Semifinal-I : Sri Lanka beat New Zeeland

25/04/2007

First Semi Final between New Zeeland and Sri lanka

Sri Lanka stormed into the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup as they beat New Zealand by 81 runs in the first semifinal at Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday.

Set a target of 290 to win, New Zealand was bowled out for 208 in 41.4 overs. This is the fifth time that the Kiwis have failed to progress beyond the last four stage.


Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya picked up six wickets between them to demolish the Kiwi middle order. The offie finished with match figures of four wickets for 31 runs from eight overs.


Earlier, skipper Mahela Jaywardene scored his maiden World Cup hundred to help his side post 289 for five. It was competitive till the 40th over, but then the Lankans added 102 runs from the last 10 overs with Jayawardene accounting for 70 of them. He remained unbeaten on 115 and was adjudged the Man of the Match.

Score : Sri Lanka 289/5 in 50 overs (Tharanga 73, Jayawardene 115, Dilshan 30, Franklin 2/46) New Zeeland 208/10 in 41.4 overs (Fulton 46, Styris 37, Patel 34, Franklin 30, Murlitharan 4/31, Dilshan 2/22, Jayasuriya 2/57)