Lankans set to engrave name on T/20 World Cup

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from England

Lord’s Cricket Ground, Saturday - The Sri Lankans to engrave their name as the new winners on the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2009; like they did winning the ICC 50-over WC competition in Lahore, Pakistan in 1996.

That is the consensus here, after the Lankans just brushed aside the West Indies in the semi-final here on Friday.

After Tillekaratne Dilshan struck a whirlwind unbeaten 96 in 57 balls,the highest in the tournament todate, medium pacer Angelo Mathew struck tsunami-like to devastate and demolish the Windies batting by knocking back the stumps of Xavier Marshall, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo, all for ducks.

There was no way that Windies could recover after those knockout blows and only opener skipper Chrys Gayle struck it out gallantly to remain unbeaten to make on 63. No other batsman reached double figures.

The Lankans now face Pakistan, runners-up to India in the first competition in South Africa in 2007 today. A full house is expected at Lord’s and indications are that, other than for the Pakistani supporters everyone else will be cheering the Lankan cricketers.

After the Lankan victory against the Windies, it was one helluva ball on the roads, the tube stations, in the tubes and the buses with the Lankan supporters unwinding themselves singing and dancing, joined by the Indians, with even the Windies supporters too joining in and it was - SRI LANKA ZINDABAD - meaning that we were going to beat the Pakistanis in the final.

If the Lankans play as they have done so far, remaining unbeaten, believe in themselves, then they should fly back home holding aloft the trophy to a tumultuous home coming.

The Lankans have been performing beyond expectations. They have played as a team, every one supporting each other and the atmosphere in the squad is fantastic and so the success.

When the batting fails, the bowlers have obliged and vice versa and this has been the ingredients for our astonishing success and remaining unbeaten coming into the final.

Tillekaratne Dilshan has had a dream run with the bat. He is the one who, with Sanath Jayasuriya who has held the batting together giving the side strong starts to build on. Dilshan has some strokes that are not in the book to obtain his runs.

His signature shot now is the scoop, going down on one knee and sending the ball to the boundary over the wicket keeper’s head. It is called the “saucepan” shot. It was a pity that he had to remain unbeaten on 96 in the semi.

Kumar Sangakkara who has held the team together with excellent marshalling of his troops will again be looking forward to win the toss and bat. In this type of circus cricket it is match winning to bat first and get a competitive score and put the opponents under pressure.

Sri Lankans if they strike first must put at least 150 on the board from where the feared Triple “MAGNIFICENT Ms” - Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitheran and Lasith Malinga could strangle the Pakistani batsmen. They are the most feared bowlers in the tournament.

The Pakistanis have lost two games to England and Sri Lanka in making it to the final. The Lankans will do well not to take them easy, imagining that they could beat them again. Cricket is a funny game and the Lankans must guard against complacency. Complacency has been the downfall of many a team.

Over then to the Mecca of cricket Lord’s and a victory for the Sri Lankans.