Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene top-scored with a chancy 85 to help pile up 321 for six against debutants Bermuda in their opening World Cup Group B clash. Sri Lanka then bundled out Bermuda for 78, to register a thumping 243-run win on Thursday.
The 1996 champions faced unexpected resilience from the newcomers who paid dearly for dropping Jayawardene twice, off his first ball and again on 52.
Bermuda policeman Dwayne Leverock, who weighs 19 stone, dropped two low chances at slip.
The 29-year-old Jayawardene, who was named ICC's best captain of the year, raised 150 runs for the third wicket with wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 76.
"Me and Sangakkara (76) decided to keep wickets in hand and accelerate in the last overs. Chamara Silva (55 no) played a good knock in the end," the Lankan skipper said after the match.
"We put our heads down and concentrated on having a good start. Once we did that, things fell in place," Jayawardene said after the Group 'B' game in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Wednesday.
"The last two years we have been playing good cricket. It's only in the last two months that we have not had a big win. Hopefully this will be the start of a good tournament."
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