Hats off to Chris Gayle. Every opposition captain knows that if you remove the charismatic opener you have a far greater chance of beating the West Indies. Yet, match after match they seem unable to get him out until it's too late, if at all.
Against the Aussies, he plundered a typical bravura 75 not out which, assisted by a brutal Pollard cameo, set Bailey's men a target which was way out of their reach. Shane Watson had earlier won four consecutive Man of the Match awards and now Gayle has struck three successive half-centuries. Sri Lanka must now be a bit nervous as they prepare for a world final on home territory.
Their own victory over Pakistan highlighted the special trio at the top of the batting order, especially Mahela Jayawardene who has long been a favourite of mine in any format. Their batting has a frail look further down the order apart, maybe, from Angelo Matthews. Nevertheless, on paper the Sri Lanka bowling looks stronger, from the formidable Malinga and under-rated Kulasekera to the spin of Herath and the two Mendises.
Twenty20 cricket, of course, is not played on paper and is more unpredictable than any team sport I can think of. I don't know whether home advantage has been the key factor but Sri Lanka have deserved to reach the final. Their only defeat so far has been in the 7-over slogathon at the hands of South Africa, with a further Super Over narrow squeak over New Zealand and perhaps the cup is destined to nestle in the capable hands of Mahela.
But the Windies have surprised me at the ease of their progress, particularly in the semis at the expense of the other form team. Darren Sammy has the look of a man who doesn't really believe he is he captain of an international side on the verge of success. It's been so long since a Caribbean team have looked world-beaters, two decades in the shadows of Lloyd, Richards, Lara, Marshall, Walsh et al. OK, so it's only T20, but a trophy of any kind will give West Indian cricket a shot in the arm it so badly needs. T20 is a game where one innings can win a match and, if Gayle falls short, Bravo or Samuels has to step up and deliver a match-winning score. A spinning wicket will hurt them but they do have a genuine chance. Form teams have a habit of coming a cropper in this type of competition and that may well give the West Indies the confidence and motivation to beat the local favourites and keep the T20 World Cup out of Asian hands for another two years.