Sri Lanka Aim to Build Momentum Against Zimbabwe

Pallekele: Hosts Sri Lanka will be aiming for a resounding victory against Zimbabwe when the two teams square up in a group league encounter at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.

Victory by a big margin will help the hosts to improve their group standing in what will be their penultimate group encounter.

The Kumar Sangakkara-led side is currently placed third in the group with five points. Defending champions Australia also have five points in their kitty but they are fourth in the standings as Lankans enjoy a better run-rate.

But Australia have played one game less than them and have two games left against minnows Canada and Kenya providing them a chance to boost that net run-rate.

"We've been consistent but still there is room for improvement," Lankan vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene said ahead of the game against Zimbabwe.

Although Sri Lanka will be playing at home, they wouldn't be too familiar with conditions here as they haven't played even a domestic game on this ground under lights.

They employed three spinners in their washed-off game against Australia in Colombo and are likely to change that combination here where the pitch expected to suit the fast bowlers a lot more.

Paceman Dilhara Fernando is expected to play in the game in place of either Rangana Herath or Ajantha Mendis.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, are fifth in Group 'A' with two points. Their only win came against Canada whom they beat by 175 runs. They lost to Australia by 91 runs and New Zealand by 10 wickets.

There have been four World Cup encounters between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and all four have been won by the Sri Lankans.

It will be a tough ask for the Zimbabwean batsmen to counter the furious pace of Lasith Malinga and the guile of Muttiah Muralitharan.

One would be interested to find out how the Zimbabwe batsmen deal with the challenge of digging out the yorkers that Malinga dishes out. Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura would expect that some of his frontline batsmen like the skipper himself, opener Charles Coventry start contributing with the bat.

Teams from

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (Captain and Wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Tilakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.

Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Regis Chakabva, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Terry Duffin, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Tinashe Panyangara, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu (Wicketkeeper), Brendan Taylor and Prosper Utseya.

Pitch and conditions
Pallekelle will be staging its second ODI following the match between Pakistan and New Zealand. Ross Taylor didn't have many problems with the conditions - and comfortably cleared the ropes - but batting proved trickier under lights when the ball zipped around.

Stats & trivia

• Zimbabwe have not beaten Sri Lanka ever in the sub-continent and in the World Cups, and in the past 17 ODIs between these two nations, they have managed to win only once (in 2010 at Harare) against a much weakened Sri Lankan side when Brendan Taylor led with an unbeaten 119 to chase down 236 runs.
• However, Sri Lanka have always had to produce something special to get past their African counterparts in each of their World Cup outings.
• In 1992 Arjuna Ranatunga played a special knock to chase down the highest total (312) so far (until Ireland eclipsed it last week against England at Bangalore)

Head-to-head

• Total played 46
• Sri Lanka won 38
• Zimbabwe won 7
• No results 01

Match facts
Thursday March 10, 2011 (day/night)
Start time 14:30 local (0900 GMT)