Sri Lanka through to final

Sri Lanka have gone through to their second successive final of the World Twenty20 beating the West Indies by 27 runs in Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-spoiled first semifinal.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 April 2014, 01:03 PM
Updated : 3 April 2014, 05:41 PM

A severe hailstorm forced an early end after Sri Lanka made 160 for 6 electing to bat first at the SHer-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday.

Defending champions West Indies were 80 for 4 in 13.5 overs before rain arrived by which time their batsmen had dug themselves into a hole.

Skipper Lasith Malinga's double-blow. He knocked over openers Chris Gayle, who never got going, and Dwayne Smith early.

2012 final hero Marlon Samuels (18 off 29 balls) dropped down the order to the surprise of many and was 10 off 21 balls at one stage.

It put pressure on Dwayne Bravo who was in great touch for a 19-ball 30 but perished looking for big shots.

It is the third time Sri Lanka will be playing for the title in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Chasing 161, West Indies were off to a flying start scoring 17 runs in the first over off Nuwan Kulasekera.

But the Sri Lanka bowlers fought back sending three Caribbean batsmen back within nine runs.

Malinga struck twice in fifth over. Gayle was the first to walk back for an uncharacteristic 3 off 13 when he inside-edged a slower on to the stumps.

Three balls later, the pacer bowled Smith (17).

Soon Lendl Simmons (4) was trapped leg-before by Seekkuge Prasanna, who was playing his first match, leaving the side stuttering at 34 for 3 in 7.1 overs.

Samuels and Bravo added 43 runs for the fourth wicket before Bravo sent one flying straight to Mahela Jayawardena at deep square leg off Kulasekera.

Before the last ball of the 14th over was bowled it started to drizzle which soon gave way to a heavy shower and hailstorm. After 45 minutes of rain play was called off.

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 160 for 5 after their stand-in captain won the toss as regular skipper Dinesh Chandimal sat out his second match in a row.

Power hitting from all-rounder Angelo Mathews (40 runs off 23 balls) towards the end of their innings helped them to the total.

Sri Lanka scored 41 runs in the first four overs before three quick wickets pegged them back.

Openers Kushal Perera (26 off 12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan gave their side a brisk start before paceman Krishmar Santokie got the first breakthrough. He bowled Kushal in the last ball of the fourth over.

A delivery later, in the next over, Mahela Jayawardena ran himself out for a duck. Kumar Sangakkara did not trouble the bowlers either as he fell for just one.

He lobbed one straight back at leg-break bowler Samuel Badree for a regulation return catch to reduce the side to 49 for three in 6.2 overs.

The runs dried up and Lahiru Thirimanne, in at five, survived a scare on 3. Andre Russell, the bowler, could not hold on to the throw at his end to run the batsman out.

The pair added another 42 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket before a Simmons direct hit caught Dilshan short of his crease for a run-a-ball 39.

Santokie struck again when Thirimanne (44 off 35) made room to pop a slower ball to Simmons at point.

After that, Mathews and Prasanna (6) scored a quick-fire 39 off 18 balls for the sixth wicket to help their team put up a fighting score.

Russell dismissed Mathews for a brilliant catch by Bravo at deep midwicket in the last ball of the Sri Lankan innings.

Sri Lanka scored 32 runs in the last two overs off Santokie and Russell.

Santokie bagged two wickets but ended up bleeding 46 runs in his four overs.