-leads to easy Sri Lanka victory
LONDON, England, CMC – Angelo Mathews’ crippling first-over burst of three wickets and a pivotal unbeaten 96 by Tillakaratne Dilshan propelled Sri Lanka past West Indies by 57 runs yesterday and into tomorrow’s ICC World Twenty20 final.
Replying to the Sri Lankans’ total of 158 for five off their 20 overs, West Indies plunged perilously to one for three in the opening over by Matthews and eventually finished on 101 in 17.4 overs, handing a comfortable win to the unbeaten Sri Lankans at The Oval.
“Fantastic knock (by Dilshan), Angelo Mathews’ first over, it’s a great team effort,” winning captain Kumar Sangakkara said after the game.
Gayle said Tillakaratne set the tone and the West Indies batsmen failed badly in the run-chase.
“Tillakaratne played a great innings, shots on both sides of the wicket … we didn’t bowl badly (but) we didn’t get the runs,” Gayle said.
Sent to bat, the Sri Lankans got a steady start of 73 from Dilshan and the veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who looked short of his best while gathering 24 runs.
A double-strike in one over by Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard’s removal of the Mahela Jayawardene gave West Indies hope when they reduced Sri Lanka to 77 for three in the 12th over.
Jayasuriya lobbed an easy catch off Bravo to Jerome Taylor at short fine leg and two balls later the Trinidadian all-rounder sent back Sangakkara for a “duck” to a fine catch by Pollard, who jumped high to clutch a firm catch at point.
Pollard then removed Jayawardene, caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at short fine leg for two and it became 127 for four when Sulieman Benn had Chamara Silva (11) caught behind.
Darren Sammy took a tremendous diving catch at deep midwicket to remove Jehan Mubarak (7) at 134 for five in the 19th over.
Dilshan scored heavily throughout the innings and was only four short of a hundred when the innings closed.
He thumped his 96 off 57 balls with 12 fours and two sixes, maximum hits coming off Taylor and Gayle.
Bravo was expensive for his pair of wickets, finishing with two for 32 off three overs. Benn took one for 24 off four overs, Taylor, one for 31 off four, and Pollard, one for 14 off two overs, but opening bowler Sammy was the most economical with none for 19 off four overs.
West Indies run-chase got off to a terrible start when Xavier Marshall, Lendl Simmons and Bravo all fell for “ducks” in the first over by Mathews.
Marshall pushed forward tentatively to the second ball of the innings and was bowled off the bottom edge.
Two balls later, Simmons was bowled around his legs, and Mathews celebrated another tremendous strike with his last ball of the over that bowled Bravo off the inside edge as the all-rounder decided late to pull his bat away.
Gayle stuck around to the end for 63 off 50 balls with eight fours and two sixes but no other batsman got to double figures and the Windies surrendered meekly to a lopsided defeat.
Mathews finished with three for 16 off his four overs provided solid support.
