A six in the first over, a four in the second, and another boundary… Sri Lanka means serious business. 18/0 in 2 overs. Cur RR: 9.00 Req RR:4.16 – and btw, Tharanga has become the first batsman to hit 50 boundaries in this World Cup.
Back for the chase, and I expect a short fight. 217 is not a bad score against a less worthy opponent. But against Sri Lanka today… it’s simply not enough. NZ will count a lot on their bowlers.
217 ALL OUT – Sri Lanka has dealt an amazing blow to New Zealand. If Sri Lanka plays like this in the final – NO ONE, I mean NO ONE can beat them.
Another Wicket GONE 9 down, New Zealand is in flames now Andy McKay is the last man in for New Zealand – can they bat out their last wicket?
J Oram OUT on a long one NZ 215/8 in 47.4 overs no one dropping the ball today for SL
Tillakaratne Dilshan replaces Malinga from the Maligawatte End now the match takes on a new complexion
NZ 213/7 in 47 overs Styris does NZ proud – half century plus 7 on 77 balls
OUT another wicket gone!
Styris may be out – hold on!
NZ 210/6 in 46 overs
McCullum OUT already – Orum with a FOUR
NZ 192/5 in 44 overs
Williamson OUT Malinga continues to stifle NZ NZ 192/5 in 43.3 overs
Brilliant bit of fielding saves a certain boundary – Sri Lanka has been flawless
NZ 190/4 in 43 overs
Malinga likes to inflict damage on batsmen. Yet this time, the batsman wins. FOUR. Williamson won the confrontation now. NZ 175/4 in 41.4 overs, followed by a no ball at 41.5: NZ 179/4. 42 over 180/4 with 8 overs to go.
NZ 165/4 in 40 overs
Taylor IS GONE! Nathan McCullum walks out to take his place
NZ 161/3 in 39 overs 11 to go until the chase
NZ 159/3 in 38 overs
To the boundary, held off by a great diving effort, 3 runs instead of 4
NZ 153/3 in 37 overs
14 Overs to go and its NZ 149/3 at the current rate NZ may not break 210 – a virtual death sentence RR is 4.13 times 14 – do the math
Styris with a FOUR!
NZ 142/3 in 35 overs
NZ 139/3
33.5 One
33.4 No Run
No Run – No Run – then Taylor with One
So uneventful – its as if New Zealand is asleep, or not even playing?? NZ 137/3 in 33 overs
Styris with a FOUR - too few and far between though – NZ 130/3 in 31.5 overs
NZ ProblemNZ 124/3 in 31 overs – NZ has a huge problem – it looks like a case of Malinga-itis!
NZ 122/3 in 30 overs The RR is still low – NZ need a boost soon or it could be curtains – even the commentators say a minimum of 250 is needed.
NZ 102/3 in 26 overs two FOURS helped some
NZ 93/3 in 25 overs
NZ 90/3 in 24 overs NZ is running out of time – and SL only looks stronger
NZ 84/3 in 23 overs
Malinga now has the NZ batsmen totally stymied – what a performance
Malinga is unbelieveable! What an artist – OUT with a clean bowl!
Off the outside edge FOUR!
NZ 83/2 in 21.1 overs
NZ 74/2 in 20 overs
NZ 72/2 in 19 overs
Ryder is OUT! NZ 69/2 in 18.3 overs Two wickets down now – it is not looking good for NZ
NZ 68/1 in 18 overs
NZ 67/1 in 17 overs If NZ does not pick up the pace it is going to be a long day for the kiwis
The last few overs, NZ has only a 1.16 RR – at this rate SL will overtake their score with ease.
NZ 62/1 in 16 overs
NZ 60/1 in 15 overs RR down to 4.0
NZ 58/1 in 14 overs
NZ 42/1 in 11 overs
The commentators are spot on in their discussion. NZ cannot coast through 220 and defeat SL. They have to be more aggressive, it’s all or nothing time.
NZ 38/1 in 10 overs
NZ 37/1 in 9 overs Do you feel it? I do
NZ 35/1 in 8.1 overs
And just like that McCullum OUT! NZ 32/1 in 7.1 overs
NZ 32/0 in 7 overs RR is 4.57
Outstanding start by the Kiwis so far, just under a 5.0 run rate going on
NZ 29/0 in 6 overs
And a leg bye
SIX - a massive shot to start off
NZ 20/0 in 5 overs like clockwork New Zealand hammers out a 4.0 run rate so far.
NZ 16/0 in 4 overs Malinga seems to have found the range
NZ 16/0 in 3 overs
A cheap shot FOUR, rolls into the boundary
NZ 10/0 in 2 overs
One and One and No Run
FOUR straight out.
NZ 4/0 in one over
And a FOUR straight down to the boundary
NO RUN and NO RUN and NO RUN
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum
Here we go - so much anticipation from the crowd – Malinga is out there – 24 years old and on top of the world of cricket now.
Castrol Index has Sri Lanka at 65 percent over NZ
And the crowd is on its feet – seconds away from the 1st of the ICC semi’s
The Sri Lanka fellows all lined up for their country’s wonderful anthem – uplifting
The proud New Zealand boys, what a beautiful anthem the Kiwis have!
Seconds away – hold on to your office cubicle :O) The ANTHEMS
A chance of showers in Columbo, the world crosses its fingers – the commentators are describing the ground now. Evidently the ground seems a bit slow according to the expert commentary.
In Columbo, this is the biggest match ever at the home stadium, if Sri Lanka wins – it will be their first EVER time in the finals – the stadium is doing more than buzzing, it is shaking. No amount of money can buy a set here today now. This ICC World Cup has had more surprises than anyone ever imagined. Can New Zealand pull off anther work of magic? The safe money is on Sri Lanka continuing their winning ways – in a moment the bowling starts.
One win from Mumbai, two teams now battle for the right to fight for the coveted World Cup of Cricket – this is it!
New Zealand has won the toss and has elected to bat first! Here we go!
Welcome! We are watching Sri Lanka versus England recap until the coin toss of today’s match – stand by for the coin toss.
In a few moments Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Regardless who plays tomorrow, all the eyes in the world of this sport are on R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at this moment.
Both these teams have exhibited their own kind of magic in this tournament, now one gets to prove they have the heart to meet either Pakistan or India in the final. Stay with us for the live play by play, or link to the live streams below and stream the game.
Cosmic Clashes
We have not had to offer so much by way of analysis during this tournament. And there is no reason to over analyze todays matchup either. The die is cast already. Sri Lanka’s bowling and fielding versus New Zealand’s heavy bats – that sounds about right, except for two interesting points – Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan. All the experts are spouting off about the “classic” duel of spinners versus batsmen – but against England Sri Lanka’s fielding fell down, it was two, let me say it again TWO Centuries that swept England back home for fish and chips.
Not discounting New Zealand here, they worked their own brand of wizardry on Australia. Interestingly, at bat was a team effort and bowling had as much to do with South Africa’s downfall as anything. Enough said about the relative strengths and weaknesses. This is cricket, and anything can happen. What I love most about the sport is the “heart” factor (I call it). Players seem to come through in the clinch regardless of yesterdays metrics.
I won’t be going too far out on a limb in predicting Sri Lanka by a nose today. They are favored, but the reason I feel they will prevail actually has little to do with their stats, or New Zealand’s for that matter. There was just something in the way Tharanga and Dilshan carried themselves the other day – call it cosmic, I don’t care – they will do it again.
Stream It If You Can
Again for our readers who want to watch the game online, here are a few websites providing live streaming, live scorecards and updates: ESPNstar.asia (live streaming available only in Asian countries), Crictime.com (site for live streaming, broadcasting on four different servers) and ESPN3.com (ideal for US viewers). Willow TV is also an official online broadcaster in the United States. Our most recent feed came via a very nice mail from someone who created a nice feed here called CricZero. Fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland can watch the game via BSkyB. A complete list of 2011 Cricket World Cup broadcasting rights can be found via Wikipedia, or at Yahoo! Sports, in *pdf format.
The likely starting teams:
Sri Lanka: Tillakarathne Dilshan, Upul Thanranga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thillan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Luke Woodcock, Tim Southee.
Back for the chase, and I expect a short fight. 217 is not a bad score against a less worthy opponent. But against Sri Lanka today… it’s simply not enough. NZ will count a lot on their bowlers.
217 ALL OUT – Sri Lanka has dealt an amazing blow to New Zealand. If Sri Lanka plays like this in the final – NO ONE, I mean NO ONE can beat them.
Another Wicket GONE 9 down, New Zealand is in flames now Andy McKay is the last man in for New Zealand – can they bat out their last wicket?
J Oram OUT on a long one NZ 215/8 in 47.4 overs no one dropping the ball today for SL
Tillakaratne Dilshan replaces Malinga from the Maligawatte End now the match takes on a new complexion
NZ 213/7 in 47 overs Styris does NZ proud – half century plus 7 on 77 balls
OUT another wicket gone!
Styris may be out – hold on!
NZ 210/6 in 46 overs
McCullum OUT already – Orum with a FOUR
NZ 192/5 in 44 overs
Williamson OUT Malinga continues to stifle NZ NZ 192/5 in 43.3 overs
Brilliant bit of fielding saves a certain boundary – Sri Lanka has been flawless
NZ 190/4 in 43 overs
Malinga likes to inflict damage on batsmen. Yet this time, the batsman wins. FOUR. Williamson won the confrontation now. NZ 175/4 in 41.4 overs, followed by a no ball at 41.5: NZ 179/4. 42 over 180/4 with 8 overs to go.
NZ 165/4 in 40 overs
Taylor IS GONE! Nathan McCullum walks out to take his place
NZ 161/3 in 39 overs 11 to go until the chase
NZ 159/3 in 38 overs
To the boundary, held off by a great diving effort, 3 runs instead of 4
NZ 153/3 in 37 overs
14 Overs to go and its NZ 149/3 at the current rate NZ may not break 210 – a virtual death sentence RR is 4.13 times 14 – do the math
Styris with a FOUR!
NZ 142/3 in 35 overs
NZ 139/3
33.5 One
33.4 No Run
No Run – No Run – then Taylor with One
So uneventful – its as if New Zealand is asleep, or not even playing?? NZ 137/3 in 33 overs
Styris with a FOUR - too few and far between though – NZ 130/3 in 31.5 overs
NZ ProblemNZ 124/3 in 31 overs – NZ has a huge problem – it looks like a case of Malinga-itis!
NZ 122/3 in 30 overs The RR is still low – NZ need a boost soon or it could be curtains – even the commentators say a minimum of 250 is needed.
NZ 102/3 in 26 overs two FOURS helped some
NZ 93/3 in 25 overs
NZ 90/3 in 24 overs NZ is running out of time – and SL only looks stronger
NZ 84/3 in 23 overs
Malinga now has the NZ batsmen totally stymied – what a performance
Malinga is unbelieveable! What an artist – OUT with a clean bowl!
Off the outside edge FOUR!
NZ 83/2 in 21.1 overs
NZ 74/2 in 20 overs
NZ 72/2 in 19 overs
Ryder is OUT! NZ 69/2 in 18.3 overs Two wickets down now – it is not looking good for NZ
NZ 68/1 in 18 overs
NZ 67/1 in 17 overs If NZ does not pick up the pace it is going to be a long day for the kiwis
The last few overs, NZ has only a 1.16 RR – at this rate SL will overtake their score with ease.
NZ 62/1 in 16 overs
NZ 60/1 in 15 overs RR down to 4.0
NZ 58/1 in 14 overs
NZ 42/1 in 11 overs
The commentators are spot on in their discussion. NZ cannot coast through 220 and defeat SL. They have to be more aggressive, it’s all or nothing time.
NZ 38/1 in 10 overs
NZ 37/1 in 9 overs Do you feel it? I do
NZ 35/1 in 8.1 overs
And just like that McCullum OUT! NZ 32/1 in 7.1 overs
NZ 32/0 in 7 overs RR is 4.57
Outstanding start by the Kiwis so far, just under a 5.0 run rate going on
NZ 29/0 in 6 overs
And a leg bye
SIX - a massive shot to start off
NZ 20/0 in 5 overs like clockwork New Zealand hammers out a 4.0 run rate so far.
NZ 16/0 in 4 overs Malinga seems to have found the range
NZ 16/0 in 3 overs
A cheap shot FOUR, rolls into the boundary
NZ 10/0 in 2 overs
One and One and No Run
FOUR straight out.
NZ 4/0 in one over
And a FOUR straight down to the boundary
NO RUN and NO RUN and NO RUN
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum
Here we go - so much anticipation from the crowd – Malinga is out there – 24 years old and on top of the world of cricket now.
Castrol Index has Sri Lanka at 65 percent over NZ
And the crowd is on its feet – seconds away from the 1st of the ICC semi’s
The Sri Lanka fellows all lined up for their country’s wonderful anthem – uplifting
The proud New Zealand boys, what a beautiful anthem the Kiwis have!
Seconds away – hold on to your office cubicle :O) The ANTHEMS
A chance of showers in Columbo, the world crosses its fingers – the commentators are describing the ground now. Evidently the ground seems a bit slow according to the expert commentary.
In Columbo, this is the biggest match ever at the home stadium, if Sri Lanka wins – it will be their first EVER time in the finals – the stadium is doing more than buzzing, it is shaking. No amount of money can buy a set here today now. This ICC World Cup has had more surprises than anyone ever imagined. Can New Zealand pull off anther work of magic? The safe money is on Sri Lanka continuing their winning ways – in a moment the bowling starts.
One win from Mumbai, two teams now battle for the right to fight for the coveted World Cup of Cricket – this is it!
New Zealand has won the toss and has elected to bat first! Here we go!
Welcome! We are watching Sri Lanka versus England recap until the coin toss of today’s match – stand by for the coin toss.
In a few moments Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Regardless who plays tomorrow, all the eyes in the world of this sport are on R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at this moment.
Both these teams have exhibited their own kind of magic in this tournament, now one gets to prove they have the heart to meet either Pakistan or India in the final. Stay with us for the live play by play, or link to the live streams below and stream the game.
Cosmic Clashes
We have not had to offer so much by way of analysis during this tournament. And there is no reason to over analyze todays matchup either. The die is cast already. Sri Lanka’s bowling and fielding versus New Zealand’s heavy bats – that sounds about right, except for two interesting points – Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan. All the experts are spouting off about the “classic” duel of spinners versus batsmen – but against England Sri Lanka’s fielding fell down, it was two, let me say it again TWO Centuries that swept England back home for fish and chips.
Not discounting New Zealand here, they worked their own brand of wizardry on Australia. Interestingly, at bat was a team effort and bowling had as much to do with South Africa’s downfall as anything. Enough said about the relative strengths and weaknesses. This is cricket, and anything can happen. What I love most about the sport is the “heart” factor (I call it). Players seem to come through in the clinch regardless of yesterdays metrics.
I won’t be going too far out on a limb in predicting Sri Lanka by a nose today. They are favored, but the reason I feel they will prevail actually has little to do with their stats, or New Zealand’s for that matter. There was just something in the way Tharanga and Dilshan carried themselves the other day – call it cosmic, I don’t care – they will do it again.
Stream It If You Can
Again for our readers who want to watch the game online, here are a few websites providing live streaming, live scorecards and updates: ESPNstar.asia (live streaming available only in Asian countries), Crictime.com (site for live streaming, broadcasting on four different servers) and ESPN3.com (ideal for US viewers). Willow TV is also an official online broadcaster in the United States. Our most recent feed came via a very nice mail from someone who created a nice feed here called CricZero. Fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland can watch the game via BSkyB. A complete list of 2011 Cricket World Cup broadcasting rights can be found via Wikipedia, or at Yahoo! Sports, in *pdf format.
The likely starting teams:
Sri Lanka: Tillakarathne Dilshan, Upul Thanranga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thillan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Luke Woodcock, Tim Southee.
