SL into the finals

29 March 2011 05:00 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 56 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

A A A

Sri Lanka entered the finals of the Cricket World Cup with a 5 wicket win against New Zealand, a short while ago.

New Zealand batting first were restricted to 217 in 48.5 overs with Scott Styris top-scoring with 57 off 77 balls. Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis took 3 wickets a piece.

Sri Lanka sealed their berth in the finals, chasing the required total with 19 balls left. TM Dilshan scored 73 off 93 deliveries; Tim Southee taking 3 for 56.

Sri Lanka will meet the winner of tomorrow's second semi-final between Pakistan and India in Mohali, in the grand finale of the 10th ICC Cricekt World Cup to take place on April 2nd in Mumbai.

Comments - 56

Lalith Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:29 AM

You should be our captain Daisy....

5 2

pressure Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:22 AM

Pressure is a BIG MAN as they say - in the end we won...who ever who comes to the final will have the same pressure..who ever holds their nerve will win the final...Like we held our nerve yesterday..........CONGRATS SANGA AND TEAM...SANGA IS SURELY A CLASS ACT..A great captain and a super batsman / keeper

2 4

lukman Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:36 AM

congrats to our guys.. middle order is everybody's concern.. Bring in Perera and kapugedara.. good luck on da finals

13 6

Sabri Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:50 AM

However we ll win this WC.
here we go lions..................

6 5

sam Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:55 AM

We will face the Pakistan in the final and we defeat them too,

3 6

Muraly Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:55 AM

All the best for the finals.

2 6

Very Easy Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:07 AM

what are these two words please

We Win

2 6

don Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:10 AM

i hope the readers will not get me wrong. just my personal comment- i think we were lucky to get this far. our only hard opponent was pakistan which we lost and the australia game was washed. the rest of the matches were against wooden spoonists or weaker sides including England (half their side was injured). No matter what and we are now in the finals. The real test will be faced once again. Best wishes to the team and our middle order needs some patch up.

11 11

Rise Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:10 AM

we need some one like samaraweera in the middle cos as you know our top order also can make a meal out there with there porformance. so we need samaraweera to hold in the middle like Gura did in 96

3 18

Oyage sudu kella Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:13 AM

It was lovely to see our boys winning the semis. In celebration loads of fire crackers were lit down my lane. Congrats boys. I wanna big mouth Indians to lose today, but again, Finals will be better against India. Aiyo...........

1 8

Anu Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:15 AM

Congragulation to Srilankan Team and sure we will get this time world cup

2 6

Oyage sudu kella Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:21 AM

YES WE CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!

2 9

Holman Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:25 AM

Feel sorry that our "NATIONAL CUP" - kusalanaya is behind bars. Hope this world cup will peace and harmony to our motherland SL. GO LIONS GO......... !!!! Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

8 7

Lalith Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:27 AM

No, the man of the match is YOU Raj

2 2

aji Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:31 AM

Please replace Smaraweera with Kapu. Samarweera not a limited over player. He is good for the long game

17 5

pressure Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:21 AM

We did not play Malinga against Pakistand and against Australia we were 146 for 3 in 32 overs...Sanga not out on 73 and Samaraweeara Not out 34...Ponting after the match said he was glad not to bat second on that wicket...we would have won that match...Relax Don and watch our boys win on Saturday

2 13

pressure Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:35 AM

Do you know any cricket other than the games that are played on the road side...we cant't have 11 dilshans or 11 Sangas...Samaraweera has a specific role and he played it to perfection yesterday...and if you did watch the Australia vs Sri Lanka game which was rained off he gave good support to Sanga

3 16

True Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:49 AM

luck is much greater than tallent

6 4

True Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:52 AM

in simple terms what don is saying our team is the best out of the worse and they lucky to be there

10 4

sanjeeva lokuge Wednesday, 30 March 2011 07:49 AM

good job, boyz, but we are still at the bottom of Everest. there's a long tough journey on a rough terrain. 200% commitment is the only way to win the cup. chamara silva - brainless batting. it is not just bang bang bang... ODI nowadays are 90% mind game and 10% maybe the slam bang stuff. these guys should watch how arjuna, aravinda and co played those days and won matches for us. it was calculated attack/defence.

as for pressure, go back to 1996 semis where we batted first @eden gardens in front 100,000 fanatics. though we lost 3 quick wkts, the middle order did a perfect job for us - ara 66, arjuna 35, roshan 58 (retired due to dehydration), hashan 30+, vaas 20+ and we got to 250. the rest is history.

learn a lesson from the past. even though kiwis lost the game, we have loads of things to learn from kiwis, especially their fielding, which was brilliant. there were no passengers in the NZ team. all of them fielded well.

all the best for the finals

1 5

shace Wednesday, 30 March 2011 08:38 AM

Fortune favours the brave!!!!! its not luck...its called hard work well done SL

1 7

Ranjith Wednesday, 30 March 2011 08:42 AM

If you do not have any cricketing knowledge please keep quiet. We are lucky to have a batsman of the calibre of Samaraweera. Unfortunately he is coming a bit low in the order

1 13

Chamara Silava Wednesday, 30 March 2011 11:20 AM

Waiting for the finalFortune visits everybody once.

1 1

Marie Schubert Wednesday, 30 March 2011 01:40 PM

Congrats guys, you gotta bring home the world cup.

0 0

Marie Schubert Wednesday, 30 March 2011 01:52 PM

Congrats guys, you gotta bring home the World cup

0 0

Nal Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:56 PM

well done SL!!!
Now we gotta repeat the mighty crowning glory of 1996!!!!!
Hope the team will give a real hardy to the opponents and win the cup!!
YES WE CAN....YES WE CAN....YES WE CAN......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0 0

JUNIOR CITIZEN Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:33 PM

Holman, this a sport

2 3

RajasH Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:25 PM

when we won in 1996 we got in to the QF by default

0 0

Sanath R Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:05 AM

It is indeed great to have qualified for the final. However seems that we need to brush up the middle order batting performance. Warm congratulations for the finals.

5 17

sensiv Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:08 AM

We go to India and will do a good job proving ourselves to the Indians that we are much better

6 27

mendis Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:45 AM

all the very best...............pls. bring the cup to Sri Lanka.

8 29

Razina Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:35 AM

Congratulations to Sanga & boys !!!! You were brilliant. The CUP is ours ..no two words .

10 28

Wimal_Modawansa Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:47 AM

Dear Percy Uncle,
Your physical presence at the venue gave us tramendous encouragement.We request your presence at the finals with all your contingents as well.
Another exceptional achievement under your guidance with the scope of "Mahinda Chinthana."
NOTE-Now please don't put Kumar Sangakara behind bars after Sri Lanka wins the finals.

64 88

Dinesh Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:34 AM

Agreed,But as mentioned by Arjuna our midle order is a concern !!

8 47

zafar .m.siddiqi Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:38 AM

Great day for Sri Lanka congratulations to team and citizen of country . Good luck good luck good luck for final

4 17

ransam Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:44 AM

Well your mighty Indians got bowled out several times before 50 overs after being in grate position. Their mighty bowlers couldn't even defend 330 odd or bowl out lesser teams

5 37

Raj Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:47 AM

Angelo Mathews should have been named the Man of the Match, if not for his big hitting, we would have fallen into deeper trouble.

10 34

Lucky Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:37 AM

Great work ............ Congrats............

I'm very much sure we can win world cup this time. I think Pakistan will qualify for the final

7 23

HIRAN Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:48 AM

This is absolutely stunning! Congratulations to Sri Lanka

4 16

MaTa pISsu Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:50 AM

Kawda me nai arinne

8 19

DB Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:00 AM

Well done SL team. But just hold your appluse, one more game to go....
Middle order looks very brittle.... under pressure it will crack, Silva looks out of place... please give a go to Tissara he will difinetly be an asset since he is a good alrounder.

Remember Sanga and gang,you are repersenting not one but 20 million people, its not the prize money at the end you will recive at stake, its our national pride........

Guess no one even will ever question you if you lose with a fight (like the kiwis did yesterday).....Win for country, win for Murali....

May the Almight be with you and the team!!!!

8 27

Kapila Wednesday, 30 March 2011 03:58 AM

we're in to the final but win in final would be a dream with middle order puppets,specially silva...what is he doing out there...why he is still be picking?

12 27

Cobra Wednesday, 30 March 2011 02:06 AM

Good but they crawled their way up giving all of us butterflies in our stomachs. We are a fantastic team but this blow hot blow cold attitude will not do against the mighty Indians or even the Pakis. They have to be positive from the first ball-remember the road to the semis, boys!

8 57

Anthony Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:06 AM

Well done.But I think Chamara Silva not suit for the final match.He can't bare the pressure.I think he failed in 2007 world cup.Best alternative is Kapugedara.

28 19

jay Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:07 AM

Please leave out chamara silva, he made the chase harder by getting so many dot balls.

7 28

Ranger Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:11 AM

Sri Lanka won the semi by the skin of their teeth. This will not get us the WC because both the other Semi's teams are a compact unit with no giving, only taking. Our middle order is questionable and Mahela has not proved his salt. Good luck at Mohali on 2nd April 2011. Our blessings are with you.

6 19

enlightened Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:05 AM

Hard fought win against New Zealand whose record in subcontinent is absurd. How are we going to cope up with the pressure while playing In India against mighty India.

7 11

ind Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:17 AM

He should be replaced with Kapugedara.

32 18

Rohith Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:19 AM

I really like that comment about our victors being put behind bars in order for the political leadership to get credit! Hope Sanga don't have to join SF in order for MR family to get credit!!

17 29

Rise Wednesday, 30 March 2011 04:19 AM

i agree drop chamara silva and replace kapugedara.
kapu will do the job for middle order.

also samaraweera pls dont do many dot balls, it reminds me our Gurusinghe atleast he keep his wicket and hit hard during final overs.

28 26

Damitha Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:13 AM

For the finals badly need 1 pacey and strengthen the middle order:
Fernando in Mendis out.
Kapugedra in Silva out.

18 0

Daisy Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:19 AM

Last night they nearly tried to keep batting powerplay to Mendis and Murali. They should of taken it at the 40th over.

4 3

zeereez Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:14 AM

agreed...

3 5

senna Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:26 AM

You are correct. Chamara Silva's response was very slow. I can remember T20 Tournament last time in England we lost to Pakistan at the final because of him as his dot balls hit the highest. Kapu Gedara, or not sure Thissara Perera for the slot should be ideal. Our team Think Tank must take a good decision. I am certain Mahela will do the job for us at the Slip along with some super batting display.
Good luck to our team.

11 6

zeereez Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:15 AM

agreed... as we nearly lost the match when Samaraweera started to plat a test match ..

5 11

Daddy Wednesday, 30 March 2011 06:19 AM

That's 3 words...

2 12

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.