Jayawardene Accepts Defeat

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Malinga - almost turned game Sri Lanka's way.

By Myles Hodgson, PA Sport Cricket Correspondent, Guyana

Dejected Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene admitted they did not deserve to win after a nail-biting one-wicket defeat to South Africa at the Providence stadium.

Having been dismissed for a modest 209 after they lost five wickets for 14 runs in the last five overs, Sri Lanka looked doomed to a comprehensive defeat against the number one rated one-day side in world cricket.

But fast bowler Lasith Malinga claimed four wickets in as many deliveries - the first time in international cricket history - to leave the last pair Robin Peterson and man-of-the-match Charl Langeveldt to scrape the three runs required for victory.

"From any situation we believe we can win matches and we showed that with Malinga bowling brilliantly and Murali showed what he is all about," said Jayawardene.

"It was good to see the way we fought, but we didn't deserve to win this game the way we batted - that is where we probably lost this game.

"This was definitely a game for us to win, but the way we played we never had a chance of winning except for that last burst from Malinga - I thought South Africa played really well today and deserved to win this game."

Langeveldt, who finished with five for 39, shared the man-of-the-match award with Malinga, who claimed four for 54 and a place in cricket history.

"When Malinga got the hat-trick and the four wickets in four balls, it needed something like that to change the game," said Jayawardene.

"We were thinking they would win pretty comfortably. They panicked a bit and lost a few wickets and losing four wickets in four balls really changed that.

"With three runs to get with the last wicket, it gives you hope but it wasn't to be and we can still take a lot of positives out of it."

Delighted South African captain Graeme Smith admitted: "I aged quite a lot out there. We went from cruising to being under pressure and the emotions in the dressing room took a big dive.

"We were comfortable throughout the game, until the 45th over. And you have to say it was an awkward spell of bowling. I am just glad we got through it."

He added: "This was a big game for us. Sri Lanka in these conditions were always going to be tough to beat. So it is a huge feather in our caps."