Sri Lanka went into the 2011 World Cup as one of the favorites, but the Pakistan loss and abandoned Australia game stalled the co-hosts' momentum. Wins against Kenya and Canada didn't count for much, and with a resurgent New Zealand waiting in the wings, Sri Lanka would have to turn in a good performance against Zimbabwe. The Africans' own World Cup tournament had been largely disappointing, and all they were looking to do was survive their game against Sri Lanka.

Tillekeratne Dilshan had other ideas, plundering 18 runs off Tinashe Panyangara's first over (just the second of the innings), and Sri Lanka never looked back. The 50 came up in the 7th over, and even though Dilshan slowed down, he still brought his own 50 up in 43 balls. Upul Tharanga played a solid second fiddle, complementing Dilshan's more aggressive approach. Zimbabwe had no answers as the Sri Lankan openers dictated terms to them, balancing speed and consolidation. Dilshan made his 9th ODI century, his first in World Cups, and Tharanga reached his own with a brace of boundaries. The world record for highest first wicket partnerships (which Tharanga reached with Sanath Jayasuria back in 2006) was there for the taking, but Zimbabwe finally claimed Tharanga's wicket for 133, with the score already 282. Dilshan went the next over for 144, and Zimbabwe gave themselves something to smile about as they ran through a disinterested Sri Lankan batting lineup. 282/0 became 306/6, but Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera stemmed the flow of wickets as Sri Lanka finished on 327/6.

Regis Chakavba and Brendan Taylor didn't disappoint in a big chase. They were helped by some wayward bowling and fielding from Lasith Malinga, but Taylor's 50 off 38 balls was a sparkling, innovative affair. It never seriously threatened an upset, but made for an entertaining innings all the same. Zimbabwe's 100 came in just the 17th over, but Chakavba was the first victim, gone to hometown hero Muttiah Muralitharan for a solid 35 (116/1). It was business as usual after that, as none of the batsmen were able to get settled. Taylor eventually departed for a flashy 80 off 72, taking Zimbabwe's fight with him. Called on to bowl, Dilshan had Craig Ervine and Greg Lamb out in successive deliveries. He was on track to be the first player to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same game, but Mahela Jayawardene dropped Graeme Cremer at slip. It didn't matter, as Dilshan finished with a career-best 3-1-4-4, and Zimbabwe finished at 188 all out.

It sounds funny to say, but Zimbabwe were in control for 33% of this game. They took six Sri Lankan wickets for just 26 runs, and scored at almost 6 an over for 20 overs. If this had been a Twenty20 game, things might have been different. Unfortunately, they conceded 282 runs without taking a wicket and lost their 10 wickets for just 72 runs. Taylor played very well, giving another glimpse of his talent, but none of the other Zimbabweans made an impact. Maybe, in retrospect, Charles Coventry might have sparkled, but the novelty of his 194* has worn off.

Sri Lanka will take what they can from a facile victory, but their bowling and fielding of the first 20 overs of the chase will cause some concern. This will be their last easy game; New Zealand have woken up, and having qualified for the quarter-finals, Sri Lanka know that losing 6 wickets for 26 - or bowling and fielding they way they did - will send them out of the World Cup. Playtime is almost over.

Sri Lanka: 327/6 (Tillekeratne Dilshan 144, Christopher Mpofu 7-0-62-4) in 50 overs (6.54 runs an over)

Zimbabwe: 188 all out (Brendan Taylor 80, Tillekeratne Dilshan 3-1-4-4) in 39 overs (4.82 runs an over)

Sri Lanka win by 139 runs

Man of the Match: Tillekeratne Dilshan