West Indies secured the last place in the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament, with what turned out to be a thumping 84 run victory over Pakistan in Mirpur.
Previous results in the pool matches, brought these two sides together in what was effectively a quarter final. The winners progressing to the knockout stages, where Sri Lanka await them, and the losers heading home.
Having started their campaign with a dismal seven wicket defeat to India in their opening game, the defending champions from the Caribbean have improved game on game, and appear to be timing their challenge to retain the title perfectly.
For much of the West Indies innings, the Pakistan bowlers had held the upper hand, and the batsmen were held in check.
However, the last five overs of their innings changed the whole complexion of the match, and possibly the competition. The holders, blasting 82 runs from those final overs, and nearly doubling their total in the process, as they reached 166-6.
Pakistan lost a wicket to the first ball of their innings, and were eventually dismissed for 82 in the 18th over. Leg spinner, Samuel Badree and mystery spinner Sunil Narine each claimed three wickets, as the Pakistanis once more choked on the big occasion.
Sri Lanka had won their own shootout the previous day, against New Zealand, to claim their semi final place. They did so in similar fashion to the Thursday opponents, the West Indies
Having scored just 119, Sri Lanka may well have thought that their tournament was coming to an end. However on a strip that helped the slow bowlers considerably, and in the absence of evening dew to make the ball slippery, the spinners, and in particular, Rangana Herath, the Kiwis were dismissed for a mere 60.
Herath, took an amazing five wickets for three runs, the second best figures in the tournaments history, and Sri lanka will be hoping that he will spin as mesmeric a web against the West Indies in the semi finals.
