India vs Sri Lanka Final Full Match Highlights : Cricket World Cup 2011

Last ball ICC World Cup 2011 India vs Sri lanka Final Match - Dhoni's six

INDIA WON THE THRILLING FIRST ODI BY 3 RUNS

　
Today a total of 825 runs were scored in 100 overs bowled as the first ODI of the series came down to a pure bat vs bat contest, rather than a bat vs ball one.

It provided for great entertainment and with India winning the match by a mere 3 runs after scoring over 400, it gave the spectators their money's worth.

At the start of the match Sangakkara won the toss and asked the Indians to bat first. After judging the pace and bounce of the wicket for the first few overs, Virender Sehwag cut loose and Sachin Tendulkar also followed.Sehwag was the main aggressor, and he brought up his fifty off just 34 balls. After that, Tendulkar also started to open up and soon he too reached his half-century.Tendulkar reached his half-century off 48 balls, and continued to score at better than a run-a-ball.The openers raised 100 inside the first 15 overs, and 150 in 19 overs. They looked set to score a lot more runs, but Tendulkar was bowled through the gate by a good ball from Dilhara Fernando as the first wicket fell for India with the score at 153 in 19.3 overs.

MS Dhoni then promoted himself to number 3 instead of Gautam Gambhir. Dhoni started matching Sehwag shot for shot and both batsmen seemed to have a contest on in who could belt the cover off the ball first.Sehwag reached his century off just 66 balls as he kept India's run-rate to around 8 runs an over. After scoring just 9 runs off the first 15 balls, Sehwag had scored 92 off the next 51, scoring at more than 10 runs an over. At the other end, Dhoni was progressing nicely too and he reached his half-century in 34 balls with a clean straight strike for six.The Dhoni-Sehwag association realised 156 runs in just 16 overs and while they were going strong, India looked set to break a few records in their innings with the highest total in ODIs being a real possibility. As it was, India raised 300 in just 34.1 overs, but with a real possibility of Sehwag becoming the first individual double-centurion in ODIs, he fell against the run of play to Welegedera. He had made 146 off 102 balls, but looked good for a lot more. His dismissal came during the batting power-play and sparked a revival from the Sri Lankans as India lost Dhoni and then Gambhir in quick succession. Harbhajan Singh was sent in ahead of Kohli and Jadeja, but the experiment backfired, and finally it was Kohli and Jadeja who took India beyond the 400-mark with useful cameos. India ended up with their highest ODI score of 414/7, beating the 413 they had scored against Bermuda. The score was set up with the two 150+ partnerships at the top of the order, in both of which Sehwag played a major role.With this innings, Sehwag had done what people had expected him to for a long time, when his relative lack of success in the ODIs as compared to Test matches had mystified fans and experts alike.

However, Sehwag's exploits were quickly forgotten once Sri Lanka came out to bat. The familiar pairing of Jayasuriya and Dilshan was done away with, as it was Upul Tharanga who joined Dilshan at the top of the order. Facing a mammoth target and with nothing to lose, the batsmen took the best course available to them and played with freedom, smashing the ball when they could (and they could do it often), and not caring too much about run-rates.The Indians might have been subconsciously relaxed with the large total they had gathered, and Dilshan in particular made them pay. The opening partnership moved seamlessly from over to over, and continued gathering runs at great pace, until the first lines of worry started appearing on Dhoni's face. The hundred of the innings was brought up in 12 overs, and Dilshan reached his fifty off 38 balls. As the openers continued to maintain a rate that was above the required one, Dhoni turned to his part-timers, and it was Raina who gave India the first break-through getting Tharanga stumped for a well-made 67 off 60 balls. The openers had put on 188 runs in 24 overs, but if India thought that was the end of their troubles, they were in for a rude shock with Sangakkara's arrival at the crease.Carrying on from his splendid Twenty20 form, Sangakkara smashed everything in site from the first ball, bringing up his fifty off 24 balls - the second fastest by a Sri Lankan - and carrying on plundering runs. Dilshan was relegated to a supporting role, but he held his end up well, reaching his century off 73 balls during the partnership.The Sri Lankans were helped by the butter-fingered fielding of the Indians, but by now they would probably look at it as unfair if the Indians held on to all their catches, since they've been dropping them with clockwork regularity recently. Sangakkara was in a mood to cash in on every opportunity he got, and he had raced to 90 off 42 balls, when he fell to Praveen Kumar when the Indians at last held on to a catch. His partnership with Dilshan had realised 128 runs in 12.3 overs, of which Dilshan had contributed just 35. Just as in India's innings there were no significant partnerships after the first two, the Sri Lankans too started to lose wickets at regular intervals after Sangakkara fell. The Jayasuriya-in-the-middle-order experiment was not successful, as the veteran Sri Lankan didn't cross single digits. Sri Lanka were then dealt a real blow when Dilshan had his stumps re-arranged by Harbhajan Singh. Dilshan had made 160 off 124 balls, and it was his wicket that let the Indians back into the match. It was Harbhajan Singh who accounted for both Dilshan and Jayasuriya, and in a match that saw every bowler concede runs at more than 6 an over, Harbhajan returned with an analysis of 10-58-2. Before Dilshan's wicket,Sri Lanka were 339/3 in 39 overs, but with a manageable 76 runs required in the final 11 overs, their chase unravelled.Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals, as India clawed their way back into a match that they thought they had sewn up at the half-way stage. As Sri Lanka's chase reached its climax, there were 15 runs required from the final two overs for a famous victory. Sri Lanka had 5 wickets in hand at that stage, but the occasion suddenly seemed to get to them, and suicidal running and nerves saw them score just 11 runs and lose 3 wickets in the final two overs, to end at 411/8. They had come heart-breakingly close to pulling off a stunning victory,but Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra had bowled outstandingly in the final five overs to concede just 28 runs and choke of the Sri Lankan chase.

With so many performers having their time in the sun, it was Virender Sehwag who was awarded the man-of-the-match.

INDIA-SRI LANKA SERIES 2009 SCHEDULE

November 16-20: India v Sri Lanka 1st Test Match, Ahmedabad
November 24-28: India v Sri Lanka 2^nd Test Match, Kanpur
December 2-6: India v Sri Lanka 3^rd Test Match, Mumbai
December 9: India v Sri Lanka 1^st T20, Nagpur (D/N)
December 12: India v Sri Lanka 2^nd T20, Mohali (D/N)
December 15: India v Sri Lanka 1^st ODI, Rajkot
December 18: India v Sri Lanka 2^nd ODI, Vizag (D/N)
December 21: India v Sri Lanka 3^rd ODI, Cuttack (D/N)
December 24: India v Sri Lanka 4^th ODI, Kolkata (D/N)
December 27: India v Sri Lanka 5^th ODI, Delhi (D/N)

SRI LANKA BEATS NEW ZEALAND IN THE OPENING MATCH OF THE TRI-SERIES

 

A maiden century from Thilan Samaraweera and three wickets in an over from Lasith Malinga helped Sri Lanka steamroll New Zealand by 97 runs in the triangular one-day series for the Compaq Cup in Colombo.

Samaraweera cracked a superb 104 and Angelo Mathews chipped in with a knock of 51, the two putting on 127 for the sixth wicket as Sri Lanka recovered from 69 for five at one stage to finish with a respectable 216 for seven.

Sri Lanka's new ball bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara then chipped in with three wickets each at the start of their reply, Malinga claiming his share in a single over as the visitors slipped to 41 for six.

Malinga then returned to pick up the final wicket as New Zealand were bowled out for 119 in 36.1 overs.

Left-arm fast bowler Thushara produced the early breakthrough, sending back Jesse Ryder for a two-ball duck with the second delivery of his first over.

Kulasekara followed up with the wickets of Martin Guptill (three) and Ross Taylor (two), although he was lucky to win a leg-before decision against the latter.

Brendon McCullum blocked and pushed for singles in uncharacteristic style as he attempted to revive the innings.

But with the required run rate climbing steeply, the wicketkeeper batsman was forced into a wild shot and succumbed.

McCullum, dropped by Kumar Sangakkara two deliveries earlier, attempted a heave across the line to a full-length delivery from Malinga and missed, the ball crashing into the base of middle stump.

At the time McCullum had just 14 from 52 deliveries.

Malinga then picked up the wickets off Jacob Oram (four) and debutant Nathan McCullum - bowled first ball - in the same over to leave the result a foregone conclusion.

Grant Elliott had battled hard en route to a painstaking 41, but his resistance was ended by the left-arm spin of Sanath Jayasuriya, who also scalped Daniel Vettori (10).

Malinga returned to bowl Ian Butler - the second highest scorer with 25 - to finish with four for 28 from 6.1 overs.

Earlier, Kiwi paceman Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey made a fine start with the new ball.

Tuffey, playing his first match on this tour, claimed the wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan (four) in the very first over, while the returning Bond scalped Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene cheaply from the other end to leave the home team reeling at 22 for three.

Dilshan attempted an aggressive start but perished in the first over, dragging Tuffey's last delivery back onto his stumps.

At the other end, Bond produced a little extra bounce and snared Jayawardene, the batsman attempting to steer to third man and instead presenting Taylor with a simple catch at slip.

Jayasuriya, struggling to retain his place in the side, was then lured into his trade-mark cut shot and was caught at third man.

Butler, bowling first change, removed Sangakkara (18) - caught at deep square leg as he miscued a clip through midwicket - while Vettori sent back Thilina Kandamby (15) as Sri Lanka slid further into trouble at 69 for five.

Samaraweera, however, took charge and in the company of Mathews resurrected the innings with a superbly-paced knock.

Samaraweera started cautiously on a pitch which had kept slow and low, but exerted authority as his innings progressed.

He reached his 50 with a single off Nathan McCullum and accelerated nicely through the batting powerplay, slamming Butler for three boundaries in one over.

Mathews kept step with Samaraweera, reaching his second one-day half-century with a single off Bond, but fell two deliveries later.

A rare misfield which yielded three helped Samaraweera amass a century, but his innings ended when he was bowled by Butler.

Bond finished top of the pile among the bowlers with figures of three for 43.

NEW AEALAND SWEEPS THE TWO-MATCH 20-20 SERIES

New Zealand recorded their second Twenty20 success over Sri Lanka in three days with a 22-run victory on Friday that helped them sweep the two-match series.

The Kiwis, who won the first match on Wednesday by three runs.

Fast bowler Shane Bond led the Black Caps charge with 3-18 in four overs, while seamer Kyle Mills and off-spinner Nathan McCullum claimed two wickets each.
The 2-0 win helped the Kiwis overcome the disappointment of losing both the preceding Test matches and boosted their confidence ahead of a tri-series, also featuring India, that opens here on Tuesday.
New Zealand's innings revolved around an explosive opening stand of 84 in 10.2 overs by Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder .
Left-handed Ryder smashed three sixes and as many fours in his 52 off 37 balls, while McCullum hit a 34-ball 49 with two sixes and four boundaries.
Martin Guptill and Jacob Oram further boosted the total with a 43-run stand for the fourth wicket in 27 balls, before Guptill was bowled by Lasith Malinga off the final ball of the innings.
Sri Lanka, chasing a target of almost nine runs an over, made a disastrous start when they were reduced to 2-2 off the first seven deliveries and slid to 11-3 soon after.
Bond removed the in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan with his fifth ball, caught at deep square leg, before Kyle Mills dismissed Mahela Udawatte and Sanath Jayasuriya in successive overs.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara and former captain Mahela Jayawardene put on a brisk 67 for the fourth wicket when Nathan McCullum hit back with a wicket in his first over.
The off-spinner, elder brother of Brendon McCullum had Jayawardene caught at backward point by Ryder off his third delivery for 41 off 30 balls.
He then removed new batsman Angelo Mathews with his final delivery of the innings to reduce Sri Lanka to 80-5 in 11 overs.
Sangakkara gave Jacob Oram a return catch after making 69 before Bond sealed New Zealand's win with the wickets of all-rounder Gihan Rupasinghe and tailender Nuwan Kulasekara.
Earlier, McCullum and Ryder bulldozed the Sri Lankan attack for the first 10 overs, racing to 83 runs without being separated.
Jayasuriya broke the stand in the 11th over when he beat McCullum in the air and the batsman offered a simple return catch.
Ryder took over after McCullum's departure, striking two sixes and a boundary in the 12th over sent down by Dilshan which yielded 20 runs.
Jayasuriya finished with 2-22 and Ajantha Mendis took 1-21, while pace spearhead Kulasekara went for 40 runs in four wicketless overs.

NEW ZEALAND BEATS SRI LANKA IN THE T20 THRILLER

Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori shared five wickets as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by three runs  in a Twenty20 international here on Wednesday after the poor show in the test series which Sri Lanka swept 2-0.
The tourists, restricted to 141-8, hit back to keep the World Twenty20 finalists down to 138-9 in a tense finish at the Premadasa stadium.
Oram finished with 3-33 and skipper Vettori took 2-11 as Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 71 runs after Tillakaratne Dilshan's brilliant 57 off 28 had lifted them to 67-2 in the seventh over.
Oram, bowling the final over with Sri Lanka needing nine runs with three wickets in hand, dismissed Malinda Bandara and Nuwan Kulasekara off the first two balls and conceded just five runs in the over.
Ian Butler, who did not play in the  Test series which Sri Lanka swept 2-0, took 2-29 including the important wicket of Dilshan.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, returning to official cricket after two years after breaking the links with ICL, was hit for four consecutive boundaries by Dilshan in his first over.

New Zealand's innings revolved around Ross Taylor's 60 off 45 balls after Vettori won the toss and elected to bat on the slow wicket.
Taylor hit five fours and a six in his third Twenty20 half-century, but the Kiwis lost five wickets for 19 runs after they had reached 117-3 in the 17th over.
Taylor brought up New Zealand's 100 in the 15th over with a boundary off Sanath Jayasuriya, and celebrated the landmark by pulling the next delivery over mid-wicket for six.

The second Twenty20 match will be played at the same venue on Friday before New Zealand join India and Sri Lanka in a limited-overs tri-series starting here on September 8.

SANGAKKARA STEERS SRI LANKA TO A DRAW

 

 

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan here on Friday and win his first series as captain.
The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391-4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club.
The rock solid Sangakarra's 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 114 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (64 not out).
Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April.
Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours on a placid pitch to frustrate Pakistan's bid to record a face-saving win ahead of the five-match one-day series starting at Dambulla on July 30.

The two teams went into the last session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.
The hosts gave an indication they would prefer to settle for a draw when they made just 76 runs from 26 overs in the two hours after lunch.
Play was finally called off when 15 overs remained with Sri Lanka needing a further 101 runs.
It was the first time in the series that play went into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.
Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183-3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.

The pair made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.
Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.
Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.
Samaraweera was dismissed  when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 1st innings 299
Khurram Manzoor 93, Mohammad Yousuf 90, T. Thushara 5-83

Sri Lanka 1st innings 233
K. Sangakkara 45, M. Jayawardene 79, D. Kaneria 5-62

Pakistan 2nd innings 425-9 decl
Shoaib Malik 134, Kamran Akmal 74, R. Herath 5-157

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

T. Paranavitana c Alam b Malik 73

M. Warnapura c Malik b Kaneria 31

K. Sangakkara not out 130

M. Jayawardene c Akmal b Kaneria 2

T. Samaraweera c Akmal b Ajmal 73

A. Mathews not out 64

Extras
b1, lb7, nb9, w1
18

Total
for 4 wkts
391

Fall of wkts
1-83, 2-139, 3-155, 4-277

Bowling

Gul 12-0-65-0 (nb5), Aamer 21-5-46-0 (nb1), Younus 8-0-25-0 (w1), Ajmal 43-9-95-1, Malik 14-1-38-1 (nb3), Kaneria 36-3-114-2

New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Schedule

 

Just after the tour of Pakistan is over in Sri Lanka, New Zealand team will arrive in Sri Lanka for their 40 days tour. New Zealand team will play two matches test series with five One Day International and two twenty20 Internationals on their tour to Sri Lanka.

New Zealand team will begin their tour with three day practice game before playing first test match from 18^th August to 22^nd August at P Sara Oval, Colombo. The 2^nd test match of the series will be played from 26^th of August to 30^th of August at SSC, Colombo.

After test match series New Zealand team will shift their gear for five one day internationals and two twenty20 games. First ODI of five match series will be played at Dambulla Stadium 7^th, 11^th, 13^th and 15^th of September. New Zealand tour will conclude with two twenty Internationals will be played on 17^th and 19^th of September at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

New Zealand v Sri Lanka Fixtures (All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

Thu 13 Aug - Sat 15 Aug

10:00 AM

Tour Game – New Zealand v TBC

Colts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo

Tue 18 Aug - Sat 22 Aug

10:00 AM

1^st Test – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

P Sara Oval, Colombo

Wed 26 Aug - Sun 30 Aug

10:00 AM

2^nd Test – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

Thu 3 Sep

09:30 AM

Tour Game – New Zealand v TBC

Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala

Sat 5 Sep

09:30 AM

1^st ODI – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Mon 7 Sep

09:30 AM

2^nd ODI – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Fri 11 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

3^rd ODI – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun 13 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

4^th ODI – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Tue 15 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

5^th ODI – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Thu 17 Sep (D/N)

18:00 PM

1^st T20I – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sat 19 Sep (D/N)

18:00 PM

2^nd T20I – New Zealand v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Schedule

Pakistan Cricket Team will travel to Sri Lanka in late June just after twenty20 World Cup to play three match Test Series, Five One Day Internationals and only Twenty20 international.

Pakistan tour will begin from 29^th June with the three day tour game. First match of the three match test series will begin from 4^th of July in Galle International Stadium. 2^nd Test match will be played at P Sara Oval Colombo from 12^th to 16^th of July and third and final test match will be played from 20^th July to 24^th July at SSC, Colombo.

Pakistan will then move on to play 50 over game. The first three ODI will be played at Dambulla on 30^th July, 1^st August and 3^rd August and last two ODI’s and only T20 International will be played on 7^th, 9^th and 12^th of August at R.Premdasa Stadium Colombo which will be Day/Night Encounter.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka Fixtures (All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

Mon 29 June - Wed 1 July

10:00 AM

Tour Game - Pakistan v TBC

Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo

Sat 4 July - Wed 8 July

10:00 AM

1^st Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Galle International Stadium

Sun 12 July - Thu 16 July

10:00 AM

2^nd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

P Sara Oval, Colombo

Mon 20 July - Fri 24 July

10:00 AM

3^rd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

Mon 27 July

09:30 AM

Tour Game - Pakistan v TBC

Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala

Thu 30 July

09:30 AM

1^st ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Sat 1 Aug

09:30 AM

2^nd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Mon 3 Aug

09:30 AM

3^rd ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Fri 7 Aug (D/N)

14:30 PM

4^th ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun 9 Aug (D/N)

14:30 PM

5^th ODI – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Wed 12 Aug (D/N)

18:00 PM

Only T20I – Pakistan v Sri Lanka

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

India-Sri Lanka-New Zealand Triangular Series Schedule

 

Indian team after a long break from International Cricket will start their busy schedule with the short triangular series in Sri Lanka. New Zealand will be third team to participate in the triangular Series.

Each team will play with each other once and top two teams will play final at R.Premdasa Stadium in Colombo.

The tri-series will begin with the game against New Zealand and Sri Lanka which will be played on 8^th of September. India will take on the host Sri Lanka in their first game of the triangular-series on 10^th of September, 2009. On 12^th of September India will play against New Zealand to decide the Finalist of tri-series.

All the games will be played at R.Premdasa Stadium, Colombo.

Triangular Series 2009 Fixtures (India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand) (All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

Tue 8 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

1^st Game – Sri Lanka v New Zealand

Premadasa stadium, Colombo

Thu 10 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

2^nd Game – India v Sri Lanka

Premadasa stadium, Colombo

Sat 12 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

3^rd Game – India v New Zealand

Premadasa stadium, Colombo

Mon 14 Sep (D/N)

14:30 PM

Final

Premadasa stadium, Colombo

BOOM BOOM SHAHID AFRIDI’S EXCELLANT PERFORMANCE PROVIDES T20 WORLD CUP VICTORY FOR PAKISTAN

Shahid Afridi charged Pakistan to World Twenty20 glory as previously-unbeaten Sri Lanka were defeated by eight wickets in the final at Lord's.

All-rounder Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 as he orchestrated a perfect Pakistani chase of their 139-run target.

Victory was sealed with eight balls to spare when Afridi scrambled a leg-bye.

Within seconds the entire squad and backroom staff knelt and kissed the hallowed turf in communal celebration. 

Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan were taken for 54 runs in their combined seven overs for the price of opener Shahzaib Hasan.

Crucially, it was Afridi's calculated attack on Murali, on his return to the attack for the 14th over, which proved pivotal.

Afridi sized up the first delivery of Murali's return and planted the ball into the Tavern Stand at deep midwicket.

The next one was flashed hard through extra-cover for four and by the end of the over Pakistan's asking rate was down to seven runs per over with just two wickets down. Nerves were settled.

Former captain Shoaib Malik scampered between the wickets to maintain a manageable rate and the result was effectively rubber-stamped when Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara gambled for the 18th over.

With 26 required by Pakistan, he opted to throw the ball to left-arm seamer Isuru Udana, and left Murali and Lasith Malinga in reserve.

Only seven runs had come from the first four but Afridi seized his chance to free the arms at the penultimate delivery, and launched another monstrous hit into the crowd at deep midwicket.

When he flicked the next one - called a no-ball for being over waist height - past short fine-leg for another boundary, the celebrations among a Pakistani-dominated crowd began.

The early impetus of the pursuit was provided by Kamran Akmal, who cracked two sixes and two fours in 37 from 38 balls.

It took the introduction of veteran left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya to quell the charge as he followed the batsman with his first delivery and earned a comfortable stumping.

Sri Lanka's 138 for six represented something of a fightback after Pakistan's strong response to being asked to field.

Of the top order, only captain Sangakkara, who struck an unbeaten 64, negotiated the Pakistani bowling attack with any conviction and the loss of four wickets in the powerplay limited their aspirations.

It was only thanks to Sangakkara's seventh-wicket partner Angelo Mathews, who once again highlighted his impact as a late-innings hitter with an impressive 35 not out, that they managed a challenging score.

It was veteran Abdul Razzaq who did the early damage for Pakistan inside the opening few overs.

Razzaq, in as a replacement for the injured Yasir Arafat after a ban on Indian Cricket League players was lifted, claimed three wickets with the new ball.

Teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir began the tumble when he claimed the prize wicket of tournament top scorer Tillekeratne Dilshan with a successful short ball in the opening over.

Sangakkara plumped for the same tactics which have been integral to their success by opting to bat first.

Unbeaten Sri Lanka defended totals superbly in the tournament, including a previous meeting with Pakistan, when they won by 19 runs at the same ground.

This time, however, a stand of 68 merely kept the contest in the balance.

Mathews rode his luck as he plundered all but one of the 17 runs off teenager Aamir's final over - a two and an edged four from the first two deliveries followed by a nonchalant loft off his pads for a towering six over deep square-leg from the third. 

Sri Lanka Cruise Into World Twenty20 Final With The Help of Dilshan’s 96

 

Tillakaratne Dilshan continued his prolific World Twenty20 tournament by powering Sri Lanka into an emotional final showdown after an emphatic victory over West Indies at the Oval.

The brilliant opener hit an unbeaten 96 off 57 balls, the third highest individual innings in Twenty20 international history, to help Sri Lanka cruise to a 57-runs semi-final victory.

It took his tally for the tournament to 317 runs in six matches, the most in the competition, and set up a meeting with Pakistan at Lord's on Sunday - three months after Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked by terrorists in Lahore on its way to Gaddafi Stadium for the second Test.

The finale to the competition is bound to be emotional for both sides, but particularly so Sri Lanka after several of their cricketers suffered injuries in the attack.

Playing their first major tournament since then, Sri Lanka have overcome that incident to power into the final having overcome a shaky start to post a competitive 158 for five after Chris Gayle's final over was hammered for 19 runs.

They then dismissed West Indies for 101 in just 17.4 overs with seamer Angelo Mathews claiming three wickets in the opening over while mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis delivered stunning figures of two for nine in his four overs.

But for Dilshan's brilliant innings, which included 12 fours and two sixes, Sri Lanka would have struggled to post anything like a competitive total after a surprisingly sluggish start from fellow opener Sanath Jayasuriya.

West Indies had been forced to field all-rounder Darren Sammy after strike bowler Fidel Edwards failed a fitness test on a back strain and it was a selection which was quickly justified when he conceded just nine runs in his two-over new-ball spell.

Having built a reputation as one of international cricket's most flamboyant openers, 39-year-old Jayasuriya struggled more than most with Sammy's accuracy and athleticism after West Indies won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Unable to time the ball, Jayasuriya tried two changes of bat to try and emerge from his slump but only became more frustrated as Dilshan dominated their 73-run stand off 63 balls.

The contrast between the pair was stark with Dilshan rescuing Sri Lanka after they crawled to 12 without loss after three overs to finish only one big shot short of only the second Twenty20 international century in history.

Jayasuriya scored from just 14 of the 37 deliveries he faced and it was almost a relief when he attempted to paddle sweep Dwayne Bravo and was caught at short fine leg for 24 off 37 balls.

But his dismissal was the start of a mini-collapse, which threatened Sri Lanka's ability to post even a competitive total when they lost three wickets for four runs in eight balls.

Two balls after Jayasuriya's demise, captain Kumar Sangakkara flashed to backward point and four deliveries later Mahela Jayawardene clipped Kieron Pollard off his legs to short fine leg.

At 77 for three in the 12th over, Sri Lanka's gamble to rely on their top order to score their runs and pick specialist bowlers seemed a rash one when they were restricted to only one boundary in four overs since the start of the collapse.

Chamara Silva wisely chose to spend his innings giving as much strike as he could to Dilshan, which resulted in him contributing just 11 runs to their crucial 50-run stand off 35 balls.

Dilshan responded to the stalling of their run-rate by deciding the time was ripe to step on the accelerator when all-rounder Bravo was introduced in the 17th over and hit three fours in four balls.

Silva was caught behind trying to sweep in the next over and Jehan Mubarak was brilliantly caught in the deep by Sammy in the space of eight balls to leave Dilshan and new batsman Mathews with the responsibility of attempting to guide them past 150.

Mathews played his part with an unbeaten 12 off four balls and Dilshan, facing the final ball of the innings from Gayle needing a six to reach his century, fell four runs short.

It may have been a personal disappointment but he provided the momentum for Sri Lanka, who responded with Mathews bowling Xavier Marshall, Lendl Simmons and Bravo in the first over.

From that disastrous start, any side in the world would have struggled to come close to matching Sri Lanka's total but while Gayle remained at the crease there was always a slight hope he could conjure up another surprise.

Gayle delivered as best he could, finishing unbeaten on 63 off 50 balls after hitting eight fours and two sixes but none of his team-mates were able to even reach double figures.

Starved of scoring opportunities by the accuracy of mystery spin pair Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan, who finished with three for 29, West Indies lost six for 37 from 39 balls in a succession of increasingly desperate shots.

IRELAND LOSTS THE MATCH BY 9 RUNS AGAINST SRILANKA

Ireland provided a surprise performance against Sri Lanka with a major scare before facing a nine-run defeat in today's World Twenty20 match at Lord's.

 

Ireland gave Sri Lanka as many difficulties as any team in the competition has managed, by restricting them to a modest 144 for nine.

However Ireland then slipped to 135 for seven in reply after a 59-run opening stand.

Srilanka were given a flying start to the match by removing Tillakaratne Dilshan, the second highest run-scorer of the tournament, off the second ball.

Dilshan  became one of four victims for wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, the wicket going to seamer Boyd Rankin.

Dilshan's early departure was quickly followed by that of captain Kumar Sangakkara, brilliantly caught stood up to the stumps by O'Brien off seamer Trent Johnston to leave Sri Lanka struggling on 14 for two.

Mahela Jayawardene then teamed up with 39-year-old opener Sanath Jayasuriya in a 67-run stand, which came from 49 balls and eventually proved crucial.

The pair were forced to start slowly and Sri Lanka were restricted to 28 for two at the end of the six overs of fielding restrictions - easily their worst start of the tournament - but they accelerated quickly and their stand included a spell of 37 runs off three overs.

But just as Sri Lanka looked to accelerate, Kyle McCallan's off-spin won an lbw decision against Jayasuriya, who fell for 27 off 27 balls, and no other batsman was able to keep man-of-the-match Jayawardene company for long enough to build a more testing target.

Jayawardene, without a half-century previously in the tournament, did his best to maintain Sri Lanka's momentum and hit nine fours and a six in his superbly-judged innings of 78.

But Sri Lanka suffered as their final five wickets fell for 14 runs in only 16 balls.

Seamer Alex Cusack was the Irish inspiration for that flurry of wickets, claiming four for 13 in 13 balls including bowling Jayawardene.

Facing a lesser target than they would possibly have expected, Ireland were given a solid start with a new opening partnership of captain William Porterfield and Niall O'Brien enjoying a half-century stand.

O'Brien, who missed the New Zealand defeat with a right ankle problem, aggravated the injury after being sent back for a quick single and received treatment for several minutes before continuing.

But once Porterfield fell, caught behind attempting to cut Muttiah Muralitharan, Ireland's challenge faltered and they lost five wickets for 19 runs in only 23 balls.

Wicketkeeper O'Brien battled until the 15th over with his ankle problems to hit 31 off 37 balls before becoming one of two victims for Ajantha Mendis as Sri Lanka's two main spinners strangled Ireland's reply by conceding only 35 runs in their eight overs.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga effectively finished off Ireland's challenge with wickets in successive balls, although John Mooney hit an aggressive 31 off 21 balls to keep Ireland challenging until the final over.