Here is the report.
A leisurely cruise for England, who can be happy that the cogs in their white ball side aren’t too rusty. Classic Buttler with the bat, helped by Roy and some Bairstow biffing at the end. Neat bowling from Hasaranga. Sri Lanka’s innings had threatened to fizzle out in less than three figures, but Shanaka and Perera hauled them up to the edge of respectability.
The player of the match is: Jos Buttler. “ A master class,” according to Eoin Morgan. In his soft-assassin voice Buttler tells us, “The thing about batting in partnerships is it allows you to try and sit in and keep Roy back on strike. I think it was a fantastic performance from the boys, early wickets in the power play always keep you in the game.”
That’s it from me. Thanks for the messages. These two teams are back tomorrow - follow it here! Good night.
England win by eight wickets! (Bairstow 13, Buttler 68)
A fluffed chance by Perera hands victory to England. Easy pickings, experience showed her steady hand.
17th over: England 129-2 (Bairstow 13, Buttler 67) A boundary for Jonny! Two! A reverse-sweep for four and a slog-sweep for six, down on one knee, into the stand. Dananjaya’s figures ruined.
16th over: England 117-2 (Bairstow 2, Buttler 66) The B’s pick up a clutch of singles, and Bairstow has a swish and misses. Then he ducks a bouncer. The end of Udana’s spell : 13 needed.
15th over: England 113-2 (Bairstow 0, Buttler 64) Hasaranga finishes with four overs for 12, smashing little spell. Just one from his last over and has Bairstow hesitating and a gulp from playing on. Sri Lanka turn the screw, if too late.
14th over: England 112-2 (Bairstow 0, Buttler 63) Buttler pans Udana just past his diving hand, flying down the ground for four. Malan must depart without spoils, a strained little cameo.
WICKET! Malan b Udana 6 (England 112-2)
Stumps: splattered! Malan, hadn’t yet found his touch, and is bowled by a perfect length ball that squeezes through the gap.
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13th over: England 105-1 (Malan 6, Buttler 57) Enjoying the blue boots of Hasaranga, and he’s applying the brakes. Clever fizz to his bowling, and Malan and Buttler just pick off a few singles.
Fifty for Buttler!
12th over: England 102-1 (Malan 4 Buttler 55) Buttler is hungry, first tucks into a bottom-handed cheese-burger of a shot off Dananjaya: six. Then a filled baguette to square leg for four to gobble to fifty - off 38 balls.
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11th over: England 87-1 (Malan 4, Buttler 41) Hasaranga, tricky to read - for me anyway - and England squeeze four from him. A good little patch this for Sri Lanka. Malan easing into his usual angles.
10th over: England 80-1 (Malan 1, Buttler 40) A great over from Chameera to bring cheer: just three singles from it and the wicket of Roy.
WICKET! Roy c Gunathilaka b Chameera 36 (England 80-1)
Roy dabbles down the pitch, wheels out a one-legged pan to mid-off where Gunathilaka launches into flight and seizes the ball with his left hand. Mind boggling!
9th over: England 80-0 (Roy 36, Buttler 38) They give Hasaranga, hair dipped in the bleach, a go. And he keeps it tight, just four from it.
England need 50 to win!
8th over: England 76-0 (Roy 33, Buttler 37) Ooof, Roy thwacks Udana ball back at Buttler and hits him on the hand/arm. That looks painful. But Buttler grins through and off we go again. A slower ball, short, dispatched by Buttler through midwicket with no receipt.
“The way they’re going at it, the England players must want to watch the Euros tonight,” writes Abhijato Sensarma.
That would be popular here too! Complaints that France aren’t on in the living room.
7th over: England 67-0 (Roy 30, Buttler 31) A smart bit of work by the keeper who gathers and flicks off the bails, but Buttler’s foot is resolutely in the crease. No boundaries, but still six from the over.
6th over: England 61-0 (Roy 28, Buttler 29) Isuru Udana concedes only two from his first four balls which wobble into a good length. Buttler’s not having that. In the stands some bare-chested loons in red cloaks break into song as he cuts for four through backwards point. Oh and another, over the top.
5th over: England 51-0 (Roy 27, Buttler 20) The fifty fizzes up in 4.4 overs. Sri Lanka plump for off-spinner Akila Dananjaya and Roy sweeps him through square leg to the boundary.
4th over: England 44-0 (Roy 20, Buttler 18) I reckon England want to win this in 15. Roy hammers a six and a four over midwicket. Poor Pradeep then bowls a couple of wides.
“‘Kicking toes to backside as he runs in.’ Without the benefit of a telly, why am I struggling so much to visualise how he’d do that? :)“ asks Damian Clarke. Ah, good point, if we replace toes with heels does that work?
3rd over: England 27-0 (Roy 10, Buttler 16) Jos, it’s good to have you back! Statuesque, he drives Chameera over extra-cover to the rope. He misses his scoop next ball, just to prove he’s human. Chameera then drifts wide and is dispatched through backward point for another. Roy polishes another through mid-wicket andthat’s 13 from the over.
2nd over: England 14-0 (Roy 7, Buttler 6) Buttler plays and misses at Pradeep, who has a dangling silver chain round his neck. Butler introduces some early unorthodoxy with a scoop - but it only brings one. Roy pingos a ball on the pads for a one-legged flick for four.
1st over: England 7-0 (Roy 1, Buttler 4) Chameera, kicking toes to backside as he runs in, beats Roy with two consecutive balls. A frisky thick edge to third man brings a run, then a velvety cover-drive by Buttler oozes four.
No time for tea! Buttler and Roy are already out in the middle.
Impressive and clinical from England. Usual Morgan magic with the bowling changes. Sri Lanka showed their rustiness, though there was some plucky batting from Shanaka and Perera. Time for a quick cup of tea.
Sri Lanka 129-7. England need 130 to win
20th over: Sri Lanka 129-7 (Udana 6) Loving Morgan looking so intense as he talks to Sam Curran about the last over in a game that England are cruising. Shanaka tries to ramp the first but misses, swings at the second and picks up two, does much better third ball, which is short, and flies over backward square for six. The fourth, a slower ball, flies into the Cardiff clouds but lands short of the fielder for two. A full toss brings two more and Shanaka’s fifty - his second IT20 fifty: well played! - before holing out at the end.
WICKET! Shanaka c Buttler b Curran 50 (Sri Lanka 129-7)
Shanaka has a last-ball mow and top-edge pings the ball skywards, it falls into the calm gloves of Buttler.
19th over: Sri Lanka 117-6 (Shanaka 38; Udana 6) The camera pans onto Morgan, who we see making miniscule hand movements. The Morgan magic temporarily malfunctions as Shanaka flicks Jordan over to the leg side where it slides past Woakes over the rope. Ooof! The next is lofted for a up-yours! six and they pass the magic run a ball.
18th over: Sri Lanka 104-6 (Shanaka 26; Udana 5) Rashid has his short sleeved jumper on as he wheels into his last over. Sri Lanka can only pick flecks of paint off him: four from the over and another winning T20 spell with the white ball.
17th over: Sri Lanka 100-6 (Shanaka 24; Udana 3) It’s not good news for Sri Lanka as Jordan, the expert finisher, sleeve on his right arm, comes back for the death. Sri Lanka squeeze three from the over: a reminder that they haven’t played a T20 for over a year.
16th over: Sri Lanka 97-6 (Shanaka 23; Udana 1) Superb from Rashid - it was the googly that did it for Hasaranga. Rashid: 3-0-13-2.
WICKET Hasaranga c Jordan b Rashid 5 (Sri Lanka 96-6)
Hasaranga sashays down the pitch looking for a six and it finds that man Jordan again, this time at long-on.
14th over: Sri Lanka 94-5 (Shanaka 22; Hasaranga 4) Did I say Hasaranga? In fact its Shanaka who tucks into the first two balls of Wood’s over which are rather short and fat. He shovels them both through backward point to the boundary. Wood pulls in back with the last four balls.
“ The contrast between Morgan’s captaincy and Root’s is striking,” writes James Taylor. “Know it’s a different game but Morgan adapts to what’s happening in front of him.”
I think that Morgan was born for the job, whereas Root has been lumbered with it by being the best player. I do think Root is a good man manager though.
14th over: Sri Lanka 84-5 (Shanaka 13; Hasaranga 3) Sri Lanka now in big trouble unless Hasaranga has something up his sleeve.
WICKET! Perera c Jordan b Rashid 30 (Sri Lanka 79-5)
Oh dear. Perera has a go at a googly but manages only to pick out Jordan at mid-off. And Sri Lanka lose their most fluent batter.
13th over: Sri Lanka 79-4 (Shanaka 9; Perera 30) Woakes teases Shanaka, who tries to get a hand to him like a kitten with a cotton reel. Shanaka at last gets a bat on the last ball and pulls Woakes into the deep where Roy charges for the ball, but it falls just short. Nice bit of fielding in the end.
12th over: Sri Lanka 74-4 (Shanaka 7; Perera 29) New batsman? Morgan beckons for Rashid, whose beard seems a little more closely trimmed than usual. No marquee ball this over and Perera and Rashid pick him off for five.
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11th over: Sri Lanka 69-4 (Shanaka 4; Perera 27) Perera has a go, flipping his bat to top edge Wood for six. Wood looks faintly amused, but is parsimonious for the rest of the over.
“With the test batting line up floundering, could this series offer a shop window for Livingstone into the test side as a counter attacking middle order swashbuckler who can bowl a bit of spin?” asks Tom V D Gucht.
I feel like he’s a way off at the moment: in five CC matches this year for Lancashire he’s only averaging ten. But if he could find some red-ball consistency... I’d pick Moeen Ali over him though.
10th over: Sri Lanka 56-4 (Shanaka 2; Perera 18) Sri Lanka winkle out some singles but can’t find the wherewithal to force Livingstone to the boundary. Five from the over.
9th over: Sri Lanka 52-4 (Shanaka 0; Perera 16) Wood: 90, 90, 91 92, 92, 93. Sri Lanka do well to survive the over losing just the one wicket. Shanaka, bewildered, is beaten for pace by his first three balls. Bow down to Eoin Morgan’s bowling changes.
WICKET! de Silva c Rashid b Wood 3 (Sri Lanka 52-4)
de Silva attempts an upper cut off his fourth ball but lathers it to Rashid down at third man.
8th over: Sri Lanka 50-3 (de Silva 1; Perera 16) Liam Livingstone, with a fresh haircut, does the business in his very first over with one that hits Mendis low as he bends for the sweep. An optimistic review.
WICKET! Mendis lbw Livingstone 9 (Sri Lanka 49-3)
The third ump looks, and looks again, for evidence of bat or glove, but there isn’t any. The ball would have clopped middle stump, Perera must go.
REVIEW! Mendis lbw Livingstone....
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7th over: Sri Lanka 45-2 (K Mendis 6; Perera 16) England’s red kit has got son approval. It has red sleeves, with a red-blue grid-like pattern on the torso. Perera and Mendis pick six off Jordan’s over.
The view from Southampton. What brilliant and deserved champions! I’m so happy for them, and especially for Taylor on his last tour of England.
WORLD CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BTm4zdTd65
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 23, 2021
6th over: Sri Lanka 39-2 (K Mendis 2; Perera 14) Curran’s back, and spears one past Mendis’ outside edge. Mendis pulls a single, but in the last over of the power play Sri Lanka can’t burst the boundary.
5th over: Sri Lanka 33-2 (K Mendis 1; Perera10) Gunathilaka nudges Chris Jordan past third man, for his third consecutive four, and, suitably boosted, tries his scoop again. He’s busted.
“I know it’s only 4 overs per bowler, but do England have any of the batsmen who could bowl a few if someone gets injured in the field?” asks John Starbuck. “Morgan doesn’t have Root, who might have bowled a couple and done well; is Livingstone a part-timer?”
I’m not going to tell Lancashire fans you asked that.
WICKET! Gunathilaka c Buttler b Jordan 19 (Sri Lanka 31-2)
Gunathilaka tries his scoop again but, alas, gets a top edge which flies high and plops into Buttler’s gloves.
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4th over: Sri Lanka 26-1 (Gunathilaka 15; Perera 8) Wood’s first two balls clock up 91mph -but they’re just a sweetener - the next is 94mph. Perera hoiks the fourth and picks up a single, then Gunathilaka drives straight down the ground for four, the next goes more loftily for another. A tasty over for Sri Lanka.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 16-1 (Gunathilaka 6; Perera 7) Gunathilaka has another whoop at the scoop, but misses. Sri Lanka are frisky between the wickets, risking England arms, which you can’t help think will end in disaster sooner or later. An lbw appeal, ignored, then a cross-batted hoop by Perera, past a diving Sam Curran, to the boundary. Curran apologises to Woakes, who looks dashingly anguished.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 9-1 (Gunathilaka 5; Perera 1) Sam Curran, still as boyish as ever, skitters in and gathers Fernando, looking to spread his wings. Curran then bowls one, two wides, we think it could be the wind. Gunathilaka, feeling frisky, then attempts a reverse sweep, which falls flat.
New Zealand have won the World Test Championship by eight wickets! Bravo!
WICKET! Avishka Fernando c Jordan b Curran 0 (Sri Lanka 3-1)
Avishka lauches into Curran but only drives him straight to mid-off where Jordan gathers in a competent crouch.
1st over: Sri Lanka 2-0 (Gunathilaka 1; Avishka 0) Chris Woakes takes the new white ball, in his first T20 since 2015. The clock counts down and the sparse crowd whoop, gently. Gunathilaka tries to break through by lashing Woakes through cover but it is gathered up with a whistle by the fielder. A rusty wide, Gunathilaka picks up a single, and that’s the first over
The players are out! Damn, the graphic disappeared before I could fully note the figures down: Sky had a list of the number of players each team have used since the last T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka have used 47 players in 53 matches.
A missive from Abhijato Sensarma, who has been watching the WTC where New Zealand currently need 14 to win.
Hi Tanya, hope you’re doing well! (The WTC Final loss is bearing down on me at eleven in the night, of course.)
Morgan’s lost a bit of respect in my eyes with the way he’s managed the entire Sir-gate. It’s pretty clear he’s mocking the way many Indians speak the English language in his historical tweets. I don’t understand how someone can be so tone-deaf on social media. And then to go on and deny any wrongdoing, it shows that he has enough influence in the system to avoid any punishment.
In my eyes, he’s lost any moral high ground to Alex Hales. You might say it’s irrelevant to the cricket, but by that logic, so are Hales’ misdemeanours.
Morgan certainly hasn’t satisfied everyone.
A nice piece on Perera’s aims for this series: to play “fearless cricket” and a quick summary of the state of Sri Lankan cricket: inexperienced but enthusiastic.
Well, exactly.
I appreciate that New Zealand will soon become the first world Test champions, but here at Cardiff Chris Woakes is about to play his first T20 international for almost six years. Sri Lanka win the toss and bat.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) June 23, 2021
Speaking of which …
Updated
Nasser and Ian Ward are in bomber jackets, it doesn’t look too warm in Cardiff, but Kumar Sangakkara is in shirt sleeves. Immaculately turned up. They’re discussing Buttler’s best batting position and decide on opener.
So no Moeen Ali or David Willey today, but Morgan did say that he was going to experiment this series - so expect some chopping and changing during the six games.
Team news
England: Roy, Buttler, Malan, Bairstow, Morgan, Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jordan, Woakes, Rashid, Wood.
Sri Lanka: Perera, Gunathilaka, Avishka, K Mendis, de Silva, Shanaka, Hasaranga, Udana, Danajaya, Chameera, Pradeep.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat
Eoin Morgan says he’d have bowled first so both teams are happy.
A preview of today’s game from Simon:
Preamble
Hello!
It was the best ranked side; it was the eighth ranked side. And they gathered at Cardiff to play a T20 game while the World Test Championship was coming to a head.
It seems odd to be drawing eyes over from Southampton, but here we are: England and Sri Lanka kicking off two back-to-back matches, continuing into a six game series of three T20s and three ODIs.
England bring back Chris Woakes, much travelled but barely played, and the perennially unlucky David Willey, but are without the injured Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes. Sri Lanka, under the newish leadership of Kusul Perera, who has a terrible record against England, have everything to play for. Their cupboard is not brilliantly stocked, but sweetened by the return of Avishka Fernando.
Also huge kudos to the awesome Sue Redfern, who becomes the first woman to officiate in an England men’s home international. She’s fourth umpire tonight.
