<p>Lahiru Thirimanne arrested a top-order slide while Angelo Mathews played a lovely cameo as Sri Lanka posted a fighting 160 for six against defending champions West Indies in the first semi-final of the ICC World T20 here today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Thirimanne scored 44 off 35 balls while Mathews blasted his way in the final two overs smashing 40 off only 23 balls. Veteran opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (39) did not convert a good start while other two seniors Mahela Jayawardene (0) and Kumar Sangakkara (1) did not even get going.<br /><br />Mathews scored 32 runs in the final two overs bowled by Krishmar Santokie and Andre Russell to get Sri Lanka. Mathews had three fours and two sixes in his knock.<br /><br />The worrying point for West Indies could be dashing opener Chris Gayle getting hurt in the shin-bone region while trying to back up for a powerful throw from Marlon Samuels. Gayle limped off the field in the 15th over.<br /><br />The Lankan openers gave a flying start to the innings, getting 32 off the first three overs. It was one such day when opening bowlers Santokie (2/46 in 4 overs) and Samuel Badree (1/23 in 4 overs) did not get the length right in the initial overs. Badree, however, did well in the second spell.<br /><br />After an uppishly driven boundary by Dilshan off Badree past mid-off, young Kusal Perera (26) got stuck into Santokie hitting him for two boundaries in the second over. First was a swing past deep fine leg as he bowled it on pads, the second was picked from outside the off-stump and hit over mid-wicket.<br /><br />In Badree's next over, both Dilshan and Perera used their feet as they hit the leggie for a six each. Perera looked in great touch as he dispatched a Santokie length ball over long-on for his second six as 41 runs were added in 3.5 overs before the left-arm seamer got lucky.<br /><br />It was an ordinary delivery that was short on length and Perera only managed to chop it on to the stumps. Jayawardene was unlucky as Dilshan proved to be a poor judge and Darren Sammy's throw from point caught the non-striker a foot off the crease.<br /><br />With two quick wickets after the initial blast, Sammy quickly changed Badree's bowling end and it yielded result immediately.<br /><br />Badree flighted one and new man Sangakkara couldn't reach to pitch of the delivery while committing a drive to present the bowler an easy return catch.<br />From 41 in four overs, the next six produced only 24 runs and Sri Lanka also lost two wickets in the process.<br /><br />Thirimanne showed positive intent from the onset as Dilshan became an increasingly silent partner in their 42-run fifth-wicket partnership.<br /><br />Dilshan couldn't convert his start as he was run-out in pursuit of another adventurous single as he played it towards mid-off. The single was non-existent and he was rightly sent back his partner Thirimanne but he couldn't beat the direct throw.<br /><br />Dilshan's run-a-ball 39 had two fours and a six. Thirmanne hit a couple of sixes in his 35-ball 44 but failed to pick up a slower one from Santokie as he slashed it straight to point.</p>
<p>Lahiru Thirimanne arrested a top-order slide while Angelo Mathews played a lovely cameo as Sri Lanka posted a fighting 160 for six against defending champions West Indies in the first semi-final of the ICC World T20 here today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Thirimanne scored 44 off 35 balls while Mathews blasted his way in the final two overs smashing 40 off only 23 balls. Veteran opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (39) did not convert a good start while other two seniors Mahela Jayawardene (0) and Kumar Sangakkara (1) did not even get going.<br /><br />Mathews scored 32 runs in the final two overs bowled by Krishmar Santokie and Andre Russell to get Sri Lanka. Mathews had three fours and two sixes in his knock.<br /><br />The worrying point for West Indies could be dashing opener Chris Gayle getting hurt in the shin-bone region while trying to back up for a powerful throw from Marlon Samuels. Gayle limped off the field in the 15th over.<br /><br />The Lankan openers gave a flying start to the innings, getting 32 off the first three overs. It was one such day when opening bowlers Santokie (2/46 in 4 overs) and Samuel Badree (1/23 in 4 overs) did not get the length right in the initial overs. Badree, however, did well in the second spell.<br /><br />After an uppishly driven boundary by Dilshan off Badree past mid-off, young Kusal Perera (26) got stuck into Santokie hitting him for two boundaries in the second over. First was a swing past deep fine leg as he bowled it on pads, the second was picked from outside the off-stump and hit over mid-wicket.<br /><br />In Badree's next over, both Dilshan and Perera used their feet as they hit the leggie for a six each. Perera looked in great touch as he dispatched a Santokie length ball over long-on for his second six as 41 runs were added in 3.5 overs before the left-arm seamer got lucky.<br /><br />It was an ordinary delivery that was short on length and Perera only managed to chop it on to the stumps. Jayawardene was unlucky as Dilshan proved to be a poor judge and Darren Sammy's throw from point caught the non-striker a foot off the crease.<br /><br />With two quick wickets after the initial blast, Sammy quickly changed Badree's bowling end and it yielded result immediately.<br /><br />Badree flighted one and new man Sangakkara couldn't reach to pitch of the delivery while committing a drive to present the bowler an easy return catch.<br />From 41 in four overs, the next six produced only 24 runs and Sri Lanka also lost two wickets in the process.<br /><br />Thirimanne showed positive intent from the onset as Dilshan became an increasingly silent partner in their 42-run fifth-wicket partnership.<br /><br />Dilshan couldn't convert his start as he was run-out in pursuit of another adventurous single as he played it towards mid-off. The single was non-existent and he was rightly sent back his partner Thirimanne but he couldn't beat the direct throw.<br /><br />Dilshan's run-a-ball 39 had two fours and a six. Thirmanne hit a couple of sixes in his 35-ball 44 but failed to pick up a slower one from Santokie as he slashed it straight to point.</p>