Dilshan eyes cricket series win after Lord's victory

By Julian Guyer | AFP – 2 hrs 7 mins ago

Dinesh Chandimal's (pictured, R) unbeaten 105, the 21-year-old's second hundred in …

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan (pictured) believes a one-day series win against …

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan believes a one-day series win against England is within his side's grasp after a six-wicket victory at Lord's put the tourists 2-1 up with two to play.

Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten 105, the 21-year-old's second hundred in just six matches at this level, saw Sri Lanka capitalise on a disciplined bowling display after they held England to a sub-standard 246 for seven.

Chandimal won the match for the World Cup finalists with 10 balls to spare by smashing James Anderson for four.

Sri Lanka might have got there sooner had not Angelo Mathews, whose one not out took 21 balls, been so determined to make sure Chandimal got to a hundred.

Sri Lanka may have lost their rain-affected opener at The Oval by 110 runs but their second victory in three days, following their 69-run success at Headingley, has seen them come from behind to take the lead.

"We are playing good cricket, if we play like this we can win the next two matches," Dilshan told reporters.

So determined was Mathews to make sure Chandimal, who eventually reached three figures with a six off medium-pacer Tim Bresnan, got to a hundred he played out a maiden in the 47th over to the visible despair of his captain.

"That disappointed me a little bit but they are youngsters, they are learning every time in the middle," Dilshan said.

"Getting a hundred at Lord's is really special for him (Chandimal).

"He played like an experienced guy and he finished the game. That's a good sign for Sri Lanka," Dilshan added of the man-of-the-match.

Meanwhile veteran opener Mahela Jayawardene followed up his career-best 144 at Headingley with a superb 79 at Lord's.

"They have a very good bowling attack but Mahela is not giving the bowlers anything, he's hitting every loose ball for runs," said Dilshan.

England captain Alastair Cook, who made a career-best 119 at Lord's, was taken aback by the way Mathews refused easy runs.

"It was different, I've never seen that before," Cook said. "They were perfectly entitled to do it if they want, but it was a bit strange and the cricketing gods may look at that in a bit of disgust."

Cook's second century in 29 ODI matches ultimately could not disguise the fact no other England batsman made more than Kevin Pietersen's 41.

"It's nice for a bit of confidence to score runs, but never nice in a losing cause. You want to score runs when you win, it's far more satisfying.. We were 40 runs short."

England's seam bowlers rarely looked like taking wickets on a good pitch, with off-spinner Graeme Swann's two for 32 too late to affect the result.

However, Cook insisted: "We've played on some pretty flat pitches and what we are thinking is the right way and we just need a little luck to go our way."

Stuart Broad, largely ineffectual during England's 2-1 Test series win against Sri Lanka, went wicketless for the third match in a row, the fast-medium bowler conceding 52 runs in 10 overs at Lord's.

Despite being the son of match referee Chris Broad, the former England opening batsman, he arrived at Lord's on the back of being fined 50 percent of his match fee at Headingley.

Broad was punished for "unacceptable and offensive remarks" to New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden regarding a rejected lbw decision.

However, Cook said it would not surprise him if Broad -- England's Twenty20 captain -- came good at the seamer's Trent Bridge home ground in Nottingham, where the fourth match of this series take place on Wednesday.

"At the moment it's not quite going for Broady, a bit like the Tests, but this is what cricket does," said Cook.

"If he gets a five-for next week at his home ground next week it will be worth it.

"He overstepped the mark (at Headingley), he accepts that."

World food prices at fresh high, says UN

5 January 2011 Last updated at 13:42 GMT

Food prices have been rising across the world

Global food prices rose to a fresh high in December, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Its Food Price Index went above the previous record of 2008 that saw prices spark riots in several countries.

Soaring sugar, cereal and oil prices had driven the rise, the report said.

The index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of dairy, meat and sugar, cereals and oilseeds, averaged 214.7 points last month, up from 206 points in November.

It stood at 213.5 points at the high of June 2008.

However, despite high prices, FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian said that many of the factors that triggered food riots in 2007 and 2008 - such as weak production in poor countries - were not currently present, reducing the risk of more turmoil.

But he added that "unpredictable weather" meant that grain prices could go much higher, which was "a concern".

Australian floods

Last year a drought forced Russia to suspend wheat exports.

And recent floods in Queensland, Australia are already beginning to hit prices of key exports - which are critical for food supplies to markets in Asia, particularly India, Bangladesh and Japan.

Australia has cut its forecast for sugar exports this year by 25% as flooding has reduced the sugar content of the cane, while wheat crops have also been hit.

The news came amid concerns about inflation in the prices of other key commodities.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday that the current high price of oil would threaten economic recovery in 2011.

Oil import costs for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development had risen 30% in the past year to $790bn (£508bn), it said.

And copper prices went into 2011 at record highs - in a rally driven by increased demand from the global economic recovery and that fact that most countries are holding low stockpiles.

Source: BBC News

Gyan penalty clinches Ghana win

(CNN) -- A late penalty by Asamoah Gyan handed Ghana a deserved 1-0 victory against Serbia in their Group D match played in Pretoria.

The Rennes striker emphatically converted from the spot past Vladimir Stojkovic in the 84th minute to the obvious delight of the partisan crowd.

The victory is the first by an African team at this year's World Cup.

Ghana were awarded their penalty after Serbia substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic needlessly hand-balled a cross which looked to be drifting harmlessly out of the Serbian penalty area.

Amid delirious celebrations of the African supporters in the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Serbia struggled to find an equalizer and it was Ghana, the four-time African champions, who should have made it 2-0 before the final whistle.