Overview

Few would have predicted in the build-up to the World Twenty20 that, heading into the semi-finals, England would be the form team of the competition. It's hard to believe that they themselves could have expected so much considering that in the 30 T20 games they've played the Britons have only managed 13 wins, but nonetheless they find themselves on the verge of a spot in the final.

The key to England's rise has been that they have excelled in all three disciplines; when Ryan Sidebottom is taking a blinder of a catch over his shoulder you know your fielding is on the up, when your spinners are troubling even the sub-continent teams and your batsmen fearlessly flay any attack they face to the fence, the result is an incredibly dangerous team.

In contrast Sri Lanka have for the most part flattered to deceive in the Caribbean. Mahela Jayawardene has enjoyed an incredible tournament, and in reality nearly single-handedly propelled his team into the final four.

Thankfully for Kumar Sangakkara's troops in their must-win clash with India they showed that even when Jayawardene fails they still possess the firepower to win matches, and crucially the BMT to perform when it really matters.

Potential Match-Winners

England: Eyebrows were raised when Craig Kieswetter was selected as England's only 'keeper for the tournament, but the youngster has proved his worth with the bat, hammering his fair share of sixes. In his brief knock against the Kiwis last time out, Kieswetter demonstrated the importance of coming out all guns blazing, with the fourteen he smashed off the opening over immediately putting the Black Caps on the back foot - a position they were never able to recover from. But England will not only need Kieswetter to fire for longer, but also to prove that he has what it takes behind the stumps - chances are at a premium in a twenty-over match, and a dropped catch or missed stumping chance could prove the difference between winning and losing.

Sri Lanka: A strange choice perhaps given his woeful form at the start of the competition, but that could make Tillakaratne Dilshan even more dangerous with the focus shifted to Mahela Jayawardene as the primary threat. DIlshan began to show some glimmers of form and self- belief during the clash with India, where before he has looked half the man who took the T20 world by storm in the same tournament last year. Should Dilshan find his feet now, the English bowlers will have a tough task on their hands.

Prediction

History certainly doesn't give one anything to fall back on in terms of head-to-head clashes, with the two teams having only met once way back in 2006, where Sri Lanka claimed a two-run victory. But if we remain in the present it's hard to look past England for this one, purely based on form. The Sri Lankans will be on a high after their last-ball win over India, and certainly have the players to go all the way but whether they'll hit their straps at the right time remains to be seen.

Squads

England: Paul Collingwood (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad , Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thissara Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Welegedera, Nuwan Kulasekera.