LETHAL WEAPONS: The fortunes of New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the first semifinal of the World Cup on Tuesday could be determined by the pace and fire of Shane Bond and Lasith Malinga respectively. — Photos: AFP

Kingston: Tuesday's semifinal between New Zealand and Sri Lanka is supposedly the plain, frumpy sister to the belle primping and preening in front of the mirror at St. Lucia.

Asked who would win the World Cup, English captain Michael Vaughan said, ``Australia or South Africa, whoever wins that one." To Australia's insular press, two matches, not three, remain in the World Cup, and both feature Australia.

The better match

Yet, it is likely the richer, more nuanced and beautiful cricket will be played at the Sabina Park here. The World Cup returns to Kingston, the scene of the macabre murder of Bob Woolmer — the incident that cast a pall over cricket's showpiece.

But, amidst Kingston's poverty and violence, there has always been space for artistic expression of great beauty. Cricket will need to find that space on Tuesday.

Hardly a hairline splits the sides: over the last ten months, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have played each other 11 times; each has won five with one `No Result'.

That these 11 matches constitute nearly a third of New Zealand's one-day games in that period gives credence to a popular hypothesis doing the rounds. It goes like this: each has bared its game to the other to the point of undue familiarity; the difference will therefore lie not in tactical subterfuge but in execution.

Subtlety

It's an interesting hypothesis, but it doesn't account for the subtlety Stephen Fleming and Mahela Jayawardene bring to their captaincy. Both are first-class tacticians, equally capable of strategic overhaul, when necessary, and minor tweaks, which often determine matches.

Both adhere to the first principle of taking wickets, whatever the stage of the game. Jayawardene, however, showed in the game against England that building pressure by choking runs, an old Sri Lankan method, wasn't beneath him.

But, even the most intuitive jockey will struggle with a dud horse; and the bowlers Fleming and Jayawardene have access to make captaincy a lot easier.

``I think they are the most balanced bowling attack here," said Fleming of Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Farveez Maharoof. ``They're unorthodox and provide lots of challenges to our batters."

Malinga offers Jayawardene more than just clinching pace from a sling-shot action that's tough to pick. Such is his athleticism and looseness of limb that he can reach terminal velocity and hit the right area with the first ball of a new spell.

Jayawardene can hence use him in short spells — even just an over long — through the innings. Malinga's strike-rate of 17.2 this World Cup, the best thus far, proves such short spells are sufficient to change the game.

Sri Lanka will pray he recovers. With Muralitharan, Malinga reduces the nature of the playing strip to irrelevance. In any case, the side has the variety in bowling to exploit the Sabina Park track, whichever way it turns out.

Considerable variety

Fleming has considerable variety to pick from himself. Shane Bond is expected to recover from the stomach condition that kept him from the game against Australia.

His swing and change of pace — throttling both up and down — have ensured his second and third spells are often game-breaking. He makes Scott Styris twice the bowler.

Fleming should also be able to call upon Jacob Oram's back-of-a-length defence. A recurring heel injury caused the management to rest him against Australia as a precaution, but the 6 foot 6 inch all-rounder will almost certainly play on Tuesday.

James Franklin's lefty swing hasn't been at its best, but the conditions here, from the evidence of Group D games, should help him.

Despite being New Zealand's highest wicket-taker this World Cup with 15 wickets, Daniel Vettori hasn't caused a ripple. The Sri Lankans are excellent players of spin, but Vettori's strength of action and intelligence ensure he rarely leaves a contest decidedly second-best.

Batting record

Neither side will look at its batting thus far with satiation. Sanath Jayasuriya has crafted many-textured innings, shoring up, scattering the field, hustling the twos; Jayawardene, since dropping to four from one-drop, averages 66 in five innings with three half-centuries; but, Upul Tharanga is seen as a soft touch, vulnerable to hitting a catch square on the off-side. His dismissal might expose the valuable Kumar Sangakkara early.

New Zealand has had troubles at the top. Stephen Fleming has struck form in the World Cup; but, the last four times he's played Sri Lanka he's been leg before to Vaas for 0.

Ross Taylor, at three, has scrounged just 13 runs against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Australia in Super Eight games.

Silver linings are visible if looked for properly: Peter Fulton averages over 52 against Sri Lanka (career average of 35.34); Styris's love affair with the Caribbean endures.

Fleming has insisted his side has recovered from the 215-run defeat to Australia and the loss to Sri Lanka in the Super Eight.

He said his side is ``dangerous now that we have two games to win". He will know, however, that New Zealand hasn't won a semifinal in four previous attempts.

The teams (from): New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt.), Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Brendon McCullum (wk), Craig McMillan, Michael Mason, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Chris Martin, Daniel Vettori, and Hamish Marshall.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Russel Arnold, Marvan Atapattu, Malinga Bandara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, and Chaminda Vaas.

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen and Simon Taufel. TV umpire: Daryl Harper.

Match referee: Mike Procter.

Hours of play (IST): 8 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. and 12.15 a.m. till close.

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