Sri Lanka crush Ireland by eight wickets

St George's, Grenada, Apr 18 (UNI) Spearheaded by spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and pace bowler Farveez Mahroof, title contenders Sri Lanka put Ireland firmly in their place drubbing the debutants by eight wickets in their lost Super Eights league match here today.

In what was a virtual no-contest, Sri Lanka made a mockery of the game bundling out ireland rivals for 77, the lowest score at the 2007 World Cup, in 27.4 overs and then overhauling it by reaching 81 for two in just ten overs.

A 61-run undefeated third wicket partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya (24, 20 balls, 3x4,1x6) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (39, 24balls, 5x4, 1x6) snuffed out whatever little challenge Ireland offered by scalping two wickets in a space of 3.2 overs.

Upul Tharanga failed to score and then Kumar Sangakkara went back with his own contribution being 10, but after that there was no respite for the bowlers as the Jayasuriya and Jayawardane thrashed them all over the park as they collected 61 runs in 6.4 overs to end the Irish misery.

Earlier Seamer Farveez Maharoof and off-spinner Mutthiah Muralithran shared the spoils as the Lions ripped apart Ireland's fragile batting line up with four wickets apiece.

The Irish, big winners over Bangladesh in Barbados on Sunday were shot out in just 27.4 overs, wickets falling literally in bunches.

Ireland batsmen's inadequacies to face quality seam or spin were exposed on the Grenada National Stadium track on which Sri Lanka bowlers strode like lions.

It was a sad end to Ireland's World Cup party as their batting collapsed like a pack of cards after their openers put up 28 for the first wicket. Five of their batsmen failed to score and only three could cross the double figure.

Mahela Jayawardene's decision to put Ireland in was justified by his bowlers but none had anticipated such a poor showing by the debutants.

Jeremy Bray and William Porterfield added 28 runs in 7.3 overs before Mahroof struck.

Bray hit the Sri Lnkan pacer for two successive boundaries but when he tried to hit another one miscued the shot and was superbly caught by Russel Arnold. He top-scored for his side with 20 runs (29 balls, 4X4), and then the collapse started.

Mahroof got rid of two more batsmen off his fifth and sixth balls to reduce the Irish to 28 for 3.

An 18-run fourth wicket partnership between Porterfield and Niall O'Brien took the score to 46 when Murali was brought into the attack and the spin magician spun such a web around the Irish batsmen that they just could not break out of it.

But for Longford-Smith's 18 (21 balls, 2x4, 1X6), Ireland would have been in much worst conditions.

Murali took four for 19 off five overs and Mahroof scalped four for 25 off his ten overs.

Prior to this match, the lowest total in this World Cup by Bermuda -- 78 -- that too against Sri Lanka in a preliminary league match.

UNI