By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka recorded their fifth straight World Cup win against New Zealand when they beat the Black Caps by five wickets here Tuesday to enter their second succesive final.
The other highlights:
* Sri Lanka’s five wicket convincing win is their sixth out of nine played against New Zealand in the World Cup.
* Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has become the first skipper to make 400 runs in the present competition, aggregating 417 at 104.25, including one hundred and three half-centuries. He has received two Man-of-the-Match awards at the World Cup – both in the present tournament against New Zealand. He has become the sixth skipper to amass 400 runs or more in a World Cup tournament. He has joined Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, Australia’s Ricky Ponting (twice), India’s Sourav Ganguly, New Zealand’s Martin Crowe and South Africa’s Graeme Smith.
* In the history of the World Cup, Sangakkara is the second wicketkeeper to make 400 runs and effect ten or more dismissals (13) – nine catches and four stumpings – in the competition. Adam Gilchrist has registered the feat twice – in 2002-03 and 2006-07. He has also posted his seventh fifty at the World Cup.
* Upul Tharanga became the first batsman to hit 50 fours (52) in the present tournament. He has amassed 393 runs at an average of 65.50 in eight matches.
* Muttiah Muralitharan represented Sri Lanka for the last time at home, taking his wicket tally to 154 (ave.24.62) in 109 ODIs. He has become the first Sri Lankan bowler to capture 15 wickets at an average of 16.80 in eight games in the present edition. His economy rate of 4.00 is splendid.
* Lasith Malinga has captured eleven wickets at 20.72 runs apiece in six games – the second highest for Sri Lanka in the present competition.
* Ajantha Mendis (3-35) has produced his best figures at the World Cup, eclipsing the 2-24 against New Zealand at Mumbai on March 18. His splendid economy rate of 3.14 is the best in the present tournament (minimum seven wickets).
* Tillakaratne Dilshan (467), at an average of 66.71 in eight matches, is the leading run-scorer in the present competition, overtaking the 422 (ave.60.28) in seven games by England’s Jonathan Trott. He has hit 58 fours – the highest by any batsman in the tenth edition of the World Cup. He became the first batsman to register two hundreds apart from two half-centuries.
* For the first time in One-day Internationals, Dilshan has registered 400 runs in a competition, outstripping the 353 (ave.70.60) in five matches against India in 2009-10.
* New Zealand’s Tim Southee has dismissed 18 batsmen at an average of 17.33 in eight games – the second highest tally in the 2011 World Cup, next only to Shahid Afridi (21). His figures are the second best by a New Zealander in a World Cup competition. Geoff Allott had captured 20 wickets at an average of 16.25 in the 1999 World Cup.
* Scott Styris (57 off 77 balls) registered his sixth fifty at the World Cup – his 28th in ODIs. He took his tally to 909 (ave.53.47) in 26 matches. He is also second in the list of top run-scorers for New Zealand at the World Cup. Stephen Fleming had amassed 1075 at an average of 35.83 in 33 matches.
* New Zealand have been at the receiving end in all six World Cup semifinals they have featured in.