GROS ISLET, May 12 Sri Lanka qualified for the ICC 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 (partly reported in Wednesday's edition).

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, having faced 37 balls with three sixes and two fours.

However, with three needed off the last ball, Kapugedera carved Nehra over cover for six to finish on 37 not out.

Sri Lanka were rocked by the early loss of star batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya for a combined total of just four.

Jayawardene's previous scores this tournament were 81, 101, 98 not out and nine. But he was out third ball for four when he nicked a good length delivery from Nehra and was caught at slip by Yusuf Pathan.

Veteran left-hander Jayasuriya was out for a duck when he pulled Kumar straight to Dinesh Karthik at deep midwicket.

Dilshan made 33 at better than a run-a-ball before he swung Pathan to Yuvraj Singh at deep backward square.

But Sangakkara hit back with a 33-ball innings featuring three sixes and two fours before he was bowled middle stump missing a cut shot against Kumar.

Sangakkara's exit left Sri Lanka 105 for four in the 15th over.

Kapugedera was given a reprieve on seven when, looking to guide Nehra through third man he edged behind but a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's captain and wicket-keeper, couldn't hold the one-handed chance.

Suresh Raina top scored with 63 for India on the ground where he made a century against South Africa earlier in the tournament.

India were well-placed for a big score at 90 for one at the halfway stage but Sri Lanka, led by unorthodox quick Lasith Malinga (two for 25), restricted them to just 73 runs from the second 10 overs.

Scoreboard

INDIA

K.D. Karthik c and b Malinga 13
G. Gambhir c Sangakkara b Malinga 41
S.K. Raina c J'dene b Thushara 63
M.S. Dhoni not out 23
Yuvraj Singh c J'dene b Thushara 1
Y.K. Pathan c Kapugedera b Perera 13

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-6, NB-1) 9
Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 163
FALL OF WKTS 1-29, 2-96, 3-144, 4-147, 5-163.

DID NOT BAT Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, R. Vinay Kumar, A. Nehra.

BOWLING Mathews 3-0-29-0 (1nb); Perera 3-0-15-1 (1w); Thushara 4-0-41-2 (3w); Malinga 4-0-25-2; Randiv 3-0-25-0 (1w); Dilshan 2-0-14-0 (1w); Jayasuriya 1-0-12-0.

SRI LANKA

M. Jayawardene c Pathan b Nehra 4
S.T. Jayasuriya c Karthik b Kumar 0
T.M. Dilshan c Yuvraj b Pathan 33
K.C. Sangakkara b Kumar 46
A.D. Mathews run out 46
C.K. Kapugedera not out 37
N.L.T.C. Perera not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1
TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 167
FALL OF WKTS 1-4, 2-6, 3-49, 4-105, 5-161.

DID NOT BAT C.U. Jayasinghe, S. Randiv, T. Thushara, S.L. Malinga.

Bowling Nehra 4-0-44-1; Vinay Kumar 4-0-30-2; Harbhajan Singh 4-0-35-0; Pathan 3-0-23-1; Piyush Chawla 4-0-28-0; Yuvraj Singh 1-0-6-0.

RESULT Sri Lanka won by five wickets.

UMPIRES Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and S.J. Davis (Australia).
TV UMPIRE I.J. Gould (England).
MATCH REFEREE A.G. Hurst (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH Angelo Mathews.—AFP