Sri Lanka (220-5, Dilshan 73, Southee 3-57) beat New Zealand (217, Styris 57, Mendis 3-35) by 5 wickets, with 13 balls to spare.

The first semi final’s most remarkable feature was its designation as Muttiah Muralidaran’s (Murali’s) last ODI in Sri Lanka. The match itself inspired some uneasiness – most were doubtful that New Zealand could repeat the performance against South Africa that saw them reach the semi final but weary of a semi-final upset against Sri Lanka, in Sri Lanka. The match started out an even contest when Vettori won the toss and elected to bat on what was touted to be the slowest and lowest pitch in this World Cup. It was clear that a small total would be defendable on this ground, and the BlackCaps would have been hopeful as they stepped out to bat.

They got off to a decent start, despite the early loss of Brendon McCullum, who failed to impress in this World Cup. Guptill and Ryder had a good start at building a partnership before Guptill was bowled by a Malinga Yorker and soon afterwards Ryder fell to Murali, leaving the score at 84-3. Thereafter an engaging partnership between Ross Taylor and Scott Styris played out, with Styris scoring a measured and smart fifty while Taylor played the supporting role. When Taylor fell after their 77 run stand, Williamson went after the bowling and scored a quickfire 22. It looked as though New Zealand were in for a big score. Then Williamson fell LBW to Malinga, an LBW that Hawkeye showed would’ve hit the very middle of middle stump. Seven balls and one six later, Nathan McCullum fell for 9 to Malinga’s slower ball, which just found the edge of his bat. Soon thereafter Styris was out LBW to Murali, who had been getting remarkable turn off the pitch. That was Murali’s last ever ball in an ODI in Sri Lanka, and it got him a wicket. It was poetic and fitting for one of the game’s all time greats, a talisman player whose sportsmanship, intensity and broad smile could fire up the dullest of games. Four balls thereafter, Jacob Oram picked out Jayawardena at the long on fence, trying to smash Dilshan for six. Tim Southee and Andy McKay completed the collapse of 6-25 when they fell to Mendis in the space of three balls. What looked like 250 after 40 overs because 217 all out with 7 balls to spare and New Zealand were on the back foot. To win, they would have to top their performance against the Proteas in the quarterfinal.

Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, the opening pair who demolished England in their quarterfinal with a record breaking partnership and 10 wicket win, looked solid as they put on 40 runs in 7 overs. Two balls later Tharanga lashed at a wide-ish ball from Tim Southee and Jesse Ryder took an astounding catch at point. After that, New Zealand had relatively little to cheer about for a long time as Dilshan and captain Kumar Sangakkara put on 140 in 152 balls. The game looked out of New Zealand’s grasp. But when Dilshan was caught by Ryder (off the bowling of Southee, again) for a steady 73 off 93 balls, and Jayawardena fell soon after for 1, Sri Lanka’s brittle and untested middle order was exposed. The game looked even more precarious as Sangakkara fell soon after Jayawardena and Chamara Silva lost his wicket cheaply when he chopped a delivery from Southee onto his stumps. At that point, chasing 218, Sri Lanka were 185-5, with 33 runs still to get and the possibility of being bowled out. An injured Angelo Mathews came out to bat with Jayawardena as his runner. But the excited crowd of the Premadasa would have little more to fear as Mathews played attacking cricket, scoring 14 off just 18 balls. Mathews and Samaraweera were helped by some poor bowling and sloppy fielding at the death from the Kiwis, but in the end the win was convincing and the score chased down with five wickets in hand and 2.1 overs to spare.

Vettori was pragmatic about the loss, especially in light of New Zealand never being considered as contenders for the title, and the Black Caps will undoubtedly go home a proud team with their first World Cup knockout win under their belts.

It was hardly a semi final for the ages, but it sets up the final perfectly – an all-Asian final featuring the old guard of Sangakkara, Jayawardena and Muralidaran against either Pakistan or India, something which will be decided in what is already being called “the mother of all games” and “the greatest match ever”. For Sri Lanka it will be their second consecutive World Cup final appearance and they will give themselves a great chance to reclaim the trophy they won in the subcontinent in 1996. The question that remains is who they will face, and against which backdrop, something we’ll know 24 hours from now when the glory and hype of the Mohali semi final has played itself out.