Group B, Paarl, Sri Lanka 37-1 (4.4 overs) beat Canada 36 all out (18.4 overs)
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Prabath Nissanka ended with figures of four for 12
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Canada crumbled to the lowest ever one-day international score of 36 as Sri Lanka's opening bowlers produced a devastating opening spell.
Sri Lanka needed just 4.4 overs to reach their paltry target, although the minnows enjoyed a brief moment of celebration when Sanjayan Thuraisingam grabbed the wicket of captain Sunath Jayasuriya.
It was also the shortest match in World Cup history, Sri Lanka's victory in 23.2 overs comfortably beating the previous record of 41.4 overs when West Indies beat Scotland in 1999.
Chaminda Vaas, who took four wickets in the first over of Sri Lanka's last match against Bangladesh, was once again on fire and his pace and accuracy was matched by Prabath Nissanka.
The previous lowest one-day score was Zimbabwe's 38, also against Sri Lanka, while Canada themselves had the lowest World Cup score of 45 against England in 1979.
Not one Canada batsman reached double figures, their top-scorers being opener Desmond Chumney and captain Joe Harris who both made nine.
Vaas ended with bowling figures of three for 15, Nissanka four for 12 and Dilhara Fernando two for four.
36 Canada v Sri Lanka 2003
38 Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka 2000
43 Pakistan v West Indies 1993
45 Canada v England 1979
54 India v Sri Lanka 2000
36 Canada v Sri Lanka 2003
45 Canada v England 1979
68 Scotland v West Indies 1999
74 Pakistan v England 1992
84 Namibia v Pakistan 2003
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The problems for Canada began when John Davison fell in the second over, edging a legcutter behind for no score.
Canada never recovered.
Vaas, who claimed six for 25 against Bangladesh, trapped Fazil Samad lbw for nought with an inswinger as the batsman pushed half forward in the fifth over.
The left-arm seamer then removed Chumney with a lifting delivery that was edged behind before Ian Billcliff, Canada's best batsman, was leg before playing back to a ball which kept low.
Harris managed to survive the hat-trick ball but his side's struggles continued as Nissanka trapped both Nicholas de Groot and Ishwar Maraj leg before with the first two balls of his fifth over.
Win or lose, we love you all for trying your best on the world stage
Lex from Vancouver
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He also missed out on the hat-trick but Canada were in deep trouble at 12 for six.
Harris lifted the gloom briefly when he drove Vaas through the covers on successive balls to take the total past 20 but he was out in the next over when a wild slash only resulted in him hitting his own wicket.
Paceman Fernando joined the Sri Lanka party to remove Thuraisingam and Ashish Bagai before Muttiah Muralitharan completed Canada's misery with the wicket of Austin Codrington.
Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Hashan Tillakaratne
Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Prabath Nissanka.
Canada: Ishwar Maraj, John Davison, Fazil Sattaur, Desmond Chumney, Ian Billcliff, Joseph Harris (captain), Nicholas de Groot, Sanjayan Thuraisingam, Ashish Bagai, Austin Codrington, A M Samad, Barry Seebaran.
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