1st Semi-Final: [New Zealand V Sri Lanka] - Sri Lanka win

[Inswinging Yorker]

good sensible cricket by nz...milking the spinners

 

[Amjid Javed]

Kiwis seem to fancy chasing big totals.

Styris is a classy ODI batsmen and a gutsy one aswell!

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

last 50 in 35 balls ....super effort...styris is just continuing his rich vein of form

 

[desidudecool]

i just dont understand why malinga was taken off when he was bowling maidens.keep him going till the 6th over.stupid jaywardene

 

[12thMan]

Dilshan on now - replacing Murali

 

[Amjid Javed]

Dilshan gets a wicket!

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

outttttttttttt thhats the wicket they wantedddddddddddd

styris out good captaincy

 

[Amjid Javed]

Styris chips ball straight to midwicket.

 

[iZeeshan]

SL turning to all possible options now. Dilshan bowling...

 

[12thMan]

Dilshan strikes, Styris out
105-3

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

105 for 3 srilanka gets a vital breakthrough

 

[iZeeshan]

Great catch to remove Styris! My captain is gone !

 

[iZeeshan]

Well Oram is my other all rounder, so maybe I can make up some points here.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

good over by dilshan. but still some work to be done

 

[desidudecool]

well srilankans have given them a sniff.but they are still in the driving seat with this wicket.

 

[siddharth]

So sad ,It would have been entertaing had he stayed there

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

nz have some big big hitters though, so they aught not to panic

 

[shan2026]

Its about time that NZ win the world cup.

 

[Obsessed_in_a_good_way]

Good game ... great start by SL bowlers ... had the NZ batsmen under pressure. Picked up two key wickets. And then came the 4 overs (17-20) that yielded 38 runs. Fortunes changed. Pendulum began swinging the other way.

And then, tight bowling for the next 1.4 overs forced this risky stroke, and Styris is gone. Pendulum swinging again!

 

[desidudecool]

if jaywardene had nt scored those extra runs towars the end.srilanka would be in trouble right now on this good wicket

 

[Noman]

So sad ,It would have been entertaing had he stayed there

I want Sri Lanka to win,, but still had styris stayed it would have been fun..

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

hope we dont get anymore bad decisions...had enough

 

[iZeeshan]

Styris was the key wicket and they got him. He would have and was giving NZ a very realistic chance of winning. He has been their best batsman, and he was on song today so could have brought some pressure on the Kiwis. But he went for it.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

whata super catch by muraliiiiiiiiiiiii

 

[iZeeshan]

And Oram gone! Brilliant catch by Murali! NZ in HUGE trouble!

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

this is a champion at his best

 

[12thMan]

what a catch by Murali off his own bowling
Oram out
NZ 114-4

 

[desidudecool]

oram gone.oh what a relief..i thought murali was bowling below par but gets one.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

anoother wicket for muraliiiiiiiii what a catchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Obsessed_in_a_good_way]

I'm in a bind on who to support. Sri Lankans have done very well. They are a fighting team, and they deserve good things.

But New Zealand ... one feels they're long overdue for some true honors. They have always managed to do well, but never too well thru' the end. In the '92 world cup, they won 8 games on a trot, until the final group game against Pakistan which, for them, was purely academic. They lost that game ... and days later, when they faced the same resurging Pakistani side, they fumbled again.

So ... no matter who makes it here, they will have my support. Sorry, I cannot take sides. Just trying to enjoy good cricket.

OUCH!!! Murali is back into the attack ... and nabs Oram!!! 114/4. 175 still needed, off 26, at 6.76 ... and NZ may have fallen behind on the D/L chart.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

murali on a hatrick

 

[iZeeshan]

gone another gone

and mcullucm this time

nzl gone

 

[12thMan]

Murali strikes and another one gone. again a brilliant catch
Murali on hat trick
NZ 114-5

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

not a sensible shot by mucullum

 

[iZeeshan]

Murali on a hattrick...

 

[desidudecool]

dont see nzl winning now with mcculum gone.bad shot first ball.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Another wicket!

115/6

jayasuriya strikes...

 

[iZeeshan]

Terrible hattrick delievery...

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

another wicketttttttttttt its almost all over for nz

 

[Amjid Javed]

This reminds me off the 1996 semi final when india got off to good start and then lost 5/6 wickets in a glut...

sri lanka went on to win that touney!

 

[desidudecool]

6 down .its all over for nzl.alright srilanka u r in the final

 

[12thMan]

Jayasuriya strikes. Fulton out
NZ 115-6 after 24.3

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

a soft dismissal 115 for 6

 

[iZeeshan]

W.O.W! NZ absolutely crackling here!

 

[12thMan]

Terrible hattrick delievery...

that is for Murali to bowl. next over

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

This reminds me off the 1996 semi final when india got off to good start and then lost 5/6 wickets in a glut...

sri lanka went on to win that touney!

Hope history repeats itself

 

[12thMan]

last 3 overs - 10 runs and 4 wickets

 

[iZeeshan]

No hattrick, but still terriffic bowling.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

That Murali catch didn't look out.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

outttttttttttttttt murali strikes againnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

 

[Amjid Javed]

Vettori gone lbw!

Another doosra! murali strikes again!

 

[desidudecool]

7 down.murali is unplayable now.

 

[iZeeshan]

A third for Murali!

 

[12thMan]

Vettori out
NZ 116-7 after 25.4

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

excellent comeback from sri lanka...however the game is as good as dead

 

[desidudecool]

hahah another bad decision by rudi but this time infavor of srilanka.rudi should retire after this

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

murali is now joint top wicket taker in the world cup

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

hahah another bad decision by rudi but this time infavor of srilanka.rudi should retire after this

no man hawke eye said it would have hit the offstump...just clip it

 

[12thMan]

That Murali catch didn't look out.

I think this tournament third umpire can call the batsman back for outs by catch even if it is not referred. He must not have seen anything . Asad Rauf

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

probably the best of the bad decisions

 

[Obsessed_in_a_good_way]

With Vettori's wicket, Murali claims his 22nd wicket in this world cup, equalling McGrath's tally:

<CODE>
Player.......................... Mat ... Overs Mdns Runs ... Wk .. BBI .... Ave .. Ec ... SR
M Muralitharan (SL) .... 9 ....... 73.4 ... 1 ... 294 ... 22 ... 4/19 ... 13.36 ... 3.99 ... 20.0
GD McGrath (Aus) ........9 ....... 65.5 ... 4 ... 308 ... 22 ... 3/14 ... 14.00 ... 4.67 ... 17.9
</CODE>

 

[Amjid Javed]

Huge six from mcmillian off a slog sweep!

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

6 for mac millian oh now he is in pain

4 more now to him 128/7

 

[Amjid Javed]

Looks like for 4th world cup running there will be an asian side in the final.

5th time in last 6 world cup also that there is an asian side in the final.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

the ball fell from one hand into the next hand perfectly clean catch by murli

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

hopefully an asian side will win it

 

[desidudecool]

i dont know what they are gona do with fernando now .he has been struglling in the last couple of game .they cant afford to expose him against a team like australia.maharoof might come in his place.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

just thought of something......

1999 auss humiliated pak

2003 auss humiliated india

2007 auss humuliates srilanka?

maybe im forgetting that safrica might beat the aussis

 

[siddharth]

Poor Kiwis when they are going to win a semi final .

 

[Obsessed_in_a_good_way]

Are they showing the D/L chart? That may be the kiwis' only chance ... go on the broke for 4-5 overs, and hope for a rain to bail 'em out. Is it going to run? What is the immediate outlook?

I think they would be far behind on the D/L chart, since they've lost 7 wkts.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

hope murali gets some mor wickets

 

[siddharth]

i dont know what they are gona do with fernando now .he has been struglling in the last couple of game .they cant afford to expose him against a team like australia.maharoof might come in his place.

Aussies if qualify for final will definitely attack those "preserved '' bowlers of Lanka.thats the way they are .they will have a go at Vaas,Murli,Malinga..........sigh........

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

Poor Kiwis when they are going to win a semi final .

yes i too am sorry for them

unfortunately both r the sides im backing to win the w/c.......sadly one has to go

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

nice six by mac millian

 

[Rob H]

flat 6 down the ground by McMillan.

 

[desidudecool]

just thought of something......

1999 auss humiliated pak

2003 auss humiliated india

2007 auss humuliates srilanka?

maybe im forgetting that safrica might beat the aussis

^i think this srilankan team has a better chance of beating australia than those 2 did at that time.quite simly because of fielding and bowling in these dry conditions which suits them.their batsmen will feel more confident after this match.they just need to sort their problem out with fernando and maharoof who are going to be target bowlers

 

[Rob H]

bowled him next ball. His injury limited his play.

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

baldo bowles himmmm jaya gets his revenge

 

[12thMan]

McMillan hits a six and gets bowled by Jayasuriya

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

cannot keep jaya out of the game can you, failed with the bat, makes up with the ball

144/8