Sri Lanka hammer England as Pakistan falter at ICC World Cup

England's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals were left hanging by a thread as Sri Lanka inflicted their third crushing defeat of the World Cup on Sunday, while Pakistan began a salvage operation with a tense 20-run win over Zimbabwe.
Sri Lanka cruised to a seemingly stiff target of 310 for the loss of just one wicket with 16 balls to spare as Lahiru Thirimanne (139 not out), and Kumar Sangakkara (117 not out) shared an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 212 in Wellington.
The 37-year-old Sangakkara went to three figures off 70 balls, including ten fours and two sixes.
It was the quickest of all the veteran left-hander's 23 one-day international hundreds and second in as many matches after he marked his 400th ODI with an unbeaten 105 against Bangladesh.
Yet Sangakkara insisted he still planned to retire from white-ball cricket after the World Cup as he was "getting old".
"Everything I tried came off," he said after a win that left 1996 champions Sri Lanka, losing finalists at the last two World Cups, on course for the last eight.
England opened this World Cup with a 111-run loss to Australia before suffering an even more humiliating eight-wicket defeat by New Zealand, the other tournament co-hosts, before defeating non-Test nation Scotland.
What made Sunday's nine-wicket loss all the worse was that they posted a total of 309 for six, with the 24-year-old Joe Root becoming the youngest England batsman to score a World Cup century on his way to 121.
England were unable to gain much movement on a ground where New Zealand's Tim Southee took seven for 33 when they were bowled out for just 123 last week, although Root, distracted by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, dropped Thirimanne, on three, in the slips off Stuart Broad.
Broad and James Anderson, England's senior bowlers, saw their combined 18 wicketless overs cost 115 runs.
- 'Way off the mark' -
"At 'half-time' we went in thinking we had a more than par score," said England captain Eoin Morgan. "Joe Root was exceptional."
However, Morgan didn't spare his bowlers' feelings.
"We were way off the mark. When we are bowling well, it's a good attack but you can pick it apart when we're not bowling well."
In Brisbane, Pakistan just got the better of Zimbabwe.
Before the match, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq sought inspiration from Imran Khan's Pakistan side who, on the brink of elimination, "fought like cornered tigers" to win the 1992 World Cup -- the last time the tournament was staged in Australia and New Zealand.   
Pakistan came into this match bottom of Pool B and without a win after defeats by arch-rivals India (76 runs) and the West Indies (150 runs).
Zimbabwe, whose only win of the tournament to date has come against the amateurs of the UAE, restricted Pakistan to 235 for seven after Misbah won the toss.
Misbah again played the anchor role with 73 before tailender Wahab Riaz boosted the total with a timely 54 not out, his maiden one-day international fifty.
It was the first half of a fine all-round display by left-arm seamer Riaz, whose return of four for 45 saw him become the first Pakistani to score a fifty and take four wickets in a World Cup match.
Mohammad Irfan, another left-arm paceman, rocked Zimbabwe early on his way to an ODI best four for 30.
Brendan Taylor (50) and Sean Williams (33) batted well but couldn't finish the job.
Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura, restricted after injuring himself while fielding, kept going but a target of 24 off the last over, bowled by Riaz, proved too steep with the skipper last man out as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 215 with two balls to spare.
"The whole team really worked hard and believed in me and my batting," said Riaz.
Chigumbura added: "It is always disappointing to lose a game like this when you feel you have a chance to win.
"Our weakness has been that we have not had one guy scoring a hundred or batting through the innings."
Source: AFP