LEAGUE champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) almost paid the price for a scrappy start before edging Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 2-1 in the first leg semi-final of the TNB Cup at Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.

In the other semi-final, Charity Shield holders Tenaga Nasional drew 2-2 with Sapura in a highly charged match.

KLHC, who had beaten YNS 6-3 and 7-2 in the League, were a jaded side in the semi-finals, and only started playing after Waqas Sharif, a Pakistan import, scored in the 14th minute.

YNS could have increased the lead a few minutes later when Deepak Thakur and Waqas had only KLHC goalkeeper Khairulnizam Ibrahim to beat, but they failed to click and the ball rolled out tamely.

Former national player Ismail Abu saved the blushes for KLHC when he levelled the score off a field attempt in the 27th minute, and then scored the winner in the 43rd minute.

However, a one-goal cushion is no advantage to KLHC, when both the teams square off again in the return leg tomorrow.

YNS played without former India international Prabhjot Singh, who returned home as his wife is due to deliver a baby, and he is not expected to play in the second leg as well.

"I won't call it a slow start, just that we made too many mistakes in midfield and almost paid the price.

"YNS have shown that they are capable of raising their game, and a one-goal cushion is not enough, but still, we are in the lead," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.

YNS coach Hasnizam Ah Sim said they are still in the running, but should have sealed the match yesterday.

"It was a good start, but a bad finish as my players were eager to score the equaliser in the last 10 minutes of the match and almost let in the third goal.

"However, we still have a fighting chance in the final," said Hasnizam.

Meanwhile, Tenaga took their chances well, while Sapura missed numerous sitters in a highly entertaining match.

Faizal Saari got his chance, after national No 1 penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim was sidelined by injury, to hand Tenaga a well deserved lead of a penalty corner attempt in the 13th minute.

Sapura practically camped in Tenaga's circle after that, but brilliant saves by goalkeeper S. Kumar denied them the equaliser.

And in the 54th minute, Faiz Helmi nailed the second goal for Tenaga, but Azreen Rizal pulled one back in the 64th minute for Sapura.

And in the 67th minute, Rodhanizam Radzi scored from a penalty corner rebound to level the score at 2-2, and Tenaga will have to bring out another super show to deny Sapura a spot in the final in the return leg tomorrow.

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PALLEKELE: Tillakaratne Dilshan hopes Sri Lanka's record-breaking surge into the World Cup quarter-finals will provide the spark for a second world title to add to the country's 1996 triumph.

The 34-year-old hit a brilliant 144 during a record World Cup first-wicket stand of 282 with Upul Tharanga (133) to lift Sri Lanka to 327-6 before taking a career-best 4-4 to help bowl Zimbabwe out for 188 on Thursday.

Sri Lanka's comfortable 139-run win lifted them to the top of Group A, with seven points from five matches, making them the first team to reach the quarter-final stages.

They play their last group game on March 18 against New Zealand in Mumbai with Dilshan keen to keep the momentum going into the business end of the tournament.

"After March 18 we have to play our best cricket. We cannot afford to make mistakes with the quarter-final and semi-finals coming up," Dilshan said.

"We know we have qualified but we can't take it easy for the next few matches. We have to play with 100 per cent commitment from the New Zealand match."

Dilshan hopes he can be key to his country's hopes.

"I am happy with my batting and bowling," said Dilshan, who along with Tharanga, missed the record in all ODIs for an opening partnership by just four runs.

Tharanga had featured in that record stand along with Sanath Jayasuriya against England at Leeds five years ago.

"We have no regrets about missing out on the world record. What is important is that since we are playing good cricket and everything is going our way we must keep this performance and momentum intact," said Dilshan.

"We needed a good partnership for a big total and I am happy that we provided that to the team."

Dilshan also came close to a hat-trick by dismissing Sean Ervine and Greg Lamb off successive deliveries only for Mahela Jayawardene to drop a catch off his third ball in the slips.

Dilshan said he was concerned with missing out on another landmark.

"I am very happy with my performance. Missing a hat-trick with Mahela dropping a catch happens in the game. Before that ball he took a great catch and brought me closer to a hat-trick," said Dilshan.

The opener just missed Aravinda de Silva's highest World Cup score of 145 by a Sri Lankan.

"After I got out somebody told me in the dressing room that had I got one more run I would have matched that record, but I was never in the hunt for records, I always play for my team to the best of my ability," said Dilshan.

Dilshan said the whole team looked forward to playing their last group match against New Zealand in Mumbai on March 18. -- AFP

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