Hosts Sri Lanka oust defending champs
England go home while Windies sneak into T20 semi-finals via Super Over
FASTbowler Lasith Malinga took five wickets to help Sri Lanka knock Twenty20 World Cup holders England out of the tournament with a 19-run Super Eights victory last night that put the hosts safely into the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka piled up a score of 169 for six, the experienced Mahela Jayawardene top-scoring with 42 at the top of the order and Thisara Perera chipping in with a quick- fire unbeaten 26.
Malinga, who completed figures of five for 31, removed Luke Wright, Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow in his first over and the chase was never really on despite late resistance from Samit Patel (67) and Graeme Swann (34).
The holders slumped to 93 for seven before Patel and Swann lifted them to 150 for nine.
Sri Lanka topped Group One after the Super Eight phase with the West Indies also reaching the semi-finals where they will be joined by two from Australia, India, Pakistan and South Africa.
Earlier yesterday, Ross Taylor’s batting heroics went in vain as New Zealand crashed out of the tournament following their agonising Super Over defeat by West Indies.
The New Zealand skipper hit an unbeaten 62 to tie the score and force the Super Over, only to watch his team succumb to a second such defeat in the tournament.
Tim Southee sent down a poor Super Over for the Black Caps, starting with a no-ball that Chris Gayle hit for a six.
His fifth delivery was also hit out of the park by Marlon Samuels as West Indies won the contest to keep alive their semi-final hopes.
“When the first ball is a no-ball and goes for a six, it ruins the over a lot,” a New Zealand v West Indies West Indies 139 in 19.3 overs (C Gayle 30, K Pollard 28, M Samuels 24; Bracewell 3-31, Southee 3-21, McCullum 2-19). New Zealand 139-7 in 20 overs (R Taylor 62*, B McCullum 22, M Guptill 21; Narine 3-20)
West Indies won in Super Over Sri Lanka v England Sri Lanka 169-6 in 20 overs (M Jayawardene 42, A Mathews 28, T Perera 26*; S Broad 332, G Swann 2-26). England 150-9 in 20 overs (S Patel 67, G Swann 34; L Malinga 531, A Dananjaya 2-26) Sri Lanka won by 19 runs West Indies and Sri Lanka qualify for semi-finals dejected Taylor said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “That’s cricket, we are going home now.”
“It was a good game, probably we should have won in normal time.
“But credit to West Indies, they came back and fought hard. To score 18 off five balls in Super Over is pretty awesome,” Taylor added.
New Zealand bowlers vindicated Taylor’s decision to bowl first in the group one match, skittling out West Indies for 139 in 19.3 overs at the Pallekele Stadium.