Members of the Sri Lankan team carry teammate Muttiah Muralitharan, playing in his last Cricket World Cup, after they beat New Zealand in a semifinal match in Colombo Tuesday. (Reuters) COLOMBO: Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final with a five-wicket win against New Zealand Tuesday as veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said goodbye to his home crowd. Sri Lanka, set a modest 218 to win, wobbled in the middle before reaching its target in 47.5 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (54) setting the foundation at a packed R. Premadasa Stadium. Muralitharan took his 534th wicket off his last ball on home soil as New Zealand was bowled out for a below-par score of 217 in 48.5 overs. Muralitharan, who last year retired from Tests after finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 800, now aims to win his second title — after being part of the 1996 Cup winning squad — in Saturday's final in Mumbai. “This was my last game at home and I got my last wicket with my last ball,” he said. “The same thing happened to me in Test cricket as well. Hopefully our boys will give me a good sendoff.” Sri Lanka, crusing along at 160-1, lost four wickets in the space of 25 runs to raise fears of an unlikely defeat before Thilan Samaraweera (23 not out) and Angelo Mathews (14 not out) guided it home with an unbroken 35-run stand. The victory took Sri Lanka into its second successive World Cup final, after finishing runner-up to Australia in 2007, as a capacity 35,000 celebrated with firecrackers. Sri Lanka plays the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between India and Pakistan in Mohali. New Zealand, which for the sixth time failed in a World Cup semifinal, seemed to be succumbing like England did during its 10-wicket quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, but it staged a brave rearguard action. It was 34-year-old Dilshan who was once again in rampaging mood, taking the co-host to 40 by the eighth over in the company of Upul Tharanga who fell after scoring a 31-ball 30 with four boundaries and a six. Dilshan then found an equally aggressive and in-form partner in captain Sangakkara as they added 120 for the second wicket, before Dilshan played straight into the hands of Jesse Ryder off Tim Southee. Dilshan hit 10 boundaries and a six during his 93-ball knock. Sri Lanka then lost Mahela Jayawardene (one) and Sangakkara in the space of eight runs and then Chamara Silva (13) before the team held its nerve. Dilshan also became the top run-getter of the tournament with 467. It was Ajantha Mendis (3-35) and Lasith Malinga (3-55), along with Muralitharan (2-42), who kept New Zealand under control after Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat. Scott Styris, who top scored with 57, added 77 for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor (36) but the Sri Lankan bowlers never allowed them to run away with a big total, dismissing the Kiwis in 48.5 overs. Styris and Kane Williamson (22) added 42 in the batting powerplay but New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 56 runs. Sri Lanka once again dismissed hard-hitting Brendon McCullum through a spinner when left-armer Rangana Herath bowled him in the eighth over for 13. Martin Guptill (39) and Jesse Ryder (19) took the total to 69 before Muralitharan had the big left-hander caught off a quickish delivery. Soon it became 84-3 when Malinga bowled Guptill with a ferocious yorker after the opener had hit three boundaries off 65 balls. Styris hit five boundaries during his 77-ball knock. “The pressure was building a bit,” Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said at the victory presentation. “We lost quick wickets. But all credit to the bowlers.” New Zealand has now reached the semifinals six times without advancing further. Sangakkara, who was named man of the match, acclaimed Muralitharan's contribution to Sri Lanka. “He is an icon of Sri Lanka as a champion on the field and off the field, as a human being and as a cricketer,” he said. “I don't think there's anyone out there who matches him, he is a fantastic performer, he is a fantastic human being and he's the ultimate team man.”
