Sri Lanka ease past Windies in WT20 warm-up

Unbeaten fifties by Mahela Jayawardene [ Images ] and Tillakaratne Dilshan [ Images ] gave hosts Sri Lanka [ Images ] a nine-wicket victory over the West Indies [ Images ] in their first warm-up match ahead of the World Twenty20 [ Images ], in Colombo, on Thursday.

Skipper Jayawardene (57 not out) and opener Dilshan (50 not out) put on 103 for the second-wicket to help the team achieve the 133-run target the Windies had set them with 26 balls to spare.

Jayawardene clobbered two sixes and six fours in his 35-ball knock, while Dilshan had a six and five boundaries in his 38-ball fifty.

The West Indies, who rested star opener Chris Gayle [ Images ], found runs hard to get and thanks to Johnson Charles (30), Darren Bravo (29) and Kieron Pollard (28 not out) they were able to put up a healthy total.

The Lankans are drawn in Group C in the preliminary league along with South Africa [ Images ] and Zimbabwe, while the West Indies are in Group B with Australia [ Images ] and Ireland.

Two teams from each group advance to the Super Eights round.

In another match in Colombo, wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien scored a 49-ball 62, inclusive of two sixes and four boundaries, as Ireland easily beat Zimbabwe by 54 runs.

Kevin O'Brien, brother of Niall, who hit a brisk unbeaten 30 off 14 balls, and Ed Joyce, with 29, were the other main contributors for Ireland as they amassed 181-5 off 20 overs.

They then restricted Zimbabwe to 127-8. Opener Hamilton Masakadza top-scored for Zimbabwe with 44, including two sixes and five fours, as pacer Alex Cusack wrecked them finishing with three wickets for six runs from three overs. Left-arm spinner George Dockrell claimed 3 for 28 from four overs.