COLOMBO, March 1 (PTI): Pacer Lasith Malinga made a grand entry into the World Cup by notching up an unprecedented second hattrick in the mega event as Sri Lanka crushed minnows Kenya by nine wickets in a group A match, here today.
Sri Lanka shot out Kenya for a meagre 142 with Malinga, playing his first match of the tournament, single-handedly destroying Kenya with a career-best six-wicket haul.
And replying, the hosts cruised to 146 for one in just 18.4 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (44), Upul Tharanga (67 unbeaten) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (27 unbeaten) scoring freely.
Malinga also earned the distinction of becoming the first bowler to take a hattrick in World Cup for the second time as he first achieved the feat earlier in the 2007 edition against South Africa.
It was also the second hat-trick of the ongoing World Cup in as many days after West Indies� Kemar Roach produced the first against the Netherlands in Delhi yesterday.
Obuya brothers � Collins (52) and David (51) � were the only batsmen from Kenya to reach the double-digit mark and it was because of their fighting 92-run third-wicket stand that the African nation could reach near the 150-run mark.
Malinga, who had not played the first two games due to a back problem, accounted for four opposition wickets, including a hattrick, in a span of 12 balls at the R Premadasa stadium.
Kenya�s lower middle-order spoilt the hardwork of Obuya brothers as they lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs.
SCORECARD
Kenya
M Ouma lbw b Kulasekara 1
S Waters lbw b Malinga 3
C Obuya b Malinga 52
D Obuya c Samaraweera b Murali 51
S Tikolo c Dilshan b Mathews 7
T Mishra lbw b Malinga 0
J Kamande run out 1
N Odhiambo not out 8
P Ongondo b Malinga 0
S Ngoche b Malinga 0
E Otieno b Malinga 0
Extras: (B-1, LB-6, W-9, NB-3) 19
Total: (all out in 43.4 overs) 142
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-102, 4-120, 5-127, 6-128, 7-137, 8-137, 9-137.
Bowling: L Malinga 7.4-0-38-6, N Kulasekara 9-1-18-1, A Mathews 7-0-20-1, A Mendis 9-2-23-0, M Muralitharan 8-0-24-1 C Silva 3-0-12-0.
sri lanka
Tharanga not out 67
Dilshan c Ouma b Otieno 44
Sangakkara not out 27
Extras: (w 7, nb 1) 8
Total: (1 wicket; 18.4 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-72.
Bowling: Ongondo 3-0-28-0, Odhiambo 5-0-26-0, Ngoche 4-0-39-0, Kamande 1-0-14-0, Otieno 4-0-26-1, Obuya 1.4-0-13-0.
