Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 5 wickets

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 5 wickets in the World Cup semi final match in Colombo.

As New Zealand defended their total of 217, Sri Lankan players Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara responded with a steady stand of 70 in 18 overs, to manoeuvre their team into a formidable position of 116 for 1 at the halfway mark of the chase.

Earlier, a clinical display by the bowlers helped Sri Lanka bundle out New Zealand for a modest 217 in 48.5 overs despite Scott Stryis's fighting half-century, in the first semi-final of the cricket World Cup.

Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga and spinner Ajantha Mendis, with three wickets each, were the wreckers-in-chief, while Muttiah Muralitharan finished with two salps as New Zealand's innings lacked the thurst needed to power them to a challenging total.

Batting first after winning the toss, Styris struck 57 off 77 balls, an innings that was laced with five boundaries, before becoming Muralitharan's final ODI victim.

Source: http://bit.ly/fEUY2w

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