<f"FranklinGothic-DemiCond">SRI Lanka recorded the second highest victory margin in World Cup history when they crushed debutants Bermuda by 243 runs after skittling them out for 78 in Group B at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad yesterday.<f"Frankl
The rout will again raise questions of whether such mis-matches have a place in a World Cup with six non-Test playing nations taking part in a 16-strong field, the biggest in the nine editions of the event.
The 1996 winners Sri Lanka piled up 321 for six after electing to bat and then reduced Bermuda to 29 for six in the 12th over as the newcomers looked set to notch a Cup low-scoring record in their baptism of fire.
Sri Lanka restricted Canada to 36 all out, the lowest mark, in the 2003 World Cup.
However, number eight Lionel Cann struck a few lusty blows to top score with 28 before Bermuda were all out in 24.4 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene top-scored with a chancy 85 after he was dropped first ball and on 52. His efforts were enough to secure the man-of-the-match prize.
Dwayne Leverock dropped the two low chances off Jayawardene, at slip and cover point.
Jaywardene raised 150 runs for the third wicket with wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, who made 76, before Chamara Silva smashed 55 not out off 45 balls with Sri Lanka punishing an outclassed Bermudan attack.
Sri Lanka paceman Farveez Maharoof then grabbed four for 23 and Lasith Malinga collected three for 10 to give Bermuda no respite after left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas had struck in the first over of their innings.
Malinga, 23, with bleached, straw-coloured hair and a low-slung bowling action that can unnerve the best of batsmen, removed David Hemp (14) and Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine (0) off successive balls.
Janeiro Tucker survived a close leg before appeal to stave off the hat-trick.
But Muttiah Muralitharan hammered in the final nail by trapping Leverock lbw to bring a mercifully swift end to Bermuda’s debut World Cup appearance.
Bermuda crushed
