Black Caps Packed Off, Sri Lanka in World Cup Final

New Zealand's world cup dream is finally over. The Kiwis failed to break the semi-final jinx and surrendered meekly before a spirited Sri Lankan team led by Mahela Jayawardene. Skipper Jayawardene scored a fine unbeaten century to guide Sri Lanka reach 289/5 in stipulated 50 overs. In reply, New Zealand never looked in hunt and bowled out for a paltry 208 with more than 8 overs to spare.

Earlier, Upul Tharanga's half-century gave the Lankans a steady start. However, the turning point of the match was the final 20 overs in which Sri Lanka scored 160 runs. The last 10 overs produced 102 runs. New Zealand looked shaky from the very beginning and surrendered before Murali's spin. Murali took 4 wickets. Fulton (46) was the top scorer for New Zealand. Now Sri Lanka will meet the winner of the Australia - South Africa match in the final. The lions are all set to stake claim on their second world cup title.