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Cricket World Cup: Sri Lanka Defeats Zimbabwe - 2003-03-16

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Sri Lanka's cricket team has defeated Zimbabwe by 74 runs in a World Cup Super Sixes match in East London, South Africa, and set up a semifinal against reigning champion Australia.

Sri Lanka scored 256 for five in 50 overs thanks in part to an unbeaten 103 from opener Marvan Atapattu.

Zimbabwe could not reach the necessary run total to win, after Andy Flower was dismissed for 38 in his final appearance for Zimbabwe. The Africans could only manage 182 all out from 41.5 overs.

The win means that Sri Lanka will take on reigning World Cup champion Australia in a semifinal match Tuesday in Port Elizabeth. The Australians beat Kenya by five wickets in a Super Sixes match in Durban. The final score: Kenya 174 for eight in 50 overs, Australia 178 for five in 31.2 overs. Australia had previously qualified for the semifinals.

Kenya, the surprise team at the Cricket World Cup, had also previously booked its ticket for the final four. The Kenyans will meet India Thursday in Durban in the other semifinal.

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Meanwhile, host country South Africa has sacked Shaun Pollock as captain of its cricket team after a meeting with selectors Saturday.

Pollock lost his job after South Africa failed to reach the second round of the World Cup tournament. The number one ranked bowler in limited overs cricket, Pollock is expected to stay with South Africa for tours of Bangladesh and Sharjah.

Pollock took over the captaincy in 2000 after former skipper Hansie Cronje was banned for life after admitting taking money from bookmakers.

In other Cricket World Cup developments, Zimbabwe fast bowler Henry Olonga said he was quitting the national team. Olonga and Andy Flower were the center of a controversy at the start of the World Cup for wearing black armbands to protest President Robert Mugabe's policies. Both players were censured and Olonga played only one match after that.

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