Tharanga steadies Sri Lankan ship

Upul Tharanga's run-a-ball 50 compensated for the early loss of Sanath Jayasuriya as Sri Lanka reached 111 for two from 25 overs of their World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Sabina Park.

Tharanga (73no) lost his opening partner in only the third over after Sri Lanka had chosen to bat first on a sunny morning when the expected new-ball threat from Shane Bond did not materialise.

Instead, James Franklin took both wickets to keep the Kiwis in contention on a pitch offering pace and bounce.

Bond's first over was poorly directed and went for nine runs, made up of two leg-glances for four and a wide.

Franklin found his bearings more quickly and was rewarded with the first breakthrough in his second over and another success in his second spell 54 runs later.

Jayasuriya was being targeted by Bond in pre-match bluster but it was the left-armer who got the danger man, bowled aiming across a full ball.

Tharanga might have gone for just one run had Ross Taylor's throw from cover hit one stump as a fretful Jayasuriya pushed for a single to get off the mark.

The Kiwis were unable to part Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara, though, until the number three tried to hit Franklin over the top and instead mistimed a catch low to Stephen Fleming at mid-on.

Tharanga was joined by a watchful Mahela Jayawardene, who was happy to allow the opener to continue to provide the momentum in a half-century which contained eight boundaries.

When Daniel Vettori was introduced Tharanga upped the ante to take 12 off the slow left-armer's second over - including a flat six driven over extra-cover - and New Zealand were not helping themselves with some increasingly shoddy work in the field.