Watch the highlights of England vs Sri Lanka 23rd Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 23rd ODI match played between Sri Lanka and England at Eastern Oval, Ballarat on 09th March 1992.
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| Chris Lewis celebrates after taking a wicket © ICC / Digital Cricket TV |
Alec Stewart's blazing fifty, Neil Fairbrother's half-century before A devastating three-over spell by Chris Lewis sets up to England massive 106-run victory over Sri Lanka in a one-sided game of the 23rd match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
England scored 280-6 in 50 overs with top scorer by Neil Fairbrother struck 63 off 70-balls including 3-fours & 2-sixes.
Alec Stewart blasted a 59 off 36-balls including 7-fours & a six with strike rate of 163.88, Ian Botham cracked a 47 off 63-balls included 5-fours & 2-sixes.
Graeme Hick hit 41 off 62-balls including 3-fours, Chris Lewis hammered a unbeaten 20 off 6-balls and Robin Smith scored 19 off 39-balls included two-fours.
Sri Lanka best bowler by Asanka Gurusinha captured two-wickets, Don Anurasiri, Champaka Ramanayake and Graeme Labrooy each took one-wickets.
Sri Lanka bowled out for 174 in 44 overs with top scorer by Arjuna Ranatunga cracked a 36 off 51-balls including 6-fours.
Athula Samarasekera struck 23 off 29-balls including 4-fours, Sanath Jayasuriya hit 19 off 16-balls included 2-fours and Graeme Labrooy scored 19 off 34-balls contained a boundary.
England best bowler by Chris Lewis claimed a 4-wickets, Dermot Reeve, Richard Illingworth both took 2-wickets and one for Ian Botham.
Chris Lewis named Player of the match for his all-round performance to claimed a career-best 4-wickets for 30-runs in 8-overs after smashing a quick-fire 20 off 6-balls including 2-sixes & a four with strike rate of 333.33.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
England is virtually assured of a place in the World Cup semi-finals after easily defeating Sri Lanka at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat, but the victory was marred by an injury to captain Graham Gooch.
England made 6-280 and in reply Sri Lanka was bowled out for 174 in 44 overs.
Fast bowler Chris Lewis won the Man of the Match award with 4-30 off eight overs and a buccaneer 20 off six balls.
Gooch suffered a hamstring strain while fielding during the fourth over of Sri Lanka's innings and is in doubt for England's next match.
The 36-year-old opening batsman was fielding at cover when he took off to chase a ball to the boundary and felt a slight twinge in his left hamstring. He left the field and packed his left thigh in ice.
He said he would wait until Wednesday before deciding whether he would play against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
"I've got a small tear in the left hamstring," Gooch said. "I've never done one of these before.
"I won't know for a few days when I'll play. If it's not right, I won't play because if I do and it's not right and it goes again that'll be it for me."
Lewis ensured victory for England with à devastating three-over spell. He sent the opposition crashing from 0-33 to 4-60 after capturing 4-12 off 18 deliveries.
Aravinda De Silva's side had got off to a flying start after crashing 33 off the opening five overs to be well ahead of the 5.6 runs an over required for victory.
But Lewis captured the wickets of Roshan Manahama (9), Athula Samarasekera (23), Asanka Gurusinha (7) and De Silva (7) to tear the heart out of the top order.
Arjuna Ranatunga shone again with 36 off 51 balls which included six boundaries, but his efforts were in vain with the run rate slowly falling behind and wickets tumbling.
Samarasekera was also injured, spraining his ankle when fielding, but Sri Lankan team manager Duleep Mendis said he would be all right to play against the West Indies in Berri on Friday.
Despite England's large total, Mendis said his side was not daunted by the task but had played itself out of the game with poor batting.
"We batted very badly; when you lose wickets and you can't do anything," he said.
England's middle order ensured victory would be tough for Sri Lanka when Neil Fairbrother and Alec Stewart scored dashing half centuries.
The pair added 80 for the fifth wicket with Fairbrother scoring 63 off 70 deliveries, which included two fours and two sixes, while Stewart struck a crisp 59 off 46 balls with seven fours and one six.
Stewart also recorded the second-fastest half century in a World Cup match when he brought up his 50 off only 32 balls in 43 minutes.
Lewis' batting contribution of 20 came from six balls which included two big sixes in the final over.
Burly all-rounder lan Botham (47) and Zimbabwe-born Graeme Hick (41) at the top of the innings, set up the large total.
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