Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara did not allow the Kiwis to gain upper hand after Upul Tharanga’s early dismissal, and consolidated Sri Lankan reply to New Zealand’s target of 218 with their unbeaten 76–run stand for the third wicket.
Tim Southee gave the Kiwis an early breakthrough, removing Tharanga, who, coming off a century against England, provided Sri Lanka a brisk start hitting a quick fire 30, studded with four boundaries and a six. It needed a piece of brilliance from Jesse Ryder to bring an end to Tharanga’s innings. Ryder, stationed at point, flew in the air to his left to pull off a superb catch.
Tharanga set the tempo early on, clobbering a six off the third ball of Nathan McCullum’s first over, and then belted Southee for two boundaries in the next over.
After Tharanga’s dismissal, New Zealand tried building pressure on Sri Lanka with tight bowling and fielding, but Dilshan shrugged it off by hitting two boundaries off Southee.
Earlier, New Zealand were bowled out for 217 in 48.5 overs with Scott Styris scoring his 28th one-day international half-century. Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last one-day international match in Sri Lanka, bowed out on a memorable note bagging the wicket of Styris off the last ball of his spell. Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis took three wickets each.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 217 all out in 48.5 overs (Scott Styris 57, Martin Guptill 39, Ross Taylor 36; Ajantha Mendis 3 for 35, Lasith Malinga 3 for 55, Muttiah Muralitharan 2 for 42) vs Sri Lanka 116 for 1 in 25 overs (Tillakaratne Dilshan 46*, Kumar Sangakkara 34*; Tim Southee 1 for 27).
Sri Lanka Won the Match by 5 Wickets to reach in the Final
The breif history of the match is as under :-
Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final with a five-wicket win against New Zealand on Tuesday as veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said goodbye to his home crowd.
Sri Lanka, set a modest 218 to win, wobbled in the middle before reaching their target in 47.5 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (54) setting the foundation at a packed R Premadasa stadium.
Muralitharan took his 534th wicket off his last ball on home soil as New Zealand were bowled out for a below-par score of 217 in 48.5 overs.
Muralitharan, who last year retired from Tests after finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 800, now aims to win his second title -- after being part of the 1996 Cup winning squad -- in Saturday's final in Mumbai.
Sri Lanka, cruising along at 160-1, lost four wickets in the space of 25 runs to raise fears of an unlikely defeat before Thilan Samaraweera (23 not out) and Angelo Mathews (14 not out) guided them home with an unbroken 35-run stand.
The victory took Sri Lanka into their second successive World Cup final, after finishing runners-up to Australia in 2007, as a capacity 35,000 celebrated with firecrackers.
Sri Lanka play the winners of Wednesday's semifinal between India and Pakistan in Mohali.
New Zealand, who for the sixth time failed in a World Cup semi-final, seemed to be succumbing like England did during their 10-wicket quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, but they staged a brave rearguard action.
It was 34-year-old Dilshan who was once again in rampaging mood, taking the co-hosts to 40 by the eighth over in the company of Upul Tharanga who fell after scoring a 31-ball 30 with four boundaries and a six.
Dilshan then found an equally aggressive and in-form partner in captain Sangakkara as they added 120 for the second wicket, before Dilshan played straight into the hands of Jesse Ryder off Tim Southee.
Dilshan hit 10 boundaries and a six during his 93-ball knock.
Sri Lanka then lost Mahela Jayawardene (one) and Sangakkara in the space of eight runs and then Chamara Silva (13) before the team held their nerve.
Dilshan also became the top run-getter of the tournament with 467.
It was Ajantha Mendis (3-35) and Lasith Malinga (3-55), along with Muralitharan (2-42), who kept New Zealand under control after Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat.
Scott Styris, who top scored with 57, added 77 for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor (36) but the Sri Lankan bowlers never allowed them to run away with a big total, dismissing the Kiwis in 48.5 overs.
Styris and Kane Williamson (22) added 42 in the batting powerplay but New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 56 runs.
Sri Lanka once again dismissed hard-hitting Brendon McCullum through a spinner when left-armer Rangana Herath bowled him in the eighth over for 13.
Martin Guptill (39) and Jesse Ryder (19) took the total to 69 before Muralitharan had the big left-hander caught off a quickish delivery.
Soon it became 84-3 when Malinga bowled Guptill with a ferocious yorker after the opener had hit three boundaries off 65 balls.
Styris hit five boundaries during his 77-ball knock.
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Tharanga set the tempo early on, clobbering a six off the third ball of Nathan McCullum’s first over, and then belted Southee for two boundaries in the next over.
After Tharanga’s dismissal, New Zealand tried building pressure on Sri Lanka with tight bowling and fielding, but Dilshan shrugged it off by hitting two boundaries off Southee.
Earlier, New Zealand were bowled out for 217 in 48.5 overs with Scott Styris scoring his 28th one-day international half-century. Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last one-day international match in Sri Lanka, bowed out on a memorable note bagging the wicket of Styris off the last ball of his spell. Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis took three wickets each.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 217 all out in 48.5 overs (Scott Styris 57, Martin Guptill 39, Ross Taylor 36; Ajantha Mendis 3 for 35, Lasith Malinga 3 for 55, Muttiah Muralitharan 2 for 42) vs Sri Lanka 116 for 1 in 25 overs (Tillakaratne Dilshan 46*, Kumar Sangakkara 34*; Tim Southee 1 for 27).
Sri Lanka Won the Match by 5 Wickets to reach in the Final
The breif history of the match is as under :-
Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final with a five-wicket win against New Zealand on Tuesday as veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said goodbye to his home crowd.
Sri Lanka, set a modest 218 to win, wobbled in the middle before reaching their target in 47.5 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (54) setting the foundation at a packed R Premadasa stadium.
Muralitharan took his 534th wicket off his last ball on home soil as New Zealand were bowled out for a below-par score of 217 in 48.5 overs.
Muralitharan, who last year retired from Tests after finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 800, now aims to win his second title -- after being part of the 1996 Cup winning squad -- in Saturday's final in Mumbai.
Sri Lanka, cruising along at 160-1, lost four wickets in the space of 25 runs to raise fears of an unlikely defeat before Thilan Samaraweera (23 not out) and Angelo Mathews (14 not out) guided them home with an unbroken 35-run stand.
The victory took Sri Lanka into their second successive World Cup final, after finishing runners-up to Australia in 2007, as a capacity 35,000 celebrated with firecrackers.
Sri Lanka play the winners of Wednesday's semifinal between India and Pakistan in Mohali.
New Zealand, who for the sixth time failed in a World Cup semi-final, seemed to be succumbing like England did during their 10-wicket quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, but they staged a brave rearguard action.
It was 34-year-old Dilshan who was once again in rampaging mood, taking the co-hosts to 40 by the eighth over in the company of Upul Tharanga who fell after scoring a 31-ball 30 with four boundaries and a six.
Dilshan then found an equally aggressive and in-form partner in captain Sangakkara as they added 120 for the second wicket, before Dilshan played straight into the hands of Jesse Ryder off Tim Southee.
Dilshan hit 10 boundaries and a six during his 93-ball knock.
Sri Lanka then lost Mahela Jayawardene (one) and Sangakkara in the space of eight runs and then Chamara Silva (13) before the team held their nerve.
Dilshan also became the top run-getter of the tournament with 467.
It was Ajantha Mendis (3-35) and Lasith Malinga (3-55), along with Muralitharan (2-42), who kept New Zealand under control after Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat.
Scott Styris, who top scored with 57, added 77 for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor (36) but the Sri Lankan bowlers never allowed them to run away with a big total, dismissing the Kiwis in 48.5 overs.
Styris and Kane Williamson (22) added 42 in the batting powerplay but New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 56 runs.
Sri Lanka once again dismissed hard-hitting Brendon McCullum through a spinner when left-armer Rangana Herath bowled him in the eighth over for 13.
Martin Guptill (39) and Jesse Ryder (19) took the total to 69 before Muralitharan had the big left-hander caught off a quickish delivery.
Soon it became 84-3 when Malinga bowled Guptill with a ferocious yorker after the opener had hit three boundaries off 65 balls.
Styris hit five boundaries during his 77-ball knock.
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