Streak, Blignaut restrict Lankans

With Zimbabwe bowlers maintaining a tight line and length, Sri Lankan batsmen struggled to pace their innings despite making good starts.

Hashan Tillekaratne, playing his 200th match was top scorer with 31 off 52 balls.

Avishka Gunawardene (24), Marvan Atapattu (29), Kumar Sangakkara (25) and Kaushal Lakuarachchi (28) all chipped in but failed to build substantial partnerships.

Sri Lanka expected another good innings from left-hander Sangakkara who scored unbeaten back-to-back centuries in the previous two matches.

But this time the Lankan wicketkeeper-cum-batsman failed to convert a good start into a big knock, falling in the deep while trying to step up the scoring.

The last Sri Lankan pair of Buddhika Fernando (14 not out) and Prabhat Nissanka (11) scored a brisk 25 off as many balls to give their bowlers some score to defend.

The winners will take on Pakistan in the final on Thursday.

SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka: S.Jayasuriya b Streak 0; A.Gunawardene c Ebrahim b Blignaut 24; M.Atapattu c Taibu b Ervine 29; K.Sangakkara c Flower b Price 25; H.Tillekaratne c Rennie b Streak 31; K.Lakuarachchi c Ebrahim b Hondo 28; K.Dharmasena c Streak b Rennie 16; P.Jayawardene c Taibu b Blignaut 4; B.Fernando not out 14; M.Muralitharan c Taibu b Blignaut 0; P.Nissanka lbw Streak 11; Extras (lb-1, nb-1, w-9): 11
Total: (in 49.1 overs):193
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-51, 3-58, 4-106, 5-129, 6-158, 7-163, 8-168, 9-168
Bowling: Streak 7.1-1-36-3, Blignaut 10-0-33-3, Hondo 10-0-43-1, Ervine 8-1-20-1, Price 10-0-43-1, Rennie 4-0-17-1