CRICKET:ENGLAND stormed into the final of the ICC World Twenty20 with a crushing, seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Beausejour Stadium yesterday.
A potentially tight semi-final tussle never came to pass after England restricted their opponents to 128 for six – and then knocked off that inadequate total with four overs to spare.
Sri Lanka, who won the toss, paid for losing early wickets and left England with breathing space to pace what proved an easy chase on an apparently sluggish surface.
Paul Collingwood’s team will have their chance to claim a piece of history at Kensington Oval on Sunday by becoming the first to win the silverware for England in 35 years of trying.
Pakistan or, more enticingly, Australia will earn the right to face them there when they meet in today’s second semi-final at this venue.
The England bowlers had clever game-plans for each batsman, and most worked to a tee as only Angelo Mathews (58) cut any ice for Sri Lanka.
But even the powerful Mathews struggled to reach, let alone clear, the ropes – with only three fours and one six with in his 40-ball 50.
If Sri Lanka dared to hope they had salvaged a total they could defend, they did not do so for long as Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb racked up an opening stand of 68 in under nine overs.
Kieswetter, in particular, succeeded where Sri Lanka had failed – striking powerfully to and beyond the boundaries, until Lasith Malinga interrupted him in full flow with a swinging yorker.
Lumb had luck on his side.
He should have been run out on 11, but Ajantha Mendis dropped the ball with the England opener stranded – and substitute fielder Nuwan Kulasekara then could not hold on to a tough chance at long-off, with Lumb on 23.
He made 10 more before aiming adventurously across the line and losing his middle-stump to Thissara Perera, courteously allowing Pietersen – back in harness after his Atlantic dash to see the birth of his first child – to grab a little of the limelight by top-scoring to complete a straightforward task with a six and a four from successive balls off Malinga.
