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Sport

Lanka proves too good for New Zealand

Special Correspondent

Tops Group ‘F’ in the Super Eight, enters semifinals

— Photo: AP

CLEANED UP: New Zealand’s Jacob Oram had no clue to this one from Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana as wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara watches.

Nottingham: Sri Lanka put runs on the board, bowled smartly and fielded swiftly to outplay New Zealand by 48 runs at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

The side has topped Group ‘F’ in the Super Eight to enter the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20. Pakistan is the second team to qualify from the group.

South Africa, in all probability, will meet Pakistan in the first semifinal at Trent Bridge on Thursday while West Indies is likely to face Sri Lanka at the Oval on Friday.

Under pressure to win the last game, Sri Lanka, defending 158, responded well. The defining moment of the game arrived in the ninth over when New Zealand’s finest batsman, Ross Taylor, was out-thought by the young Ajantha Mendis.

Taylor, bravely, took stance well outside the crease, but Mendis surprised the batsman by delivering a quicker delivery outside the off-stump and Kumar Sangakkara removed the bails.

In the same over, Scott Styris, playing for the turn, was castled by one that went through straight. The Kiwis were not picking Mendis’ variations.

New Zealand was 64 for four in the ninth over and it never recovered. The big-hitting Jacob Oram was deceived by a slower one from left-arm medium-pacer Isuru Udana.

Martin Guptill (43, 35, 4x4, 1x6) was impressive in the manner he hit Lasith Malinga over his head and drove the paceman down the ground. However, the right-hander departed as things hotted up, miscuing a sweep off Sanath Jayasuriya.

Muttiah Muralitharan bowled with immaculate control giving away little and there was no escape route for New Zealand.

Upfront, Aaron Redmond fired New Zealand to a terrific start smashing Jayasuriya’s left-arm spin for three fours and a six over long-off in the second over.

Redmond (23 off 13) succumbed to Malinga’s slower ball. The slinger worked up pace, swung the sphere and employed the short ball judiciously.

Udana also struck a massive blow upfront for Lanka when Brendon McCullum attempted to swing him from out-side off and mistimed to mid-wicket.

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. Daniel Vettori, a smart captain, had off-spinner Nathan McCullum bowling to the aggressive left-hander Jayasuriya with the new ball.

The ploy worked as Jayasuriya heaved across to miscue a blow and the Kiwis had struck in the first over.

The out-of-form Chamara Silva was surprisingly sent at No. 3 by the Lankan think-tank. A couple of handy strikes notwithstanding, Chamara was done in by Kyle Mills’ change of pace and Sri Lanka was 25 for two in the fourth over.

The admirable Tillekeratne Dilshan (48, 36b, 5x4) was up and running again. He was joined by skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara (35, 35b, 3x) struck three boundaries of seamer Ian Butler in the sixth over; a gorgeous cover-drive stood out. Sri Lanka was 51 for two after the Power Play overs.

The quick-thinking Dilshan soon launched into Kyle Mills swinging and cutting the paceman for boundaries. The runs were coming thick and fast for Lanka.

Left-arm spinner Vettori’s tantalising flight and a teasing off-stump line ended Dilshan’s entertaining effort. The batsman was held at cover. The pressure had also been created by Nathan’s tight previous over — the 11th.

The Lankans lost momentum between the 10th and the 15th as just 29 runs came during that period.

Jayawardene dismissed a free hit following a Vettori no-ball for the maximum but took time to find his feet. Nathan, Vettori and Oram bowled with discipline during this phase.

Jayawardene opened out in the 16th over, with three boundaries off Mills, a dab shot over short-fine leg reflecting his ability to innovate. The stylish right-hander soon waded into his favourite inside-out cover-drive off Butler.

Sangakkara mistimed a swing off a Vettori back-of-a-length delivery but Jayawardene (41, 29b, 6x4, 1x6) provided the innings momentum towards the end.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan c B. McCullum b Vettori 48 (37b, 5x4), S. Jayasuriya c Taylor b N. McCullum 0 (1b), C. Silva c Oram b Mills 13 (10b, 2x4), K. Sangakkara c Styris b Vettori 35 (35b, 3x4), M. Jayawardene (not out) 41 (29b, 6x4, 1x6), J. Mubarak lbw b Butler 8 (5b, 1x4), A. Mathews (not out) 6 (4b), Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-4, nb-1) 7; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs) 158.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-25, 3-87, 4-137, 5-147.

New Zealand bowling: N. McCullum 4-0-22-1, Mills 4-0-41-1, Oram 4-0-23-0, Butler 3-0-29-1, Vettori 4-0-32-2, Styris 1-0-9-0.

New Zealand: B. McCullum c Mubarak b Udana 10 (12b, 2x4), A. Redmond c Silva b Malinga 23 (13b, 3x4, 1x6), M. Guptill c Mathews b Jayasuriya 43 (34b, 4x4, 1x6), R. Taylor st. Sangakkara b Mendis 8 (8b, 1x4), S. Styris b Mendis 2 (3b), J. Oram b Udana 7 (12b), P. McGlashan c Mubarak b Mendis 2 (3b), N. McCullum (run out) 2 (4b), D. Vettori c Malinga b Muralitharan 3 (5b), K. Mills (run out) 4 (6b, 1x4), I. Butler (not out) 2 (2b), Extras: (lb-1, w-3) 4; Total: (in 17 overs) 110.