Sri Lanka all out 91, England win by 89 runs
Hoo boy. That was a thrashing. Seven laps of the pool table with your trousers round your ankles. Sri Lanka have been belted across these three T20 matches, and now the series is over. The same number of 50-over matches will follow, and perhaps the longer format will give them time to take a few deep breaths and not be rushed into such self-destruction.
England had a great day out. Half centuries for Bairstow and Malan at the top of the order, and a score for the latter is important given he’s been struggling of late. Wickets for six of seven bowlers, except for Rashid who got one over right at the end. A huge margin of victory, and an easy sleep tonight.
That’s it from us as well, until the next match. Stay well.
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WICKET! Chameera lbw Moeen 1, SL 10-91
Moeen Ali angles in, traps the batsman in front of off stump, and that’s it.
18th over: Sri Lanka 89-9 (Sandakan 1, Chameera 0) A couple of blocks from the No11 with two balls to go in the over.
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WICKET! B Fernando, b Livingstone 20, SL 88-9
Livingstone gets a bowl to partner Rashid with his off spin. Pings them in fast at the stumps. Sandakan bunts a single to midwicket. Fernando skips down at the first opportunity and lamps him for six! Over long on. Simple. I can see this guy belting a Test fifty against a tired attack at some stage when he debuts. But he goes across the line to Livingstone’s fourth ball and is bowled.
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17th over: Sri Lanka 80-8 (Fernando 13, Sandakan 0) Aaaaahhhh, I just did a double take because yes, Adil Rashid is still in the team. He’s bowling his first over for the day. Coming in to the party late, but swinging his jacket around his head. Binura Fernado decides to have a go. And why not. Bunts two through cover, then drags four through square leg. Carves away two more through point. A late bit of fun for Sri Lanka.
16th over: Sri Lanka 71-8 (Fernando 4, Sandakan 0) Fernando hits the gap at cover and somehow gets back for three. That’s about it though. Jordan wraps up his day with 1 for 13 from four overs. These are some verrrry flattering figures all round.
15th over: Sri Lanka 67-8 (Fernando 1, Sandakan 0) David Willey finishes his four overs with 3 for 27. Basically if anyone playing for England had a bad day, that’s entirely their problem.
WICKET! Udana c Moeen b Willey 0, SL 64-8
God, what else is there to say. Udana gets a short ball, has a hook, and gets caught at fine leg.
14th over: Sri Lanka 64-7 (Udana 0, Fernando 0) Binura Fernando to the middle. Happy Hour.
WICKET! Hasaranga c Malan b Jordan 1, SL 64-7
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall. Not a well constructed wall. Jordan angles into the pads, Hasaranga gets a thick edge, and the fact that Morgan can still have a slip catching in the 14th over speaks for itself.
13th over: Sri Lanka 64-6 (Hasaranga 1, Udana 0) Thirteen overs down. About time for Sri Lanka to put (themselves?) (the rest of us?) out of (their?) (our?) misery.
WICKET! Dickwella c Jordan b Curran 11, SL 64-6
God, this is limp. This is meringue left out in a summer rain. This is folding into the earth with a guttural sound. Dickwella plays across his front pad, chipping Curran to mid on for the softest of catches. Pllllrrrrrrrrmppttt.
12th over: Sri Lanka 62-5 (Dickwella 10, Hasaranga 0) Falling apart, with the leg-spinner coming out to bat in the 12th over. Woakes finishes his four over spell with 1 for 9!
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WICKET! Shanaka run out 16, SL 61-5
Shanaka clips away to midwicket, runs one, wants two, gets send back, and the throw from Billings beats him home. It’s all coming up for England!
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11th over: Sri Lanka 60-4 (Dickwella 10, Shanaka 6) A bit of luck for Shanaka, who gloves Curran down the leg side for four runs to fine leg. Then gets a no ball to finish the over, which doesn’t finish the over. Slams the free hit over midwicket for a single.
10th over: Sri Lanka 53-4 (Dickwella 9, Shanaka 1) Woakes back in the attack. Concedes a leg bye to Dickwella first ball. Won’t mind that. That leaves Shanaka to do a fair bit of swinging and swaying and otherwise achieving very little.
9th over: Sri Lanka 49-4 (Dickwella 8, Shanaka 0) Only three runs from the Curran over, including the wide. Plus a wicket. England doing it easy.
WICKET! Fenando c Willey b Curran 19, SL 46-4
Osh catch b’gosh. Another simple catch. Tries to go large in one direction or other, gets a big leading edge high to point.
8th over: Sri Lanka 46-3 (Fernando 19, Dickwella 6) Jordan is having a ball. Making Dickwella swing and miss and swing and miss. Three runs from the over. An implosion is coming.
7th over: Sri Lanka 43-3 (Fernando 18, Dickwella 5) England are all over this team. Livingstone tries the sliding catch coming in from deep cover again but can’t quite get there and hang on as Dickwella got the big leading edge in that direction. Four from the over.
6th over: Sri Lanka 39-3 (Fernando 17, Dickwella 4) This could be what you call parry and thrust. In that Oshada Fernando has had three big swings outside the off stump, and hit another ball off Jordan for six over long on. Try, try, and try again.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 33-3 (Fernando 11, Dickwella 4) This game is going in fast forward. Dickwella walks out, glances his first ball for four, going down leg.
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WICKET! Mendis c Billings b Willey 6, SL 29-3
Kusal Mendis is there at second drop. Sri Lanka struggling again, already. Mendis stands and delivers against Willey, bowling his third over on the trot. Spanks a lofted off-drive for four. Big follow through and it lands just short of the rope. No, on the rope. Six!
Next ball, straight to DRS. Willey angles left-arm across the right-hander. Mendis hangs the bat out. Umpire gives him out caught behind. Mendis reviews. The waveform graph finds a little nick on the bat.
“Oh, bUt tHe BaTsMaN AlWaYs KnOws WhEn hE’s HiT iT!”
Uh huh.
WICKET! Perera c Livingstone b Woakes 3, SL 23-2
4th over: Sri Lanka 23-2 (Fernando 11) Woakes for the fourth over, and they still can’t get him away. A couple of singles, a close call with a throw to the striker’s end. Then the sixth ball brings the reward. Nothing striking, a ball on the pads that the left-handed Perera chips in the air to midwicket. Livingstone comes charging in off the rope, slides and claims it.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 20-1 (Perera 2, Fernando 9) The third over, and Kusal Perera finally gets to face his first ball. Still doesn’t get a run, he gets a leg bye. Finally gets the strike for the last ball of the over and scores a couple of runs.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 14-1 (Perera 0, Fernando 6) Second over, and Fernando cannot lay bat on Woakes. The right-armer is swinging the ball sharply outside the off stump. Also the changes of pace. Swing and miss, swing and miss. Three times. Four times. Five! Finally Fernando tries another scoop, gets a fat inside edge, it flies fine towards deep third, and he gets two very lucky runs. Welcome back, Chris Woakes.
1st over: Sri Lanka 12-1 (Perera 0, Fernando 4) Quite the eventful start. Wides that beat the keeper, two runs off the scoop for Oshada Fernando, the boundary, the wicket. Sri Lanka ahead of the run rate, at least?
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WICKET! Gunathilaka c Malan b Willey 4, SL 4-1
This is what David Willey does! Strikes in the Powerplay. First over, second ball. Gunathilaka drives the first through the covers in classical left-handed style. The second though, a bit short, some bounce, a bit of outward movement into the bargain, and Eoin Morgan was smart enough to have two slips in for Willey’s early movement, if you will. Malan at second pouches the catch off the shoulder.
Sri Lanka must chase 181 to win
A finish with a flourish for England. 17 runs from the final over. It’s been a fun day with the stick for the home team. Big opening stand, a rattle of wickets in the middle, but they closed well. Sri Lanka will need 9 an over to win, that’s a tall order given England’s bowling variety and firepower. Chase coming shortly.
20th over: England 180-6 (Curran 9, Jordan 9) Udana goes the short route to Curran for the final over. Not sure about that. It almost gets wickets, but it also costs runs. Four, as Curran bangs over square leg for four via a misfield from a near catch. Two more, as he’s nearly caught at wide long on, but it bounces short. Two more as he pulls in ungainly style. Gets a leg bye to lose the strike.
Jordan faces. Low full toss. Scorching cover drive for four! That’s just about the shot of the day. Gorgeous. So good he does it twice! Squarer the second time, and ends the innings with consecutive boundaries.
19th over: England 163-6 (Curran 1, Jordan 0) One over to go for England’s lower order to swing. Sri Lanka have done well to suppress the potential score.
WICKET! Moeen c Hasaranga b Chameera 7, England 162-6
Make that 4 for 16. Two in three balls. Moeen tries to go over deep midwicket. Doesn’t get enough distance.
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WICKET! Malan c Shanaka b Chameera 76, England 162-5
The anchor comes loose. The centre cannot hold. Malan tries to go big down the ground but he doesn’t get all of it. Hangs in the air, long on gets around to catch, and Chameera has 3 for 16.
18th over: England 160-4 (Malan 74, Moeen 7) Moeen through the off side. Be still my heart. Carves Shanaka over deep backward for four, pings him through cover for two.
17th over: England 151-4 (Malan 73) Moeen Ali to the middle.
WICKET! Morgan c Gunathilaka b Chameera 1, England 151-4
Two in the over for Chameera. The England captain goes down swinging, sending the ball out to deep square leg for a catch.
WICKET! Billings c Shanaka b Chameera 2, England 148-3
Another one bites the dust. Billings has only been there for a minute, but there’s no time to waste with wickets in hand. He backs away to the leg side, heaves as hard as he can, but doesn’t get the distance and the ball settles in the hands of deep midwicket.
16th over: England 147-2 (Malan 71, Billings 2) Fernando gets through a quiet over thanks to the wicket. A sigh of relief.
WICKET! Livingstone c Shanaka b Fernando 14, England 143-2
Caught at cover. Big leading edge as Livingstone swings as hard as he should at this stage of the innings. Simple catch.
15th over: England 143-1 (Malan 69, Livingstone 14) Hasaranga returns, the leg-spinner. Drops short. Malan belts him over midwicket for six. He’s having fun now. Drags three runs to deep midwicket thanks to a misfield, gets the strike back, then pounds a straight six down the ground.
14th over: England 125-1 (Malan 53, Livingstone 12) Binura Fernando is back, and Livingstone takes on the tall left-armer with a ramp shot. Walking across the stumps. Doesn’t get it cleanly, more inside edge than face, but it’s still enough to dodge the keeper for four. Fernando bangs in short to end the over, outside leg stump, and that’s easy for Livingstone to play the flip-pull for four.
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Half century! Malan 50 from 30 balls
13th over: England 114-1 (Malan 51, Livingstone 3) Sandakan to the new pairing, and suddenly he’s making them pick up ones and twos instead of looking to the fence. Malan has been very good today, hasn’t gone too quietly in his work with Bairstow. Will be interesting to see whether he takes the lead here or expects Livingstone to make the running. Livingstone makes the running, in a literal sense, as he screams back to get Malan two runs to deep cover and raises Malan’s fifty.
12th over: England 106-1 (Malan 45, Livingstone 1) A chance for Liam Livingstone at first drop, when he’s used to coming in further down the order with fewer deliveries to face.
WICKET! Bairstow b Udana 51, England 105-1
It’s simple when it works. The left-armer comes around the wicket, bowls at the base of middle stump, and Bairstow misses with a flick across the line. Gone.
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11th over: England 98-0 (Bairstow 51, Malan 38) Time for Malan now, carving Sandakan over backward point on the bounce for four. It looks very easy for this opening pair by now. That said, Sandakan dots up most of the rest of this over.
Fifty! Bairstow 51 off 41 balls
10th over: England 93-0 (Bairstow 51, Malan 33) A switch back to pace for Kusal Perera, bringing Udana back. It doesn’t help, with Bairstow clipping over deep backward for six. Hararanga goes for the throw-back catch over the rope, but messes up his timing and his one foot on the ground. He disconsolately signals six to the umpires. This is rapidly becoming party time for England. Bairstow nearing a fifty. Udana holds him up with an inswinging yorker that clatters into the boot outside the line of leg stump, Bairstow jumping. But it’s a back to Bairstow for the last ball, standing up tall and punching through cover for four.
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9th over: England 79-0 (Bairstow 37, Malan 33) There’s the boundary. Bairstow cuts a single, kept to one by some good work at deep cover point. But that brings Malan on strike to Hasaranga, and the batsman threads a reverse sweep between short third and backward point, all the way to the foam. Trades strike with Bairstow, and Malan goes to the well once more. Conventional sweep this time, lofted despite deep backward square on the rope, and it carries that man for six. He follows it up through cover along the ground for four. Another over that goes for 17, and Malan is catching up.
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8th over: England 62-0 (Bairstow 35, Malan 18) Double wrist spin. What a time to be alive. Sandakan bounces in, over the wicket. Bairstow charges, slices, only a thick outside edge as he aims to midwicket, looping over short third. Two runs. Another charge, another bosh, another two, to the cover sweeper this time. Fast and flat from Sandakan now, flat-batted to long on. Malan finally gets to face a ball and pounds it through cover for one. Sandakan fires into the thigh pad of Bairstow to finish with a leg bye. Seven runs from each of the past two overs, and no boundaries, feels like a win for Sri Lanka.
7th over: England 55-0 (Bairstow 30, Malan 17) Now for the trump card. Wanindu Hasaranga has been so good for Sri Lanka of late. The bleached blond locks, cresting like a rough surf. The youthful face. The skip in to deliver his leg-breaks. This is straight out of the early 90s, Sri Lanka style. Malan only wants to hand Bairstow the strike, a single to extra cover. Bairstow goes straight but the long-on will field. Hasaranga holds up the batsman, gestures to his field, takes a beat. Tosses the ball from hand to hand. Straight from the school of SKW. Black Rock, baby. Flight and zip through on the left-hander’s off stump, only a single. Flatter, shades of the flipper at Bairstow, trying to keep him in his crease. Bairstow comes out anyway but can only squeeze to deep midwicket for one. Cat, mouse, cat, mouse. Hasaranga nearly gets through onto Malan’s pads, but is kept at bay to the leg side and good running creates a second.
6th over: England 48-0 (Bairstow 26, Malan 14) An early change to spin, with the left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan coming in. He overpitches first ball and Bairstow gently drives him down through mid-off for four. Wider but the same length a couple of balls later, and Bairstow goes harder through cover, a lot of bottom hand in that slap drive. Sri Lanka bowling first isn’t going much better than batting first. End of the fielding restrictions and England are going at 8 per over.
5th over: England 39-0 (Bairstow 17, Malan 14) Isuru Udana on to bowl. Doesn’t mind England, had some good matches during the last 50-over World Cup. Doesn’t start so well here though, sliding down the leg side a couple of times. The second of which eludes Perera behind the stumps and flies away for five wides. In between those, Bairstow lumps him over mid-off. Ok, forget what I said about not minding England. The left-armer tries again, bowls some width across the right-hander but he has protection at deep point. A single, bringing the lefty on strike, and Udana errs on the other side now, a wide past Malan’s pads. This is becoming painful. And again! The fourth delivery off line in the over, and eight extras. Udana stays over the wicket. Bowls in at the toes. It’s on the stumps at least. But it’s chipped over midwicket for four! Malan with the boundary, angling in to him and easily done. The final delivery at last, and it’s an outside edge to short third on the bounce.
Sheesh. 17 runs from the 9-ball over.
4th over: England 22-0 (Bairstow 12, Malan 10) First ball of the over, Malan plays a delicate flick for six! That was nice, minumum of effort. Tries the pull shot again, does Malan, but Fernando’s delivery didn’t get up high enough for that. Maybe a bit of bottom edge as it crashes into the body. That would have stung.
3rd over: England 14-0 (Bairstow 11, Malan 3) Bairstow decides to have a whack, plonking Chameera with a cross-batted monstrosity down the ground for four. Nicely done. Malan plays a much nicer looking pull shot against the bouncer but only gets one run for it. It’s not always a fair game.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Bairstow 5, Malan 1) Binura Fernando to share the new ball. Huge player, very tall, left armer as well for that point of difference. And he starts nicely. Keeps Bairstow quiet for a couple of balls before the batsman splices one away for a couple of runs. Then Malan takes a couple of balls and can’t do anything. The bounce and a bit of movement was too much.
1st over: England 3-0 (Bairstow 2, Malan 1) Chameera with the new ball, and he starts the match by banging it in, on a good length just outside off stump. Bairstow does as he often does in the first over and has a look, squirts a couple of singles away. Malan has a chance to open the batting today, and he opens his account in similarly understated fashion.
Teams
England
Dawid Malan
Jonny Bairstow
Liam Livingstone
Eoin Morgan *
Sam Billings +
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
David Willey
Chris Jordan
Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka
Kusal Perera *
Danushka Gunathilaka
Oshada Fernando
Kusal Mendis
Niroshan Dickwella +
Dasun Shanaka
Wanindu Hasaranga
Isuru Udana
Binura Fernando
Lakshan Sandakan
Dushmantha Chameera
Sri Lanka win the toss and will bowl
The captain Kusal Perera chooses to chase, to change up the dynamic from the first couple of games. He says that he thinks there might be a bit of help from the pitch bowling first.
“That hasn’t really bothered us,” says Eoin Morgan, of batting or bowling first.
Things haven’t been great for Sri Lanka in this format for a while. They’ve won once in T20Is in nearly two years, having played 13 times in that period. Before that they won four in a row, mostly against Pakistan, but going back beyond that they won once in 11 starts.
Over the last five years they’ve won 14 matches out of 49, along with one no-result and one tie.
A bit funny, having Universe Jos miss out on most of the Tests against India so he could get ready for the IPL which got cancelled, and then rested from the Tests against New Zealand so he could come back fresh to get injured as soon as these T20s started. The T20 World Cup later this year is the reason for loading up his plate this way, and pandemic times are some extremely extenuating circumstances, and hindsight is 20/20 (pardon the unintended) but the sequence of events still makes for interesting reading.
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Preamble
Hello world. Game three already of this slightly under-the-radar run of T20 Internationals, with England wrapping up the series against Sri Lanka in straight sets over in Cardiff. Now we’re back to Southampton, with all the World Test Championship bunting cleared away and a few England flags rolled out instead. It’s not raining in Hampshire today, that’s one plus. Sunny in patches and mild temperature, that’s the BBC prognosis.
Sri Lanka have an underwhelming batting line-up at the moment, not exactly young in age but green in patches when it comes to international success. England’s bowlers have made the most of their opportunities in the circumstances. Two low scores for Sri Lanka batting first, two easy chases for the English.
Jos Buttler will miss tonight and the next few matches with a calf strain, while Chris Woakes might be back in the mix after doing a lot of resting from his many months of not playing any cricket. Let’s proceed.
