Sri Lanka are set to accommodated New Zealand in the aboriginal semi-final of ICC World Cup 2011, at Colombo, on Tuesday, March 29. This will be followed by a much-awaited India-Pakistan affray at Mohali on March 30.
Before I accord my predictions about how the semi-finals are acceptable to go, here’s how the endure two quarter-finals panned out:
Sri Lanka inflicted a accomplished 10-wicket defeat on England, in the endure quarter-final, to set up a semi-final affray with New Zealand, who had beforehand abashed South Africa, in the third quarter-final.
When England won the bung and adopted to bat, there were those who anticipation Strauss had counterbalanced the allowance adjoin the hosts, on a wicket accepted to favour the aggregation batting first. Afterwards the accident of three wickets, with beneath than a hundred runs on the board, England recovered able-bodied and at 186 for 3 in the 43rd over appeared set to column a absolute able-bodied in balance of 250. The accident of two wickets in alternating assurance in the batting Power Play was a draft from which Strauss’s men never recovered.
Though the ambition of 230 that England assuredly set Sri Lanka was never traveling to be enough, the affluence with which Sri Lanka chased it down was a bit of an anticlimax.
The arrangement of John Wright and Alan Donald as coaches, at the captain of the New Zealand squad, has paid off handsomely, afterwards New Zealand exhausted South Africa, in what was billed by some as the action of the chokers.
Electing to bat, afterwards acceptable the toss, the Kiwis were bargain to 16/2 in the sixth over, and an aboriginal epitaph appeared in order. Ryder recovered his anatomy if he bare it a lot of and in the aggregation of Taylor, steadied the ship. At 153/3 in the 38th over, Vettori’s men appeared assertive for a 250-plus total. A approved accident of wickets saw the Kiwis belted to 221, a account that appeared bashful on a arena area India had acquaint 370/4 in the cup opener.
The accident of Hashim Amla’s wicket in the aboriginal over of South Africa’s hunt did annihilation to change the acumen that the ambition set was too low to agitation the Proteas. At 108/2, afterwards 24 overs, this acumen had acquired strength. Even when, on the next ball, Kallis got out bent ablaze by Oram off Southee on the mid-wicket fence, there was no adumbration of what was to follow. De Villiers was still there, batting on 25, and appeared set for a big knock.
As it transpired, Duminy ancient aboriginal and De Villiers was run out anon thereafter and suddenly, the Proteas were 121/5. It was Jacob Oram’s day as the big-built all-rounder took three wickets to drive the final attach in.
Here, again are my predictions:
First semi-final: Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand: Sri Lanka to win
Second semi-final: India Vs Pakistan: India to win
So adhere your seat-belts and anticipate an agitative final amid India and Sri Lanka at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on April 2.