Skipper hails 'champion' Malinga

Paceman gets Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign back on track

Last updated: 2nd March 2011  

Skipper hails 'champion' Malinga

Hat-trick hero: Malinga acknowledges the Colombo crowd

Lasith the champion did a great job for us.

Kumar Sangakkara
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Kumar Sangakkara was impressed with Sri Lanka's mental strength after they came back strongly from the defeat against Pakistan to overwhelm Kenya by nine wickets in the World Cup.

The victory was set up by Lasith Malinga, who claimed six wickets including a hat-trick, to bundle out Kenya for 142 inside 44 overs.

Sri Lanka overhauled the target inside 19 overs, thanks to an unbeaten half-century from opener Upul Tharanga (67) and a 30-ball 44 from Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Captain Sangakkara, who faced some criticism following Saturday's 11-run Group A defeat to Pakistan, is delighted to have pulled off a comprehensive victory against Kenya.

"It was important to come back from Saturday. We showed we are mentally strong and finished it off today," he said.

When asked about the strategy of the team while bowling, the skipper said: "We were trying for early wickets, and they were looking to play 50 overs. But we knew the wickets would come."

Sangakkara heaped praise on Malinga, who took an unprecedented second World Cup hat-trick, saying: "Lasith the champion did a great job for us."

Modest

Malinga is now the only player to have taken two World Cup hat-tricks, having claimed four in four balls against South Africa at the 2007 event.

"I rate my performance in 2007 better than this because at that stage South Africa were virtually winning the game and I was able to get the hat-trick and brought Sri Lanka back into the game," he said.

"But again achieving a hat-trick is big and also the fact that I ended up with six wickets in a World Cup game, that gives lot of satisfaction.

"Whenever the captain hands me the ball I am prepared to be at the service of my team and I do my utmost to contribute to the team's effort and I am happy that I was able to do this well."

Damage

Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande regretted that brothers Collins and David Obuya could not stay until the end despite reaching half-centuries.

"We were looking for 230, but things did not work out. We were in a good position for 35 overs, but then the damage happened," Kamande said.

"If the Obuyas could have been there until the end, things could have been different."

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