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Sri Lanka defeated West Indies to set up final clash with Pakistan. It was a walk-over for the Lankans. Windies won the toss and chose to field. Dilshan was the star batsman once again, scoring unbeaten 96. He held the innings together and ensured Sri Lanka reached a good total in a crunch match. The opening pair added 73 runs for the first wicket, with Dilshan doing most of the scoring. The Lankans ended on 158/5.
The Windies had a disastrous start, losing three wickets in the first over. Angelo Mathews dismissed Marshall, Simmons, and Bravo in the first over. The score read 1 wicket for 3 runs. After Angelo’s spell, spinners tightened the screws on the Windies and never allowed the batsmen to get away. Murali and Mendis took five wickets between them.
Gayle was the only player in the team to reach double figures. He remained unbeaten on 63. It was a very easy victory for the Lankans. The Windies were dismissed for 101 runs. Dilshan was the man of the match.
Match Summary
Sri Lanka – 158/5 (Dilshan 96*, Bravo 2/32)
West Indies – 101 all out (Gayle 63*, Mathews 3/16)
Result – Sri Lanka won by 57 runs
Man-of-the-match – Dilshan
Venue – The Oval, London (June 19, 2009)
