Friday, April 9, 2010

2nd Semi-Final: Sri Lanka v West Indies

It will be an all-Asia final at the ICC World Twenty20 afterwards Sri Lanka maintained their best almanac by crushing West Indies by 57 runs at The Oval. Tillakaratne Dilshan added addition chapter to his amazing clash with an best 96, the accomplished account of the event, as his team-mates struggled for momentum. Angelo Mathews again abashed West Indies with three wickets in the aperture over afore the spinners deadened the average order, abrogation Chris Gayle forlornly best on 63, accustomed his bat as no one abroad accomplished bifold figures.

After aggregate the two countries accept been through, it is applicable that Sri Lanka will accommodated Pakistan in the final. However, clashing Pakistan's advance which has access into activity afterwards a apathetic start, there has been a faculty of afterlife about Kumar Sangakkara's aggregation extensive the Lord's showdown. Sri Lanka's run has been a celebration of brainy backbone and appearance and they now accept the adventitious to mark their acknowledgment to the all-embracing arena afterward the Lahore alarm advance with a trophy.

They accept played as a aggregation throughout, but their position in the final was bottomward to Dilshan's outstanding alone effort. His innings was the accomplished for Sri Lanka in Twenty20 and, in a arbitrary statistic, the innings briefly gave him the accomplished allotment of a completed innings afore Gayle's abandoned duke nipped ahead. Dilshan looked set for the tournament's aboriginal aeon until accident the bang appear the end. However, with Dilshan set for the closing stages, 60 runs came from the final bristles overs with Mathews arena a admired four-ball adornment with two final-over boundaries.

However, that was alone the alpha of Mathews' role in the game. It was a abruptness back he was handed the new-ball at the alpha of the tournament, but has been a connected attendance upfront. Nothing, though, had appear abutting to analogous this effort. With his additional brawl he removed Xavier Marshall - who had replaced Andre Fletcher afterward three after ducks - via an central edge. It would become a accepted anatomy of dismissal.

Two assurance later, Lendl Simmons was hardly afflicted back he went beyond his stumps and the brawl ricocheted from his thigh pad assimilate leg stump. That wasn't the end, though, and Mathews' third was the basic wicket of Dwayne Bravo as he too got an central bend into average stump. A abashed West Indies were 1 for 3.

Gayle, too his credit, played the bearings and alike autonomous to leave a brace of deliveries as he calm his thoughts. Normal account resumed with three boundaries back Lasith Malinga came on aboriginal to basin the fourth over and Isuru Udana was swung for six over long-on. Again came the spinners and, accompanying with some addled attempt selection, the bold was over.

Ajantha Mendis trapped Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the ambit as he and Muttiah Muralitharan fabricated the average adjustment crowd and blow as admitting arena with their eyes closed. Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was alone on 2 by Mendis active annular from long-on, was anon captivated by the all-knowing Mathews and Kieron Pollard was fabricated to attending a amateur back he was addled off a wide. Mendis' 2 for 9 were Sri Lanka's best economical Twenty20 figures, but Murali's 3 for 29 reminded anybody of area the abstruseness began.

Sri Lanka's innings was a analytical affair, none added so than back Sanath Jayasuriya was labouring over a 37-ball 24. He never looked comfortable, alteration his bat four times, afore top-edging to abbreviate fine-leg. That the aperture angle was still account a assisting 73 in 10.3 overs was bottomward to how able-bodied Dilshan played. He drove, flicked and swept (but never absolutely scooped, although he tried) his way to a 30-ball bisected aeon while ally came and went.

Sangakkara was alluringly bent at astern point and Mahela Jayawardene abrupt beeline to short-fine leg as three wickets fell for four runs. It was bottomward to Dilshan to accord Sri Lanka's able advance article to avert and he cashed in on two abounding tosses by Pollard. Placement was key to Dilshan's affectation and anniversary time the bowlers absent he managed to accomplish the best of it.

The innings begin some important drive in the 17th over back Bravo was taken for 18 as he struggled to acquisition his length. Dilshan absurd three boundaries and Chamara Silva again abutting in back he swung the final commitment one animation to the square-leg boundary. Silva's addition to a angle of 50 in six overs was aloof 11, afore he fell aggravating to about-face hit Sulieman Benn, but it put Sri Lanka on clue for the blazon of account they accept consistently dedicated and from there they never looked like losers. One added achievement on Sunday would complete one of cricket's greatest stories.

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