Muralitharan in dramatic finish
March 30, 2011, Wednesday
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SRI Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga took three wickets and Muttiah Muralitharan took a wicket with his very last ball on home soil to restrict New Zealand to an unconvincing 217 in 48.5 overs in the first World Cup semifinal in Colombo yesterday.
Scott Styris was the only New Zealander to stand out as he hit 57 in 77 balls.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan, in his last match in Sri Lanka before retiring, finished with 2-42. The 30,000-strong crowd chanted "Murali, Murali" as he bowled his last ball and were sent into ecstasy when he dismissed Styris with his very last ball.
New Zealand made a confident start, with openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum hitting the ball sweetly. McCullum struck a huge six to midwicket before being bowled by spinner Rangana Herath in the eighth over with the total at 32.
Guptill and hard-hitting Jesse Ryder added 37 before Muralitharan struck, inducing some bounce from the placid wicket that was also used for Saturday's quarterfinal victory over England.
The bounce surprised Ryder, who had been shaping to cut but only succeeded in top edging to Sangakkara.
Ryder had scored 19 in 34 balls and had looked comfortable until he tried to break free of the shackles attached by the disciplined Sri Lankan bowling.
Guptill had also become becalmed by the time he faced a cruel, high-speed yorker from Malinga that shattered the base of his stumps and he was dismissed for 39, scored in 65 balls.
Ross Taylor and Styris then produced the partnership of the innings, putting on 77 in 17.4 overs. Taylor was unusually subdued while the 35-year-old Styris, playing his 188th One-Day International, was the more aggressive, reaching his 50 in 64 balls.
Taylor scored 36 in 55 balls and New Zealand was 164-4 after 40 overs, but the last six wickets tumbled for 25 runs as the Black Caps lost their way.
Scott Styris was the only New Zealander to stand out as he hit 57 in 77 balls.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan, in his last match in Sri Lanka before retiring, finished with 2-42. The 30,000-strong crowd chanted "Murali, Murali" as he bowled his last ball and were sent into ecstasy when he dismissed Styris with his very last ball.
New Zealand made a confident start, with openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum hitting the ball sweetly. McCullum struck a huge six to midwicket before being bowled by spinner Rangana Herath in the eighth over with the total at 32.
Guptill and hard-hitting Jesse Ryder added 37 before Muralitharan struck, inducing some bounce from the placid wicket that was also used for Saturday's quarterfinal victory over England.
The bounce surprised Ryder, who had been shaping to cut but only succeeded in top edging to Sangakkara.
Ryder had scored 19 in 34 balls and had looked comfortable until he tried to break free of the shackles attached by the disciplined Sri Lankan bowling.
Guptill had also become becalmed by the time he faced a cruel, high-speed yorker from Malinga that shattered the base of his stumps and he was dismissed for 39, scored in 65 balls.
Ross Taylor and Styris then produced the partnership of the innings, putting on 77 in 17.4 overs. Taylor was unusually subdued while the 35-year-old Styris, playing his 188th One-Day International, was the more aggressive, reaching his 50 in 64 balls.
Taylor scored 36 in 55 balls and New Zealand was 164-4 after 40 overs, but the last six wickets tumbled for 25 runs as the Black Caps lost their way.
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