http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 V West Indies – Match Preview
Sri Lanka and West Indies are all set to battle it out in the grand finale of the latest edition of the ICC World T20 Championship, here at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, today, October 7, 2012.
Jayawardene’s men will not only have the home advantage, they also have the services of more experienced and seasoned players. Some of the players in the Sri Lankan squad have played in the three world cup finals over the last five years, albeit losing all three – skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779 being at the top.
Jayawardene, who has opened the innings for the islanders alongside Tillakaratne Dilshan, has led the side from the front with the bat in the tournament right from the start. No other opening batsmen has been so authoritative in this tournament as Jayawardene, not even swashbuckling West Indies opener Chris Gayle. He is the leading run getter for his country in the tournament so far, with a tally of 210 runs from six innings, at 42.00.
Opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AD-Mathews-c913 and Thisara Perera.
On the other side of the coin, the West Indies cricket team is one of the most consistent teams in the tournament, something the Caribbean cricketers have been lacking of late. The resurgence of Caribbean cricket, though in the shortest format only, has been led by two proud and passionate Jamaicans, swashbuckling Chris Gayle and the calm and cool http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Marlon-Nathaniel-Samuels-c74804.
Chris Gayle, who was restored to the side in June after a gap of more than a year, has been in his epic form throughout the tournament. With 219 runs from five innings, the Jamaican left-hander is second only to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SR-Watson-c2558 on tournament’s score chart.
Samuels, who proved himself to be a serious Test batsman against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 earlier this year, has performed consistently in the tournament and is West Indies’ second highest run getter in the tournament with a tally of 152 runs at an average above 30, including two half centuries.
They also have some of world’s best T20 players in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJ-Bravo-c1379 and Kieron Pollard, but they would love to rally around the swashbuckling Jamaican left-hander, who is the pivotal force in the Caribbean contingent.
There were news of Gayle not being 100 percent fit, after West Indies comprehensive 74-run semi-final win over Australia, on Friday. But the visiting skipper rubbished the reports and confirmed the lanky hard-hitting opener will be out there on Sunday.
“Nobody is going to make http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJG-Sammy-c1382 on the eve of the match.
“He gives us a good start at the top. In any team, once he is going, it's good for the team,” he added further.
The R Premadasa wicket used for the second semi-final, between Australia and West Indies, did not assist spinners as much as it did during Pakistan-Sri Lanka tie. Going by Sri Lankan batsmen’s ability to play spin well, one can expect more turn on Sunday.
Squads:
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Jeevan Mendis, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BAW-Mendis-c1127, 11 Rangana Herath/Akila Dananjaya
West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Samuel-Badree-c88341.
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