Sri Lanka posted 160 for 5 against the West Indies in the first semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Thursday. Power hitting from Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews (40 off 23 with 3 fours and 2 sixes) helped his team to the total after some well controlled bowling from the West Indies bowlers at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Electing to bat, Sri Lanka were off to a fluent start. They scored 41 runs within the first four overs. But three quick wickets pegged the Lankans back. Openers Kushal Perera (26 off 12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan led their side to the quick start before paceman Krismar Santokie got the first breakthrough as he went through Kushal’s gates in the last ball of the fourth over. A delivery later, in the next over, Mahela Jayawardena ran himself out for a duck. Soon, the big fish Kumar Sangakkara fell scoring just 1 run when he lobbed one straight at the Caribbean leg-break bowler Samuel Badree for a regulation return catch. Sri Lanka were reduced to 49 for three in 6.2 overs. The runs dried up when Lahiru Thirimanne, in at five, survived a scare on 3. Andre Russell, the bowler, could not hold on to the throw at his end to run the batsman out. Adding another 42 runs off 43 balls for the fourth wicket, the other opener Dilshan perished. He was short of his crease to fall victim to Lendl Simmons’ direct hit at the stumps. Dilshan scored a run-a-ball 39. Santokie struck again when Thirimanne (44 off 35) made room to pop a slower ball to Simmons at point. After that, Mathews and Seekkuge Prasanna (6) scored a quick-fire 39 off 18 balls for the sixth wicket to help their team put up a fighting score. However, Russell dismissed Mathews for a brilliant catch by Dwayne Bravo at deep midwicket in the last ball of the Sri Lankan innings. Sri Lanka scored 32 runs in the last two overs off Santokie and Russell. Santokie bagged two wickets for the West Indies but ended up being too expensive (2 for 46 in 4 overs). Badree (1 for 23) and Russell (1 for 37) picked up a wicket each. Sri Lanka’s regular T20 captain Dinesh Chandimal sat out his second match in a row. Lasith Malinga retained his position as a stand-in captain. The Caribbean side remained unchanged while Sri Lanka brought in all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna to replace Thisara Perera.
