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Sri Lanka too good for Holland

Hosts Sri Lanka became the first team to qualify for the Champions Trophy semi-finals after crushing The Netherlands by 206 runs on Monday.

The Dutch, playing in only their sixth one-day international, were all out for 86 in 29.3 overs in the Pool 4 match, after Sri Lanka had amassed 292 for six.

Sri Lanka are likely to meet World champions Australia in the semi-finals.

Opener Marvan Atapattu, who scored 101 for his sixth one-day century, was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who had beaten Pakistan by eight wickets in the opening match of the tournament on Thursday.

The Netherlands, although resilient in the field with good bowling and sharp fielding, were totally outclassed at the crease.

Tim de Leede, batting at number four, was their top scorer with 31.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took four wickets for 15 runs.

Sri Lanka innings

Atapattu's sixth one-day century lifted Sri Lanka to 292 for six wickets. But the host batsmen were made to work harder than expected by the resilient Dutch, playing in only their sixth one-day international and for the first time since the 1996 World Cup.

The 31-year-old Atapattu raised 116 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (41) and hit eight fours during his 118-ball effort after skipper Sanath Jayasuriya had elected to bat in the day-night game at the Premadasa stadium.

But the unheralded Dutch impressed with their bowling and sharp fielding, typified by a direct run-out by Sussex player Bas Zuiderent and a stunning one-handed catch on the long-on fence by Tim de Leede to remove Aravinda DeSilva (23).

Jayasuriya began by playing forceful shots in making a 36-ball 36 but drove paceman Victor Grandia to cover fielder Zuiderent, who took a shoulder high catch.

Sangakkara was bowled round the legs by off-spinner Adeele Raja to make it 175 for two in the 31st over.

Atapattu reached his hundred in the 42nd over before chipping Lefebvre straight to Oosterom at short midwicket.

Zuiderent ran out Mahela Jayawardene (14) with a direct hit from mid-on after the batsman had survived an lbw appeal against Lefebvre the previous over playing the sweep.

Raja was the most successful bowler, taking two for 50 while Lefebvre claimed two for 59 from his 10 overs of seam bowling.

The Netherlands innings

Only three Holland batsmen were able to move into double figures, with Tim de Leede, who earlier in the day had taken an unbelievable catch to dismiss Aravinda DeSilva, top-scoring with 31.

Holland lost their first three wickets for just four runs before de Leede and Reinout Scholte added 42 runs for the fourth wicket to put up a semblance of a fight.

But both these batsmen got out within ten runs of each other and the Dutch fight was all but over.

Edgar Schiferli, the third batsman to get into double figures apart from de Leede and Scholte (12), hit Muralitharan for a four and a six before being stumped by wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara off the same bowler.

Schiferli, who scored 15, became the fifth victim of Sangakkara, who had already taken four catches by then.

Scoreboard