da 888： A Man-of-the-Match performance from Sanath Jayasuriya helped Sri Lanka chase down New Zealand’s 164 for 7 with seven wickets to spare
da roleta： Dileep Premachandran15-Sep-2007
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sanath Jayasuriya’s 61 helped Sri Lanka beat New Zealand to finish on top of Group C in the ICC World Twenty20 © Getty Images
The new-ball bowlers bowled canny spells to set the game up, and despite aswashbuckling 62 from Ross Taylor, it was Sri Lanka that romped to anseven-wicket victory at the Wanderers to maintain their perfect record inthe competition, and illustrate just why they are so highly favoured to goall the way. Once again, it was Sanath Jayasuriya that blazed the trailwith a punishing 44-ball 61, and there was a delightful cameo of 37 at theend from Mahela Jayawardene as New Zealand were contemptuously sweptaside.Their poor outing was encapsulated by Shane Bond, who was clattered for 45from his four overs while also dropping Jayasuriya off successive balls,the second a sitter at mid-on when he had made 40. Upul Tharangacontributed a sparkling 37 as the match was effectively sealed within thefirst seven overs of the Lankan innings.Jayasuriya got off the mark with a streaky four down to third man offBond, but there was nothing fortuitous about strokes that raced to therope at backward point, square leg and long-off. Bond had a wretchedouting against Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi-final at Sabina Park and itwas reprised here with Tharanga carving him through cover and thentop-edging a six over fine leg.There was also an astonishing flat-batted six over cover off Chris Martinand a rude welcome for Mark Gillespie, who followed figures of 4 for 7against Kenya with an opening over that went for 20 as Jayasuriyanonchalantly clipped consecutive sixes behind square on the leg side.By the time Tharanga was caught in the deep off Daniel Vettori, the chasehad become a near-formality. Vettori and Scott Styris stemmed the tidesomewhat, and with Kumar Sangakkara taking 17 balls to strike his firstand only four, the run-rate slowly mounted. But the moment Sangakkarapulled Styris to deep square leg, New Zealand’s fate was sealed, asJayawardene came in and played a succession of gorgeous shots.The chip over mid-off to get off the mark was impudent and a cut for fouroff Bond and a massive loft over midwicket off Jacob Oram just glorious.Jayasuriya fell to Vettori with just seven needed, trying to repeat anearlier six over long-on, but Jayawardene saw it home with seven balls tospare.
Ross Taylor ‘s 62 powered New Zealand to 164 © Getty Images
Earlier, Taylor and Peter Fulton had given the New Zealand innings impetusafter Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando had varied their pace beautifullyto keep the runs down in the initial exchanges. There were no hits to theouter, and Brendan McCullum, dropped at cover and short fine leg, couldn’tcapitalise on his good fortune either, miscuing a pull straight to LasithMalinga at backward square leg.Lou Vincent, who also struggled to power the ball away, followed soonafter, lofting a full toss over Fernando’s head for Chamara Silva to runacross from mid-off and take the catch. But once Fulton got going with ahuge swing over the leg side for six, the innings started to gather somemomentum.Vaas had bowled superbly right through his spell but his figures wereruined somewhat by Fulton cleverly flicking one down to fine leg foranother six. But it was the Gayan Wijekoon, fairly new to internationalcricket, who was targetted ruthlessly as New Zealand upped the ante.Taylor effortlessly lofted him over midwicket for the first of threesixes, and the run-rate was close to nine by the time Fulton made room forhimself, only to swat a Wijekoon delivery straight to Malinga at deepcover.Malinga was introduced only in the 13th over, and proved rather difficultto get away. The pressure he built up claimed Craig McMillan, run outgoing for a quick single. By then, New Zealand had also lost Styris,unlucky to be given out leg before by Daryl Harper off Sanath Jayasuriya.Oram got going with a deft reverse-sweep, and a huge straight six offMalinga, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Taylor, who found thegaps and ran hard during a sensational knock that ended only with a thinedge through to Kumar Sangakkara. Vettori, who had elected to bat on apitch where most prefer to chase, thwacked Wijekoon for a six overbackward point, but a last-ball run out left Sri Lanka with a chase thatproved to be a Bullring stroll for Jayasuriya and friends.
