angelo Mathews top-scored for the hosts with 93 while Thisara Perera blasted a rapid 65 in the closing overs.

For the 49th time Sri Lanka score 300 or over in an ODI match, 7th time against Pakistan. #SLvPak

— Cricket Record (@cricinfo_record) August 26, 2014

The hosts scored 58 in the powerplay but lost the experienced pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan (13) and Kumar Sangakkara (11) en-route.

Upul Tharanga became a second victim for Wahab Riaz in the 11th over before Mahela Jayawardene and Mathews put on 122 for the fourth wicket.

PARTNERSHIP 100: 102 from 18.2 ov (Jayawardene 58, Mathews 39) Sri Lanka 164/3 (28.4/50 ov, won the toss) v Pakistan http://t.co/hKMpYKxk89

— ESPNcricinfo scores (@ESPNscorecard) August 26, 2014

Jayawardene hit eight boundaries in a 74-ball 67 before Mohammad Hafeez pegged his off-stump back.

Hafeez took two more wickets in consecutive overs before denying Mathews a century, as he took the catch at mid-wicket off the bowling of Riaz.

As captain, Angelo Mathews been dismissed FOUR times in 90s against Pakistan in INTL matches, most by any captain against any Team. #SLvPak

— Cricket Record (@cricinfo_record) August 26, 2014

Mathews and Perera put on 87 for the seventh wicket in 9.5 overs, and Perera smashed four sixes in his 36-ball assault before being run out off the penultimate delivery.

180.6 - Thisara Perera's strike rate of 180.6 is the highest in a score of 50+ by a Sri Lankan batting numbers 8-11 in an ODI. Thrashed.

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) August 26, 2014

Riaz bowled Lasith Malinga with the final ball of the innings to finish with 4-65.

	Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Tharanga	c U Akmal	b Riaz	27	61	30
Dilshan	c U Akmal	b Junaid Khan	13	11	10
Sangakkara	c Maqsood	b Riaz	11	37	16
M Jayawardene		b Hafeez	67	102	74
Mathews	c Hafeez	b Riaz	93	159	115
Prasanna	lbw	b Hafeez	1	7	6
Priyanjan	lbw	b Hafeez	3	7	7
T Perera	run out (Khan)		65	62	36
Kulasekara	not out		5	14	6
Malinga		b Riaz	0		1
Extras		1nb 13w 0b 11lb	25
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Irfan		10	0	65	0
Junaid Khan		8	0	64	1
Riaz		10	0	65	4
Shahid Afridi		10	0	51	0
Hafeez		10	0	39	3
Shehzad		2	0	15	0

Malinga removed Sharjeel Khan (nine) in the second over of Pakistan's reply, but they had reached 114 after 18 overs as Mohammad Hafeez blasted 11 boundaries.

He was trapped lbw by leggie Seekkuge Prasanna, after making 62 from only 49 balls, and then wickets fell steadily.

Ahmed Shehzad (56) and Misbah-ul-Haq (36) failed to provide the match-winning score after getting set while Sohaib Maqsood (nine) couldn't replicate his heroics from the opening match.

They needed 89 off the final 10 overs, less than when they won a last-over thriller on the same ground on Saturday, but Shahid Afridi failed to spark as Perera completed a fine day by taking three wickets in seven balls.

Malinga wrapped up the triumph by yorking Junaid Khan.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Shehzad	c Sangakkara	b Prasanna	56	114	80
Khan	c Herath	b Malinga	9	15	10
Hafeez	lbw	b Prasanna	62	59	49
U Akmal	c Sangakkara	b Dilshan	1	4	3
Misbah-ul-Haq	c Kulasekara	b Herath	36	63	51
Fawad	c Mathews	b T Perera	30	72	40
Maqsood	lbw	b Herath	9	9	6
Shahid Afridi	c Kulasekara	b T Perera	17	13	10
Riaz	c Herath	b T Perera	5	7	6
Junaid Khan		b Malinga	1	7	3
Irfan	not out		1	5	5
Extras		0nb 2w 0b 4lb	6
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Kulasekara		4	1	23	0
Malinga		6.5	0	56	2
Herath		10	2	38	2
Mathews		2	0	15	0
Prasanna		10	0	36	2
T Perera		3	0	19	3
Dilshan		5	0	25	1
Priyanjan		3	0	17	0

The series finishes in Dambulla on Saturday.

Mahela Jayawardene's Test career concluded in style on Monday, as Sri Lanka celebrated a 105-run win over Pakistan in Colombo to secure a 2-0 series victory. 

Although the 37-year-old still plans to take part in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, per Sky Sports, the Sri Lankan veteran will now depart the five-day game as one of the most decorated players of both his generation, and indeed all time. 

A colossus with the bat—particularly at home—and an innovative leader during his 38-Test stint as captain, Jayawardene leaves behind a legacy of class, integrity and relentless excellence.

"I have played with a lot of pride and passion, and that's the same passion that the fans have, and the same passion that the entire nation has. It's quite easy to play for a country like that," the retiring great said after his final Test, per ESPN Cricinfo.  

That passion is certainly reflected in his Test record.

Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100s	50s
149	11814	374	49.84	34	50

Indeed, only six men—and only one Sri Lankan—have ever accumulated more Test runs than Jayawardene.

With 11,814 runs in total and 34 hundreds, the stylish right-hander retires with one of the finest Test batting records ever compiled over such a sustained period. 

Player	Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100s	50s
Sachin Tendulkar	200	15921	248*	53.78	51	68
Ricky Ponting	168	13378	257	51.85	41	62
Jacques Kallis	166	13289	224	55.37	45	58
Rahul Dravid	164	13288	270	52.31	36	63
Kumar Sangakkara	128	11988	319	58.76	37	51
Brian Lara	131	11953	400*	52.88	34	48
Mahela Jayawardene	149	11814	374	49.84	34	50
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	156	11414	203*	51.88	29	63
Allan Border	156	11174	205	50.56	27	63
Steve Waugh	168	10927	200	51.06	32	50

Impressively, Jayawardene has reached triple figures against every Test-playing nation, doing so eight times against England and a further six each against India and South Africa. 

Only Australia and Pakistan have limited Jayawardene to an average below 44 in their encounters with the prolific run-getter.

Country	Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100s	50s
vs. Australia	16	969	105	33.41	2	5
vs. Bangladesh	13	1146	203*	76.40	5	2
vs. England	23	2212	213*	58.21	8	10
vs. India	18	1822	275	67.48	6	8
vs. New Zealand	13	1028	167	48.95	3	6
vs. Pakistan	29	1687	240	32.44	2	10
vs. South Africa	17	1782	374	57.48	6	2
vs. West Indies	12	748	136	44.00	1	4
vs. Zimbabwe	8	420	100*	60.00	1	3

If there's one knock on Jayawardene's career, it's his record away from home, particularly outside Asia.

In 68 Tests on foreign soil, the former captain averaged 39.71, with that number dropping to 31.66 in matches played in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa.  

But those numbers still aren't enough to tarnish his startling array of accomplishments. 

Extremely difficult to remove once set, Jayawardene has made of habit of turning hundreds into double hundreds like few others in the history of the game. 

Player	200s
Sir Donald Bradman	12
Kumar Sangakkara	10
Brian Lara	9
Wally Hammond	7
Mahela Jayawardene	7
Marvan Atapattu	6
Virender Sehwag	6
Javed Miandad	6
Ricky Ponting	6
Sachin Tendulkar	6

Not to stop there, the Sri Lankan has also been involved in two of the top eight Test partnerships of all time, joining Kumar Sangakkara for a world-record 624-run stand against South Africa in 2006 before enjoying a 437-run partnership with Thilan Samaraweera in 2009.

Partners	Runs	Team	Opposition	Year
Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene	624	SL	SA	2006
Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama	576	SL	Ind	1997
Andrew Jones, Martin Crowe	467	NZ	SL	1991
Bill Ponsford, Sir Donald Bradman	451	Aus	Eng	1934
Mudassar Nazar, Javed Miandad	451	Pak	Ind	1983
Sir Conrad Hunte, Sir Gary Sobers	446	WI	Pak	1958
Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara	438	SL	Zim	2004
Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera	437	SL	Pak	2009
Jacques Rudolph, Boeta Dippenaar	429*	SA	Ban	2003
Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith	415	SA	Ban	2008

Yet, it's leadership that has often separated the good from the great—an area where Jayawardene has truly excelled.

With 18 Test victories as captain, the outgoing Sri Lankan legend sits alongside Sanath Jayasuriya for the most Test wins while in charge of the island nation. 

Captain	Mat	Won	Lost	Draw
Sanath Jayasuriya	38	18	12	8
Mahela Jayawardene	38	18	12	8
Arjuna Ranatunga	56	12	19	25
Marvan Atapattu	18	8	6	4
Angelo Mathews	13	6	2	5
Kumar Sangakkara	15	5	3	7
Duleep Mendis	19	2	8	9

More imposing again is that Jayawardene's performance with the bat while captain was nothing short of remarkable.

Despite his career average sitting at 49.84, the decorated Sri Lankan averaged almost 10 runs more than that during his tenure in charge. 

Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100s	50s
38	3665	374	59.11	14	10

While that record may not seem truly spectacular, it actually is.

To put it into perspective, only the incomparable Sir Donald Bradman has averaged more than Jayawardene among players with 2000-plus runs as captain

Player	Mat	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50
Sir Donald Bradman	24	3147	270	101.51	14	7
Mahela Jayawardene	38	3665	374	59.11	14	10
Michael Clarke	37	3543	329*	59.05	13	7
Sir Gary Sobers	39	3528	178*	58.80	11	15
Graham Gooch	34	3582	333	58.72	11	16
Brian Lara	47	4685	400*	57.83	14	19
Misbah-ul-Haq	29	2277	135	56.92	3	21
Greg Chappell	48	4209	235	55.38	13	19
Bob Simpson	39	3623	311	54.07	10	16
Peter May	41	3080	285*	54.03	10	15

Breaking Jayawardene's career down by the numbers certainly highlights the profound impression the Sri Lankan has left upon the game.