Mathews, Dilshan see Lanka into World T20 final
Angelo Mathews’s astonishing first over treble strike and
Tillekaratne Dilshan’s 96 not out helped see Sri Lanka into the World
Twenty20 final with a 57-run win over the West Indies at the Oval
Friday.
Sri Lanka, the only unbeaten side still in the tournament, will face
Pakistan - a team they defeated by 19 runs in the Super Eights stage -
in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.
West Indies, chasing 159 to win, were rocked by a sensational first
over of the innings from Mathews which saw the unheralded seamer take
three wickets for no runs in five balls.
And that was all before spin stars Ajantha Mendis (two wickets for
nine runs) and Muttiah Muralitharan (three for 29) had entered the fray.
The West Indies were chasing the game and they finished on 101 all
out despite captain Chris Gayle carrying his bat for 63 not out.
Mathews took three for 16 in his four overs.
Earlier, Dilshan’s knock was the centrepiece of Sri Lanka’s 158 for
five.
His 57-ball innings, featuring two sixes and 12 fours, was the equal
third-best in Twenty20 international history.
Only fellow opener Sanath Jayasuriya (24) and Mathews (12 not out)
also made it into double figures.
Mathews struck second ball when Xavier Marshall, brought in as an
opener after Andre Fletcher had made three straight ducks, went for
nought when he inside edged onto his stumps.
Lendl Simmons then saw the ball come off his thigh pad as, two balls
later, he also fell for nought and Dwayne Bravo, off the last ball of
the over, astonishingly also played on to be out for a duck.
It was only because Gayle, who’d won the toss and chosen to field,
had got a single off the first ball that his side had a run at one for
three.
Gayle tried to counter-attack by launching Isuru Udana for six over
long-on.
But when the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul was lbw to Mendis for
just seven, the West Indies were 43 for four.
Gayle though completed a 39-ball fifty with a six and eight fours
Dilshan got Sri Lanka off to a flyer, sweeping a Jerome Taylor full
toss for six and handing out similar treatment to off-spinner Gayle.
But a first-wicket stand of 73 was ended when Jayasuriya, who had
been unusually subdued, flicked Bravo straight to Taylor at short fine
leg.
It was the start of a collapse that saw three wickets lost for four
runs in eight balls.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara fell for a duck when Kieron
Pollard leapt at point to hold a well-struck cut shot off medium-pacer
Bravo.
Mahela Jayawardene had made only two before he too was caught at
short fine leg, by Chanderpaul, off Pollard.
Mathews added late impetus by striking Gayle for a six and a four off
successive balls in the final over.
Dilshan needed to hit a six off the last ball to become only the
second player, after Gayle, to score a Twenty20 international hundred
but was unable to clear the ropes. LONDON, Friday, AFP
SRI LANKA
T. Dilshan not out 96
S. Jayasuriya c Taylor b Bravo 24
K. Sangakkara c Pollard b Bravo 0
M. Jayawardene c Chanderpaul b Pollard 2
C. Silva c Ramdin b Benn 11
J. Mubarak c Sammy b Taylor 7
A. Mathews not out 12
EXTRAS (lb3, w3) 6
TOTAL (5 wkts, 20 overs) 158
DID NOT BAT: L Malinga, M Muralitharan, I Udana, A Mendis
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-73 (Jayasuriya), 2-73 (Sangakkara), 3-77 (Jayawardene), 4-127 (Silva), 5-134 (Mubarak)
BOWLING: Sammy 4-0-19-0; Taylor 4-0-31-1; Bravo 3-0-32-2; Benn 4-0-24-1;
Gayle 3-0-35-0 (2w); Pollard 2-0-14-1 (1w)
West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Lendl Simmons, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan,
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wkt),
Jerome Taylor, Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn
WEST INDIES
C. Gayle not out 63
X. Marshall b Mathews 0
L. Simmons b Mathews 0
D. Bravo b Mathews 0
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Mendis 7
R. Sarwan c Mathews b Muralitharan 5
K. Pollard st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 3
D. Ramdin c Jayawardene b Udana 9
J. Taylor c sub (Kulasekara) b Muralitharan 2
D. Sammy c Mubarak b Mendis 1
S. Benn b Malinga 0
Extras (b1, lb2, w7, nb1) 11
TOTAL (all out, 17.3 overs) 101
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-43, 5-64, 6-75, 7-86, 8-95, 9-97, 10-101.
Bowling: Mathews 4-0-16-3; Udana 3-0-20-1 (1w); Malinga 2.4-0-24-1 (3w);
Mendis 4-0-9-2 (1nb, 1w); Muralitharan 4-0-29-3 (2w). |