Sri Lanka reached the Cricket World Cup final on Tuesday after Muttiah Muralitharan took four wickets to prompt a collapse by New Zealand and earn an 81-run victory.

New Zealand was on course to challenge Sri Lanka's 289 for five wickets in the semifinal at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, but lost seven key wickets for 44 runs to slump from 105 for two to 149 for nine.

Sri Lanka celebrates in front of New Zealand's batsman James Franklin.
(Rick Rycroft/Associated Press)

James Franklin and Jeetan Patel shared a last-wicket stand of 59 to salvage some respectability, but Tillekeratne Dilshan wrapped up the match with more than eight overs to spare when he had Patel caught by Dilhara Fernando for 34.

New Zealand was 208 all out and has now lost five semifinals without ever making a final.

"It was disappointing today," New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said. "But I think we were outclassed.

"It was probably a true reflection of where the sides are at. They have got some big game players.

"They have got a lot of artillery in the bowling attack. And if you do make some bowling mistakes, they can hurt you.

"We did hope we could restrict them to a score in the mid-200s. But we didn't bowl well enough or field well enough."

Sri Lanka, the 1996 World Cup champion, will play Saturday's final against South Africa or two-time defending champion Australia, which contests its semifinal at Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia on Wednesday.

Kiwis needed 290 to win

After captain Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 115 helped Sri Lanka set New Zealand a tough target of 290 to win.

"I'm pretty happy with the effort," Jayawardene said. "The hundred wasn't in my mind.

"I just wanted us to bat for the 50 overs and just be there at the end with a decent score on the board. Everything went very well.

"We have a lot of belief in our batting lineup. We have a lot of guys who chipped in at this tournament."

Jayawardene's bowlers stifled the batsmen early on until Scott Styris and Peter Fulton put their team back in contention.

Styris and Fulton shared a third-wicket partnership of 73 at better than a run a ball, but Styris fell for 37 and the wickets kept tumbling.

Styris, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Fulton and Daniel Vettori fell for the addition of only 11 runs to put Sri Lanka firmly in control.

Pace bowler Lasith Malinga returned after missing three games with a left ankle ligament injury and dismissed Fleming with his third delivery, leg-before-wicket to a ball that was set to just clip the top of off stump.

Malinga marked his return to the team with an opening spell of one wicket for five runs off four overs, including two maidens.

Ross Taylor was out LBW for nine playing across the line to Chaminda Vaas, and New Zealand took 90 balls to reach 50 for two.

However, the next 50 came from just 32 as the Black Caps seemed to get back into the game.

Styris had a let off on 17 when he was caught at mid on by Muralitharan off Malinga, but the bowler had no-balled for overstepping.

Styris was eventually out for 37, hitting Dilshan to Jayawardene, spelling the beginning of the end for New Zealand.

Oram, pushed up to No. 5 because Craig McMillan was nursing a stomach muscle injury, was caught and bowled by Muralitharan, who juggled with the catch.

Muralitharan then had McCullum out for nought to a stunning catch on the run by Chamara Silva and Fulton followed in the next over, the 25th, for 46 when he tamely hit Sanath Jayasuriya to Silva at short midwicket.

Vettori fell LBW to Muralitharan and McMillan, who was batting with a runner, went for 25, bowled by Jayasuriya.

Shane Bond became Muralitharan's 53rd World Cup wicket when he was bowled for two, the star spinner finishing with 4-31.

Sri Lankans swing hot bats

New Zealand's batting was in stark contrast to that of Sri Lanka, which smashed 102 runs off its last 10 overs.

Jayawardene hit 10 fours and three sixes after opener Upul Tharanga had hit 73 from 74 balls to provide the platform.

Sri Lanka won the toss, but was initially slowed by the loss of early wickets and a track that proved less bouncy than expected.

Left-handed paceman Franklin bowled opener Jayasuriya in the third over and got rid of Kumar Sangakkara, making it 67-2 off 14 overs.

Jayasuriya was bowled by Franklin for one when, trying to send the ball to midwicket down the leg side, he misjudged a straight delivery.

Sangakkara and Tharanga built a 54-run partnership, but Sangakkara's disappointing form with the bat continued in the next over, the 14th, when he mistimed a drive off Franklin straight to Stephen Fleming at mid on.

That brought Jayawardene to the crease, and the captain initially struggled to give his team's innings any impetus at the 20,000-seat stadium that was less than half full.

He faced 48 balls before hitting his first boundary.

Tharanga, whose place was in doubt after a succession of low scores, beat his previous tournament best score of 64 before being bowled by spinner Vettori at the start of the 26th over.

Umpire Rudi Koertzen incorrectly gave out Silva lbw to Bond to make it 152-4 after 35 overs, the ball clearly taking an inside edge first.

However, Jayawardene finally accelerated and his 64-ball stand with Dilshan ended when his batting partner fell for 30 to Oram after another debatable LBW decision, the ball clearly missing leg stump.

Jayawardene continued to dominate with a series of jabs, cuts and flicks that often made their way to the boundary.

While Jayawardene reached his first World Cup century off 104 balls, Russel Arnold finished 14 not out in an unbeaten partnership of 56 from 30 balls.