COLOMBO (Reuters)
Chaminda Vaas says the world record bowling performance with which he demolished Zimbabwe was the best thing that has ever happened to him.

The 27-year-old left-arm fast-medium bowler took 8 for 19 as Zimbabwe were all out for a humiliating 38 runs, the lowest total in one-day internationals, in the opening match of the LG Abans triangular series at the Sinhalese SC ground.

"All fast bowlers have something to achieve. I think this is the best that happened to me in my life. I got a hat-trick and world record bowling figures, I am very happy," said Vaas after his man-of-the-match performance.

Vaas took the opening eight batsmen to fall including the first hat-trick by a Sri Lankan in an one-day international when he dismissed Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart and Tatenda Taibu in his sixth over.

"Especially in one-day cricket it is very difficult to get five wickets. I had two five-wicket hauls and I played 150 games. It is not easy," he said. "I am not worried about records but I want to do well for my country and my team and continue my good work.

"We knew the SSC pitch is always seaming in the morning and luckily we won the toss and put them in," said Vaas, who beat team mate Muttiah Muraliatharan's world one-day bowling record of six for 30 against India at Sharjah in 2000-01.

"It is not a great start to the tournament. Basically, a freak of a game in a sense," said Carlisle. "The pitch favoured Sri Lanka a little bit, the toss was quite important, but the pitch was not to blame at all. Vaas bowled well, there's no doubt about it. It was just a freak day for us. There was not much you can do.

"Coming from the flat hard wickets of Sharjah and Bangladesh especially, where it doesn't seam a lot, to sunny, seaming and swinging pitches, we've just got to get over the first 10-15 overs.

"We lost two warm-up games as well after being put in to bat first. I've lost the toss three times on the tour," said Carlisle.

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore said that world records of this kind do not happen by fluke. "These sort of performances don't just happen by accident. Vaas has been working hard and I am very pleased with that. He's been bowling well in the past few months and his form peaked in the Test match series.

"I thought that was a great effort. But then to turn around and supersede that with this performance was just out of this world. It's quite numbing to be honest," said Whatmore.

Vaas has taken 22 wickets on this pitch in a week, having returned career best figures in the third Test against West Indies of 14 for 191.

Sri Lanka earned an extra point in the competition for the margin of their victory, according to International Cricket Council (ICC) rules. They have five points after the first game. Four points are awarded for a win and two for a no-result.

Zimbabwe play West Indies in the second match of the competition at the same venue on Sunday.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd