There were a number of worthy contenders for the latest Cricket World Player Of The Week award following the first full week of competition at the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
High-class performances from members of all eight competing nations were weighed up but Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara has been chosen as the award winner.
The dust has barely settled on Sri Lanka's 20-run victory over Australia that saw them into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 semi-finals but Mahela Jayawardene is already looking ahead to the clash with India.
The elegant right-hander stroked an unbeaten 84 to set up Sri Lanka's winning score of 253 for eight and says that he is looking forward to taking on India, who sailed through the group stages with three wins in three.
Sri Lanka survived a late Australian fightback to take a 20-run win and claim their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
After half-centuries from Mahela Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirimanne had set them up for a score of 253 for eight, they needed three wickets from Nuwan Kulasekara and a brilliant caught and bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan at the end to dismiss Australia for 233.
Sri Lanka produced an efficient performance to beat Australia by 20 runs and book themselves an ICC Champions Trophy 2013 semi-final against India.
Set 254 to win, Australia needed to get the runs within 29.1 overs to stay in the tournament and they gave game chase but lost too many wickets along the way and were eventually dismissed for 233.
Last week I wrote about teams filling holes (effectively or not) as the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 got underway. This week the tournament has excited and frustrated in equal measure.
We have seen some breathtaking tight finishes, wonderful individual performances but the last few days have been marred by bad weather.
Kumar Sangakkara stroked a majestic unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory over England to keep their ICC Champions Trophy 2013 campaign alive.
In our latest video review, we look back at the match, which also saw a combative half-century from Nuwan Kulasekara as well as runs from Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root.
Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century, while Nuwan Kulasekara provided some late sparkle, as Sri Lanka kept their hopes alive in the ICC Champions Trophy with a seven-wicket victory over the hosts under The Oval floodlights.
Ravi Bopara had earlier hauled England up to 293 for seven at the end of an innings which had followed a similar path to the one against Australia.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews says his team might have to adopt a different strategy when they take on England on what is a must-win game for them at The Oval tomorrow (13th June).
After a one-wicket defeat to New Zealand, the Sri Lankans need to win to stand a realistic chance of going through to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
England will be eyeing up a semi-final place in their second ICC Champions Trophy 2013 group game against Sri Lanka tomorrow.
But for Sri Lanka it will be a battle for survival after losing their first game.
Sri Lanka lost out in the match of the tournament when New Zealand beat them by one wicket in dramatic circumstances in their Champions Trophy 2013 opener, and Lahiru Thirimanne knows that he and his fellow batsmen need to improve in their remaining matches.
Next up for the 2007 and 2011 World Cup runners-up is their Group A match against England at The Oval, and Thirimanne says that morale in the squad is good.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, both former captains of Sri Lanka, have been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for excessive appealing.
They were both reported by the on-field umpires following Sri Lanka's one-wicket defeat to New Zeaalnd in the Champions Trophy in Cardiff.
The fourth match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 provided the closest finish of the tournament so far when New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by one wicket in Cardiff.
Our match review cricket video reflects on a game which saw both Mitchell McClenaghan and Lasith Malinga take four wickets in a low-scoring thriller.
New Zealand scrambled over the line to clinch a one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the tightest game yet in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 in Cardiff.
Mitchell McClenaghan took four wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka for 138 in 36.3 overs but his tally was matched by Lasith Malinga before New Zealand's final pair, Tim Southee and McClenaghan, scored the five runs they needed to take their side to victory.
Every single sports team, from your local club's junior team to the best Test, One-Day International and Twenty20 International sides in the world, go through the same processes of having to replace key players who suffer injuries, retire, or move on.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2013, falling right between two World Cups, has seen most of the competing teams without major stars - some by accident, some by design. Others, like Sri Lanka and West Indies, will soon be forced to replace some of their stalwarts.
The clash between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Cardiff will be the final game in the first round of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, after which all sides will have played once apiece.
Ahead of the match, captains Brendon McCullum and Angelo Mathews spoke at their press conferences, McCullum looking forward to beginning their campaign and Mathews wary of the threat that the Black Caps pose.
West Indies held off a spirited late fightback by Sri Lanka to register a 17-run win in both sides' final warm-up match ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
Half-centuries from Darren Bravo (71), Johnson Charles (58) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (55) helped the 2004 champions reach 297 for eight before Sri Lanka were bowled out for 280 in 47 overs.
Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, in our latest Mr Predictor cricket betting programme, the Cricket World team assesses the chances of each of the eight competing teams and looks at the odds on the leading batsmen and bowlers.
Plus, we get the thoughts of Chris Gayle as he reminisces on his side's 2004 success before giving his preview of the tournament and look out for a 3,432-1 triple as a suggested bet!
There were runs aplenty at Edgbaston as the sun shone and India recorded a warm-up win over Sri Lanka to get their campaign for 2013 ICC Champions Trophy off to the best possible start.
Despite slipping to 110 for four, it was the 2011 World Cup winners who romped to their victory target of 334 thanks to a mammoth stand between Dinesh Karthik and Virat Kohli.
Edgbaston was a bleak picture for most of the day as the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The dismal weather which held up England during their second Test victory over New Zealand has also played havoc with the domestic programme and this international friendly went the same way.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has set his side the target of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, which gets underway in England and Wales on 6th June.
Sri Lanka are in a group with hosts England, reigning champions Australia and New Zealand, who have been in England since earlier this month and are always competitive.
