Sri Lanka Silence New Zealand to Make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Final in Mumbai

It may have ended a little too close for comfort for Sri Lanka. But they had had generally the stronger hold on the match as New Zealand lost the battle for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final.

sri lanka v new zealand

The Sri Lanka v New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi final at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo seemed almost like a rerun of Sri Lanka's match against England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 quarterfinals in that not only was the same pitch used but also, Sri Lanka were clinically precise in how they tackled their opponents.

Much like in the case of England, the Sri Lankan bowlers kept a tight hold on their New Zealand counterparts. Jesse Ryder tried to play the anchor role once more, Martin Guptill struggled to break free although he batted for thirty-nine runs even as New Zealand were reduced to three down for eighty-four.

If New Zealand went to 161 without losing another wicket, it was because of the partnership between Ross Taylor who managed thirty-six runs while Scott Styris scored fifty-seven runs. A budding partnership between young Kane Williamson, who showed some enterprise in the midst of a largely sedate affair on the part of New Zealand, and Scott Styris was nipped in the bud.

While Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis had the New Zealand team in knots, bound and too quiet for too long, with six wickets between them, Muttiah Muralitharan finished his final effort for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket with two wickets, including one off the final ball.

New Zealand eventually managed to reach 217 runs but it was expected to be not enough to stop Sri Lanka from entering the ICC Cricket World Cup final for a third time. And it seemed that way as Tillekeratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain, struck a partnership worth 120 runs for the second wicket.

Sri Lanka appeared to be cruising to victory with a half century to Sangakkara and seventy-four runs to Dilshan. With New Zealand virtually buried into the ground, the match came alive with barely ten overs left when Sri Lanka lost a flurry of wickets to find themselves at five down for 185.

But with Sri Lanka always a nose ahead on the number of runs needed per ball, some cool headed batting from Sri Lanka's middle order eventually sealed the slim hope harboured by New Zealand, winning the match by five wickets to set up the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final against either India or Pakistan.