Sri Lanka qualifies by knocking out India

GROS ISLET, May 12, 2010 (AFP) - Sri Lanka qualified for the World Twenty20 semi-finals after their five-wicket last ball win over India and Australia's six-wicket victory against the West Indies combined to send them into the last four here on Tuesday.





Chamara Kapugedera's six off the final ball saw Sri Lanka to a dramatic win after man-of-the-match Angelo Mathews and captain Kumar Sangakkara both made 46 to revive the innings after a top-order collapse.

Sri Lanka, last year's losing finalists, will now face England in Thursday's first semi-final.

India - who lost all their Super Eights matches - had to win by at least 20 runs to keep their own slim semi-final hopes alive.

Having made 163 for five, that meant restricting Sri Lanka to 143 or under.

But their hopes of doing that ended when Kapugedera struck Vinay Kumar a full toss for six off the penultimate ball of the 19th over, a shot that knocked India out of the tournament.

Kapugedera repeated the dose next ball and Sri Lanka needed 13 to win off the last over.

Mathews put them in sight by smashing the first ball of the 20th over, from left-arm quick Ashish Nehra for six.

But he was run out off the fifth ball going for a tight single by bowler Nehra's direct hit, havin