Sri Lanka aim to reclaim their swashbuckling image in their World Cup Super Eights match against West Indies in Georgetown on Sunday.
GEORGETOWN: Sri Lanka aim to reclaim their swashbuckling image in their World Cup Super Eights match against West Indies in Georgetown on Sunday.
"There are two points on offer, and we want to make sure we give 100 per cent and play the brand of cricket we're used to playing," Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene told reporters on Friday.
The Sri Lankan batsmen unleashed a whirlwind of runs on their opponents to win the 1996 World Cup and they were one of the most feared sides going into the 2007 tournament.
But there was little sparkle in their approach at the crease when they went down to South Africa in Georgetown on Wednesday.
Fast bowler Lasith Malinga earned his team a last-gasp chance to win the match when he became the first man to take four wickets with consecutive deliveries in international cricket.
But South Africa clung on to win by one wicket, a result that flattered a Sri Lankan side that had been dismissed for a mediocre total of 209.
"We knew 240 would have been a competitive score on that wicket, but we couldn't get there," Jayawardene said.
"Lasith came up with a brilliant individual performance at the end, but that wasn't enough. We didn't deserve to win because we didn't play the brand of cricket we're used to playing."
Jayawardene said the defeat had not dented his team's confidence and their resolve to perform well at the tournament.
"We always knew that we were a very competitive side, and that we don't give up easily," he said. "But we also knew these Super Eight games would be tough."
The Sri Lankans, Jayawardene said, were not taking too much notice of the big picture at this stage of the World Cup.
"We're looking at this one game at a time," he said. "Every game offers us two points, but I don't know how many points would be enough to get into the semi-finals."
West Indies have lost their last two matches, against Australia and New Zealand, a fact Jayawardene saw as double-edged.
"They haven't been in the best form leading up to this game, but they will be hungry for a win as well," he said.
"They will probably feel a bit more pressure because the advantage probably lies with them. For us it's just another game."
The seven-week World Cup culminates in the April 28 final in Barbados.
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