MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015 Braveheart Berrington has no time for auld grudges SYDNEY: Giving a taster of the sort of batting he we’ll take it from there,” Berrington told is capable of, Richie Berrington took one step reporters after the West Indies warm-up. Having down the University Oval track and smashed a come up short against the Black Caps, England, Daniel Vettori delivery high over the long-on Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia remain boundary and into the window of the TV com- potential victims of the upset that would signal mentary box. mission accomplished for the Scots at their third The sumptuous six in Scotland’s World Cup World Cup. opener against New Zealand on Tuesday was only a sample of what the 27-year-old can pro- SWEETER UPSET duce as circumstances forced him to display the Berrington may have been born in South more circumspect side to his game. A top order Africa but his accent bears witness to an collapse had brought him to the crease in the upbringing as Scottish as the tartan that adorns fifth over to face a hat-trick ball and application the sleeves of his World Cup match shirt. That rather than pyrotechnics were the order of the said, he was not about to leave any hostages to day in his 80-ball half-century. If Scotland were to fortune by entering into conjecture about get within a sniff of a victory in the remainder of whether a victory over England, still regarded as the World Cup, however, no one should be sur- the “auld enemy” by many Scots, would be the prised to see Berrington leading the charge. sweeter upset. His half-century in the Dunedin defeat was “We’ve got five opportunities to beat full his seventh in one-dayers and he is one of only member sides and we want to beat one of these 13 players to have scored a century in an inter- teams, whether it’s England or not we’ll wait and national Twenty20. Berrington achieved that see,” he said firmly. Scotland’s qualification for 100 off 56 balls to drive Scotland to victory over the World Cup in the tournament in New Bangladesh in 2012. Zealand last year not only earned them ODI sta- He also caught the eye in the World Cup tus but also ensured the funding that allows the warm-ups with 66 as the Scots came up four likes of Berrington to remain professional. As a runs short of victory over West Indies and 52 man who packed supermarket shelves before he from 40 balls to drive the Scots to the brink of took up the game full-time, Berrington knows their 179-run triumph over Ireland. Unlike the how important it was but he and his team mates Irish, the Scots have never won a World Cup are determined that it not be the extent of their game nor beaten a top tier nation, a state of achievement. “The group’s been together for affairs they are determined to rectify over the while now and we’ve been working hard before next few weeks. “We are very much looking to the start of this World Cup,” he said. “In the take it one game at a time, our first goal is to warm-ups we played some good cricket so we’re turn over one of the five full member teams and quite confident.” — Reuters DUNEDIN: Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene dives to make his ground as Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shenwari attempts to catch the ball during their Cricket World Cup match. — AP Jayawardene century saves face for Sri Lanka DUNEDIN: Mahela Jayawardene’s century res- cued Sri Lanka from a batting meltdown as SCOREBOARD they beat Afghanistan by four wickets in their World Cup match in Dunedin yesterday. DUNEDIN, New Zealand: Completed scoreboard in the World Cup Pool A match between Sri Set a modest target of 233 to win the Pool Lanka and Afghanistan at University Oval in Dunedin yesterday: A game, 1996 champions Sri Lanka were Afghanistan 54-1 (1w), Herath 10-0-41-1 (1w), Mendis 3-0-13-0. stunned when openers Lahiru Thirimanne Javed Ahmadi c Herath b Lakmal 24 and Tillakaratne Dilshan both fell for golden Nawroz Mangal c Thirimanne b Mathews 10 Sri Lanka ducks. Asghar Stanikzai c Mendis b Herath 54 L. Thirimanne lbw b Dawlat Zadran 0 They were in further strife at 51 for four Samiullah Shenwari c Mathews b Perera 38 T. Dilshan c Afsar Zazai b Shapoor Zadran 0 before Jayawardene (100) and skipper Angelo Mohammad Nabi b Malinga 21 K. Sangakkara b Hassan 7 Richie Berrington Mathews (44) rectified the innings with a 126- Najibullah Zadran c Perera b Lakmal 10 D. Karunaratne c Mangal b Hassan 23 run partnership before Sri Lanka won with 10 Afsar Zazai c Herath b Malinga 19 M. Jayawardene c Mangal b Hassan 100 Preview balls to spare at University Oval. Mirwais Ashraf c Lakmal b Malinga 28 A. Mathews run out (Nabi) 44 Jaywardene’s crucial innings was his 19th Dawlat Zadran b Mathews 4 J. Mendis not out 9 England vulnerability ODI century and one of his most valuable as Hamid Hassan c Mendis b Mathews 0 T. Perera not out 47 Sri Lanka, losing finalists at the last two World Shapoor Zadran not out 1 Extras (lb2, w3, nb1) 6 Cups, were in trouble before he set about Extras (lb6, w16, nb1) 23 Total (6 wickets; 48.2 overs) 236 boosts Scottish belief taming the bowling. Total (all out; 49.4 overs) 232 Did not bat: R. Herath, S. Malinga, S. Lakmal This was Sri Lanka’s first win in two games Fall of wickets 1-34 (Nawroz Mangal), 2-40 (Javed Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Thirimanne), 2-2 (Dilshan), CHRISTCHURCH: Under-fire England have Anderson sent down 15 overs in the first two Ahmadi), 3-128 (Asghar Stanikzai), 4-157 3-18 (Sangakkara), 4-51 (Karunaratne), 5-177 fuelled Scotland’s self-belief going into their games for a return of none for 104. His new-ball this tournament following a 98-run defeat by New Zealand, but the plaudits went to World (Samiullah Shenwari), 5-169 (Mohammad Nabi), (Mathews), 6-178 (Jayawardene) World Cup Pool B showdown at Hagley Oval in partner Stuart Broad has figures of two for 93 6-175 (Najibullah Zadran), 7-221 (Mirwais Ashraf), Bowling: Dawlat Zadran 9-0-44-1 (1w), Christchurch today. from 12.2 overs. Cup debutants Afghanistan, who only let themselves down with a slow run-rate in the 8-227 (Dawlat Zadran), 9-227 (Hamid Hassan), 10- Shapoor Zadran 10-1-48-1, Hamid Hassan 9- At any other time the outcome would be a “England don’t look as if they’ll get out of the 232 (Zazai). 0-45-3 (1nb), Mirwais Ashraf 8.1-0-31-0, Nabi foregone conclusion with England expected to group at this stage,” was the blunt assessment of second half of their innings. Bowling: Malinga 9.4-1-41-3 (1nb, 5w), Lakmal 10- 5.2-0-28-0 (1w), Stanikzai 0.5-0-6-0, Shenwari cruise to victory without pressure. former England captain Paul Collingwood who Sent in to bat in spicy, overcast conditions 1-36-2 (2w), Mathews 7-0-41-3 (2w), Perera 10-0- 6-0-32-0 But for England these are not ordinary times. has switched loyalties to Scotland since joining they reached 169 for four before the the last They have come into the World Cup with a bat- their coaching staff. There have only been two 15 overs saw six wickets go down as they tle plan that is not working and key players completed games between England and were dismissed for 232 with two balls remain- an Afghanistan side beaten in their tourna- swing, Mathews did not think twice about struggling for form. Scotland, in 2010 and 2014, and England won ing. It left Sri Lanka with a modest chase but ment opener by Bangladesh. After leaving the fielding when he won the toss. However, After a 111-run thrashing by Australia in their both with ease. Cup opener, they were even more out of their But times have changed and Collingwood, an experienced side made life difficult for field to address problems with his boots, the Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal were too depth on Friday when New Zealand whipped who led England to the World Twenty20 crown themselves as, for only the second time in flamboyant Hassan came back to end loose to threaten Afghanistan openers Javed them by eight wickets. five years ago, said Scotland held a “real confi- one-day international history, both openers Jayawardene’s stand and finished with figures Ahmadi and Nawroz Mangal, who eventually Two games, two losses and a humiliated dence and belief” they can win now. “That’s fell first ball. of three for 45. engineered their own dismissals playing rash- England-now under pressure to avoid falling to going to be an amazing feeling if we can get Dawlat Zadran had Thirimanne leg before Sri Lanka were 178 for six, requiring 54 runs ly at innocuous deliveries. Their removal unit- a low-ranked side such as Scotland-are search- that first-ever World Cup win under our belt, wicket with the first ball of the innings and in under nine overs, when Thisara Perera ed Asghar Stanikzai (54) and Samiullah ing for answers while the Scots are talking up there’s no better time than against England.” Dilshan was caught behind off the first ball he eased their nerves with a decisive and quick- Shenwari (38) in the middle to produce a well- their chances of an historic win.