Posted:
Guy, you can continue the updates.đł
| WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL, JAMAICA: Sri Lanka 142-3 (33 overs) v New Zealand Upul Tharanga departed for 73 as Sri Lanka were reduced to 111-3 in the 26th over of the first World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Jamaica. The left-hander, with two single figure scores in his last two innings, shared 54 with Kumar Sangakkara after Sanath Jayasuriya fell in the third over. Both had moments of fortune before Sangakkara mis-timed to mid-on. As the scoring rate slowed, Tharanga lofted Daniel Vettori over extra-cover for six before he was bowled sweeping |
Bond is back on for his second spell and Jayawardene squirts him to point for a single. Mis-field from Oram at point allows Silva one. Players will have a wet and a towel down. 32nd over: 139-3
Silva is beaten in the flight by Vettori and almost plops the ball into the hands of Marshall in the covers. One for the shot and Jayawardene collects a single for a push into the covers. 31st over: 137-3
Many of you have pointed out that Johan Cruyff will be 60 tomorrow and not 50. Thank you all. Styris is into the attack and he has a run-up like a man dragging a plough. He drops short (you can't do that at his pace) and is flogged away to the square-leg fence by Jayawardene. Jayawardene picks up another single before Styris gets one to get big on Silva - but the batsman gets one for a mis-timed pull. 30th over: 129-3
New Zealand's spin twins are really clattering through the overs at the moment. Vettori serves up a rare wide amd Silva collects one with a steer to point. 29th over: 127-3
Patel is really doing a manfull job here, Silva moves to eight and Jayawardene is only 17 from 45 balls. 28th over: 122-3
Five singles from the over, and no boundaries since Tharanga's six in the 22nd over. All nudge and nurdle at the moment and I am enduring my last dose of middle-over syndrome of the tournament. 27th over: 118-3
Silva gets one for a sweep to deep backward-square. One more single for Jaya and Patel is really squeezing Sri Lanka here.
 |
That's Tharanga on toast, bowled behind his legs by Vettori. The Kiwis on top here...or are they? So difficult to tell at the moment. Silva is the new batsman and he's off the mark with a glide to third-man. Silva has scored four fifties so far in this event, Sri Lanka may need something bigger from him today. Jayawardene picks up one with a flick down to fine-leg and there are two more singles from the over. 25th over: 111-3
Just the one single from Patel's over. 24th over: 110-2
Tharanga has an airy twirl and is beaten by Vettori outside off-stick. Vettori drops one in short and is feathered down to third-man for a couple. Delicate hands. If Vettori was a 80's pop group, I think he'd be Hue and Cry, or Aztec Camera. Bit of sloppy cricket that, Styris shieing at the stumps and giving up two overthrows. Vettori almost does himself a mischief with an lbw appeal, but umpire Taufel looks at him like he's just found him sniffing glue in his garage. Looked pretty plumb to me... 23rd over: 105-2
That's the Sri Lanka ton, Jayawardene bringing it up with a single and Tharanga gets a couple with a carve through extra-cover. Six from the over, but Patel is proving very difficult to get away in this World Cup. 22nd over: 99-2
Bit of confusion among the Sri Lanka ranks and if Taylor had collected that cleanly at mid0wicket Jayawardene could have been gone. Tharanga then goes macho, lathering Vettori over extra-cover for a maximum. Sweet as a nut. Two more for Tharanga with a carve down to third-man and he picks up another boundary with a feathered edge.
 |
That's Tharanga's fifty from a tuck to mid-wicket and Jayawardene picks up one with drag through square-leg for one. My cricket editor just told me Eric Bristow MBE is 50 tomorrow, along with big-serving, politically unsound tennis player Buster Mottram and Johan Cruyff. 20th over: 84-2
Fleming decides the Kiwis need a bit of spin and Vettori is into the attack. His first over is tidier than Hyacinth Bucket. One single from Tharanga, Vettori could be key for the Kiwis here. 19th over: 83-2
Jayawardene and Tharanga exchange singles before Jayawardene picks up a couple with a flick to square-leg. 18th over: 79-2 17th over: 77-2 16th over: 75-2 15th over: 69-2
| |
Sanga skips down the wicket and clips Franklin straight to Fleming at mid-on. That's the definition of giving your wicket away, and that's a plum wicket for the Black Caps. Sri Lanka skipper Jayawardene is next up the ramp and he blocks out the rest of the over. 13th over: 66-2
Sangakkara picks up four for an inside edge and that's the fifty partnership. 12th over: 62-1 11th over:
Very evenly poised thus far and Fleming takes his first powerplay. Umpire Koertzen has a slightly camp powerplay signal, like someone performing the dance routine to Whigfield's Saturday Night. Four from the flashing blade of Tharanga, the ball screaming over the head of Patel at gully. Flemo's not happy about that, Patel was standing five or six yards too close in. Tharanga throws the kitchen sink, the bread maker and a cast iron egg stand at a delivery outside off-stump and misses. 10th over: 46-1
9th over: 43-1
8th over: 33-1
Bit tense this, Bond keeping things tight - maiden over. Rob (see below), I believe Bristow MBE was unable to release his darts. Tragic. 7th over: 33-1
Oram is into the attack and there is just one single from his opening over. Talking of Nick Heyward, my brother used to get mistaken for him in his salad days. A 'casual', he once came home from the hairdressers with a thick, skunk-like blonde streak through his hair and tried to blame it on the spot cream he was using. 6th over: 32-1
A wild and windy woosh from Sangakkara and he's beaten by Bond outside the off-peg. Bit of width for Sanga and he squirts Bond down to third-man for a single and Tharanga picks up four with an outside edge. McMillan it was with the forlorn dive. McMillan should try skipping - skipping breakfast, skipping lunch, skipping dinner... 5th over: 26-1 4th over: 19-1
Bit of dog from Bond, getting one to spit off a length and hit the splice of Sangakkara's bat. Plenty of bounce at Sabina Park, and Sangakkara leans back and tugs Bond away for a couple. A bit of chin music for Tharanga and the batsman just manages to duck underneath it. Another leg-side wide from Bond, but Tharanga is unable to feather it away. Tharanga opens the face and glides Bond down to third-man for one. Better from Bond, good contest this.
| |
There's one in the eye for Sri Lanka - the big man Jayasuriya is castled by Franklin. A hint of inswing from Franklin, but Jaya, looking to whip him to leg, played all around it. Sangakkara is the new batsman and he's off the mark with a clip to mid-wicket for a couple. One more single with an outside edge from Sanga, Franklin in the groove. 2nd over: 13-0
Bond to share the new pill with Franklin and, after the big build-up, his first ball is a leg-side wide. Not a clever first over so far from Bond, straying onto Tharanga's hip and the left-handed opener flipping him away for the first boundary of the day. Really struggling with his line, Bond, and he's tickled down to long-leg for another four by Tharanga. Is Bondy choking? This is a bit like watching Eric Bristow (MBE) succomb to 'dartitis' at the Stockholm Open in 1987. Better line with his last two balls.
 | |
1st over: 4-0
Franklin's first delivery is on a length outside off-stump and Tharanga's watches it pass by. But he's off the mark next ball with a clip to leg for one. Tharanga fancies two, Jayasuriya doesn't fancy getting run out without facing. Jayasuriya is off the mark with back-foot push into the covers. A leg-side wide from Franklin before Tharanga slices a drive down to backward-point for one
Current Affairs
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
32