30 March,2011 06:31 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
Lanka's five-wicket win over Kiwisu00a0guarantees an all-Asia grand finale at Wankhede
It was captain Kumar Sangakkara's calming influence on explosive opener Tillakaratne Dilshan that helped Sri Lanka upstage New Zealand here at Premadasa Stadium yesterday.
Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (left) and Thilan Samaraweera (centre)
celebrate their five-wicket victory over New Zealand as bowler
Andy Mckay looks on during the World Cup semi-final in Colombo
yesterday. PIC/AFP
Chasing 218, even as the hosts lost four wickets in quick succession, Sangakkara and Dilshan had done just enough to guide their nation to a second consecutive World Cup final. Eventually, Angelo Mathews and Thilan Samaraweera saw Lanka through to a thrilling five-wicket win.
There wasn't a minute when the Black Caps appeared to have given in, and must walk out of the event with their heads held high.
Sri Lanka started their run chase trying to pick off as many runs as possible with the newish ball.
But things changed asu00a0 Jesse Ryder dived full length to his left and took one of the best catches of the World Cup to remove Tharanga of a Tim Southee delivery.
Dilshan and Sangakkara added 120 runs. Dilshan was dismissed by Southee in the 33rd over, but had laid the foundation for the middle-order.
Southee finished with figures of 3-57 and a tournament tally of 18 wickets ufffd only behind Shahid Afridi.
Earlier, New Zealand, electing to bat, came out with a strong intention - that of conquering the 'M' factor - Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.
Sangakkara had a third man and long on at all times, not allowing New Zealand to work the angles. He used Malinga in five different spells, the second of which saw Martin Guptill cleaned up with the ball of the match. Guptill's dismissal left Scott Styris and Ross Taylor to resurrect the innings ufffd and they did so with a 77-run stand for the fourth-wicket.
The angles Malinga was creating ufffd with Sangakkara keeping an open off-side field ufffd saw the slinging quick bowler leak some runs to Styris and Taylor.
But, that's the sort of risk any captain would be willing to take with Malinga, who later removed Kane Williamson and Nathan McCullum in the space of two overs. New Zealand's batsmen had picked up the pace, scoring 39 runs between overs 40 and 45. However, from 204-5 in 45 overs, they collapsed to 217 - losing five wickets for just thirteen runs.
In the 47th over, Styris was trapped lbw for 57, incidentally emerging as Muttiah Muralitharan's last-ever wicket on Sri Lankan soil.
