Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene (right) deflects a ball for four as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCul-lum reacts in their Cricket World Cup semi-final match at Sabina Park yesterday. Man-of-the-Match Jayawardene scored a match-winning 115 off 109 balls. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

A SUPERB captain's innings of 115 not out by Mahela Jayawardene carried Sri Lanka to an 81-run victory over New Zealand at Sabina Park yesterday and into Saturday's World Cup final.

The 29-year-old skipper was in near impeccable form as he steered the 1996 champions into their second World Cup final - against either defending champions Australia or South Africa - and consigned the BlackCaps to their fifth semi-final loss at the game's premier event.

Electing to bat first on a pitch which possessed no devils, Sri Lanka put together a daunting total of 289 for five off their 50 overs, and then demolished the Kiwis for 208 in 41.4 overs.

Stamped class

Jayawardene came to the crease in the 14th over with his side meandering at 67 for two and slowly but surely stamped his class on proceedings after dangerous opener Sanath Jayasuriya had departed the scene clean bowled by James Franklin for one and struggling 'keeper/batsman Kumar Sangakkara drove the same bowler lamely to New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming after scratching around for 18 runs off 42 deliveries.

The Sri Lankan captain was more than happy to play second fiddle as Upul Tharanga compiled a fortuitous but valuable 73 runs before being bowled around his legs trying to sweep left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori on the Lord Nelson score of 111 in the 26th over.

The departure of the left-handed opener, who struck a beautiful cover drive to the boundary and belted Vettori for six over deep mid-off, but basically sliced and diced his way to his half century, was the catalyst for the diminutive righthander to assert himself upon the game.

His 109-ball knock included 10 fours and three sixes, but those raw figures don't tell the artistry of their compilation. Jayawardene made batting look ridiculously easy as his simple style saw him dissect the New Zealand field with surgeon-like precision.

Impeccable timing

Jayawardene's timing and placement was impeccable, particularly when executing square drives and cuts and the occasional pull.

The only blemish came when he was dropped by Shane Bond at deep mid-off off the bowling of the unlucky Jeetan Patel when he was on 70 and the scoreboard reading 221. To add insult to injury, the ball lobbed on to the boundary rope for six.

Along the way on his match-winning journey, Jayawardene found useful allies in Chamara Silva (21), Tillakaratne Dilshan (30) andRussel Arnold (14 not out). Silva and Dilshan both fell victim to ordinary leg before decisions.

The former got a thick inside edge on to his pad off out-of-sorts paceman Bond, but umpire Rudi Koertzen didn't notice, while Dilshan was struck by a Jacob Oram delivery heading down leg side but that didn't deter Simon Taufel from raising the dreaded index finger.

However, those dismissals were mere blips on the radar screen for Jayawardene and his side as 102 runs were plundered off the final 10 overs.

The captain brought up his century in the 49th over with a sweet cut backward of point for four, but he merely acknowledged the milestone with a small fist pump as there was more work to do on the way to a final date in Barbados.

For the Kiwis, Franklin returned the best figures of 2-46 off nine overs, while Bond (1-59), Vettori (1-51) and Oram (1-60) collected a wicket apiece. The luckless Patel bowled better than his figures of 0-62 off 10 indicated.

New Zealand's run chase began disastrously when Fleming was trapped in front by paceman Lasith Malinga (1-21) for one with the score on two in only the second over.

Quick pace

The slingy quick's pace and line continually troubled the Kiwi top order and he was unlucky not to pick up more wickets in his opening burst of four overs for five runs as he constantly beat the outside edge of NZ bats in front of an enthusiastic but nowhere near full Sabina Park crowd.

After struggling No. 3 Ross Taylor was trapped in front by veteran left-armer Chaminda Vaas for nine and the scoreboard illuminating 32, opener Peter Fulton and all-rounder of the tournament Scott Styris launched a counter-attack.

The pair took a particular liking to the offerings of medium quick Dilhara Fernando (0-45 off five overs) and clobbered him for two sixes off one over, but when Styris (37-2x4, 3x6) chipped to Jayawar-dene at mid-wicket off fresh bowler Dilshan (2-22) in the 22nd over - soon after the Kiwi 100 came up, a game-ending collapse was triggered with the teamin black losing six wickets for 44 runs as master spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (4-31) and Jayasuriya (2-57) preened themselves against a rattled foe.

Only a face-saving final wicket partnership of 59 between Franklin (30 not out) and Patel (34) spared the Kiwis from abject humiliation.Fulton top scored for New Zealand with 46 (2x4, 1x6), while hobbled Craig McMillan, using a runner, blasted 25 in an otherwise meek capitulation from a team renowned for its fighting spirit.