WT20 as it happened: SL beat Pak by 16 runs to enter finals

Pakistan 123-7 after 20 oversUmar Akmal 29, Gul 10-0-1-1-4-0: What a fantastic last over from Kulasekara to take Sri Lanka to the finals of the World T20. The first two deliveries were slow and Akmal couldn't get anything off them. SL have beaten Pakistan by 16 runs. Their bowling was simply master-class.Pakistan 117-7 after 19 oversUmar Akmal 24, Gul 1Malinga may not have taken any wickets, but his four overs have cost just 19 runs. He doesn't go for the block-hole, but just keeps it full outside off-stump-- limiting the batsmen to ones and twos.WICKET! Pakistan 113-7 after 17.4 oversSohail Tanvir st Sangakkara b Mendis 8 (13b, 1x4, 0x6)Wild swing of the bat from Tanvir before he misses and sees a jubilant Sangakkara stump him. This is pressure now.Pakistan 101-6 after 17 oversUmar Akmal 16, Tanvir 7Umar Akmal looks unfazed by all the wickets falling around him. But that's the attitude that might get him going and win it for Pakistan. But Sri Lanka's bowlers are keeping the loose balls out, forcing the batsmen to make room for themselves in the quest for runs. Sohail Tanvir has also got a boundary now, hitting one over mid-wicket for four.WICKETS! Pakistan 91-6 after 14.2 oversMohammad Hafeez st Sangakkara b Herath 42 (40b, 4x4, 1x6)Shahid Afridi b Herath 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6)He did everything he could... but luck has finally run out. He was lucky to be dropped by Malinga but when he comes down the track and misses, Sangakkara makes no mistake in stumping him. On the very next ball, Shahid Afridi is bowled with an arm ball. What a performance from Herath.https://twitter.com/cricketwallah/status/253893397595697153Pakistan 83-4 after 13 oversHafeez 41, Umar Akmal 1Has Malinga just dropped the World Cup? Hafeez, who has been Pakistan's best batsman so far lofted one straight to Malinga at long-on and the Lankan pacer has dropped it. After that, he slams two fours and a six.WICKET! Pakistan 64-4 after 11 oversShoaib Malik b Herath 6 (7b, 0x4, 0x6)What a delivery! Top notch from Herath as the ball spins inside out and clips Malik's bails. Pakistan in dire straits.WICKET! Pakistan 57-3 after 9.4 oversKamran Akmal c Jayawardene b Mathews 1 (2b, 0x4, 0x6)And again! Mathews' over has turned the game completely in favour of Sri Lanka. Kamran Akmal heaves at the ball and is out after Mahela takes a simple catch. That's a big wicket.[caption id="attachment_479972" align="alignleft" width="380"] AP[/caption]WICKET! Pakistan 55-2 after 9.1 oversNasir Jamshed lbw b Mathews 4 (8b, 0x4, 0x6)A slight change of pace does Jamshed in. He misses his attempt to play the ball off his pads and Mathews gets his man. Hafeez has struck the odd boundary in the innings, but Sri Lanka could actually defend this total.WICKET! Pakistan 31-1 after 6 oversImran Nazir b Mendis 20 (21b, 3x4, 0x6)Bowled! A bit unlucky for Nazir as the ball strikes his pads and trickles onto the stumps. He was looking pretty stable but SL have found a break.Pakistan 24-0 after 4 oversHafeez 2, Nazir 15Sri Lanka's bowlers have not disappointed one bit. They haven't given away a single boundary in the last two overs and that means a lot in powerplay. Hafeez and Nazir have stuck it out with the ones and twos.Pakistan 15-0 after 2 oversHafeez 1, Nazir 12Two brilliant shots from Nazir— the first one sent over covers with a punch off his back-foot and the other past third-man as he just opens the face of his bat and uses the pace.PAKISTAN COME OUT TO BATSri Lanka 139-4 after 20 oversPerera 11, Mathews 1016 runs from the last over mean that SL have reached a total of 139. Two cracking boundaries from Perera helping on the way to a total that can be defended if they get a few early breakthroughs. But credit to Pakistan's bowlers for keeping it extremely tight.WICKET! Sri Lanka 118-4 after 18.1 oversJ Mendis st Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 15 (18b, 1x4, 0x6)Ajmal strikes. His turn completely beats Mendis, who had come down the track to hit that one out of the park. Kamran Akmal could have stumped him twice on that occasion.WICKET! Sri Lanka 117-3 after 17.5 oversT Dilshan lbw b Umar Gul 35 (43b, 3x4, 0x6)Gone this time. Gul had Mendis out LBW too, but that turned out to be a no-ball. But when Dilshan's given out after he's hit on his back-leg, the decision stands.Sri Lanka 114-2 after 17 oversDilshan 34, J Mendis 14They have been patient, but maybe a bit too much. Just two fours in the last three overs mean that Pakistan are actually on the front foot in this game. Expect some desperate shots in the last three overs.Sri Lanka 100-2 after 15 oversDilshan 28, J Mendis 7Dilshan is now in-charge of the big shots. He gets a full-toss from Afridi and thumps it over mid-wicket. Mendis continues to use the reverse sweep-- something they have a lot in this match.WICKET! Sri Lanka 84-2 after 12.5 oversKumar Sangakkara c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Hafeez 18 (11b, 3x4, 0x6)Sanga started off pretty well with three fours, but then the T20 greed-factor comes to play. He comes down the track and tries to hit it over long-on, doesn't get the room and distance and is taken.[caption id="attachment_479820" align="alignleft" width="380"] AP[/caption]WICKET! Sri Lanka 63-1 after 10.2 oversMahela Jayawardene c Raza Hasan b Shahid Afridi 42 (36b, 7x4, 0x6)He got carried away. Mahela Jayawardene, who was playing quite the innings of his tournament, tries a premeditated sweep shot and is taken at short fine-leg. Good thinking from Pakistan and it has worked.Sri Lanka 62-0 after 10 oversJayawardene 42, Dilshan 16It's a skippers innings, this one. He treats Afridi as he does Hasan and both have been dispatched to the fence with ease. There was however, a shot which just fell short of Malik in the covers.Sri Lanka 44-0 after 8 oversJayawardene 30, Dilshan 11Sri Lanka are taking this patiently. There has hardly been a high shot and Pakistan's bowlers need to think of a way to get these two out. The run-rate, at around 5.50 per over, is not quite the envy but Pakistan need a breakthrough.Sri Lanka 34-0 after 6 oversJayawardene 23, Dilshan 8Mahela is on fire, and he's playing some fantastic no-risk shots for the quick runs. Sohail Tanvir has no doubt troubled the two batsmen but they make up for his overs by scoring two boundaries in Ajmal's over. The reverse sweep from Jayawardene was especially delightful.Sri Lanka 20-0 after 4 oversJayawardene 14, Dilshan 6Tanvir has kept it tight, but Raza Hasan's gets smacked towards square-leg for four after a lovely sweep shot from Mahela. He has looked pretty good in the tournament but has failed to convert these good starts to big innings. Is today the day?Sri Lanka 12-0 after 2 oversJayawardene 8, Dilshan 4Two boundaries for each of the batsmen. Dilshan cut away his expertly while Mahela glanced it past fine-leg. Sohail Tanvir though, has delivered some pretty good balls. SL need to be careful.Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat firstSri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Ajantha MendisPakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan