A bit of a low-key end to the Sri Lanka tour, then. It threatened to turn into a contest at least on a couple of occasions: when Sri Lanka took 20 off of Chris Jordan’s second over to move to 51 for one at the end of the power play, and again when they got rid of Jason Roy and James Vince early. Other than that though, there wasn’t a lot to get excited about from the visitors.
England can thank Liam Dawson and Jos Buttler especially for that win: the former with three wickets on debut and the second with an accomplished, if slightly fortunate, 73 from 49 balls after moving up the order to open. They were ably supported by Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills and Eoin Morgan – the last of whom is still without a 50 in 22 international innings but will be buoyed by finishing unbeaten.
That concludes Sri Lanka in England 2016. There were moments of hope for the tourists, such as their second dig in the Lord’s Test and the way they bowled at England’s top order in the Nottingham ODI, but they finish the series with just two wins, both in ODIs in Ireland.
Join us again for the Pakistan series, which follows this in no time at all. Until then, thanks for reading. Bye!
Updated
England win by eight wickets
18th over: England 144-2 (Morgan 47, Buttler 73) target 141 We’re at the point where Bumble is singing Beyonce’s Single Ladies. In fairness, it sounds better than the incidental music. Back in the middle, Buttler drives for a single then Morgan finishes the job with a massive slog-sweep over midwicket for six.
17th over: England 137-2 (Morgan 41, Buttler 72) target 141 Just 10 needed then. Morgan tries to play some monstrosity of a shot, a sort of switch-pull but can only get one for his effort. Buttler chips to the on-side for two then down the ground for one, taking the required runs down to six. I think they’re going to make it from here, you know. They resist the temptation to go for it in one blow though, exchanging singles off the last two balls.
16th over: England 131-2 (Morgan 39, Buttler 68) target 141 My new favourite Sri Lankan cricketer, Rambukwella, comes back. Three singles from the first four balls then Buttler dismissivley swats him back over his head for his fourth six of the innings. He drills the next ball down the ground again, kept to two by a good sliding stop and that brings up the 100 partnership and takes him to his highest T20 international score.
15th over: England 120-2 (Morgan 37, Buttler 59) target 141 Mathews finished with two for 27, by the way: very good but he hasn’t really had the support. Maharoof, who was excellent himself earlier on, is back now. And, no sooner have I written that than his first ball goes for five wides: down the leg side and both batsman and keeper stood and watched it off to the boundary. Morgan adds a pair of twos and England have scored nine off just two balls already. They can therefore be happy with singles from the next three. 21 needed from the last five overs.
Great stat from @ZaltzCricket on #BBCcricket, but pretty sure that's not Andy Zaltzman.. pic.twitter.com/83h9grjlSi
— Jack Mendel (@JackMendel4) July 5, 2016
14th over: England 108-2 (Morgan 31, Buttler 58) target 141 Oh that is stunning from Buttler. He doesn’t move his feet to the returning Mathews but times the pants off a good length delivery to send it whistling through extra-cover with no backlift at all and away for four. A fumble from Chandimal allows a bye and Morgan the strike and, after adding a couple, the captain gets away with one sliced high in the air but short of the man running in for the cover boundary. Two more to Buttler from the last.
13th over: England 98-2 (Morgan 28, Buttler 52) target 141 A first bowl of the day for Bandara and his left-arm medium pacers. Singles off his first two balls, a dot from the third and then Buttler cuts slightly airily but through backward point and away for four runs to move to a 34-ball half-century. It’s been one of his luckiest, but it has taken England to the point where they are nearly home. Morgan pulls nicely over midwicket for four more to take the required rate to exactly one a ball, although the final-ball dot ruins that ratio.
Fairly Decent knock for Finn Trenouth then. .... pic.twitter.com/cZr7ZjCUm4
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) July 5, 2016
Updated
12th over: England 87-2 (Morgan 23, Buttler 46) target 141 Morgan is dropped again! He gives Pradeep the charge and cuts, but this time Gunathilaka can’t hold on to a diving stunner at backward point. Almost a case of deja vu for the England captain, who adds two to his total instead. A bumper to Buttler is then harshly called a wide to compound Pradeep’s misery.
11th over: England 79-2 (Morgan 19, Buttler 43) target 141 Now Morgan comes out of his shell: he charges down the track to Prasanna and bludgeons a half-volley over long-on for six. That’s England’s fourth six compared to just two fours. Make that three fours: after a single gives him the strike, Buttler uses his feet to get to the pitch and smear it through extra-cover. Prasanna chucks in a wide for good measure before improving sufficiently to finish with a couple of dots.
10th over: England 66-2 (Morgan 12, Buttler 38) target 141 Pradeep enters and Buttler cuts him unconvincingly, in the air and wide of Gunathilaka at backward point; the fielder lost sight of the ball and ended up ducking away from it in stark contrast to the stunning catch he took off Morgan in the ODI at the Oval. At least Buttler’s striking it: Morgan looks all at sea.
9th over: England 62-2 (Morgan 11, Buttler 34) target 141 Morgan brings out the reverse sweep and picks out Mathews at what was hitherto backward point. The Sri Lankan captain jumps and gets to it above his head, but drops a fairly simple chance to get rid of his opposite number. Sri Lanka’s total is about 40 runs shy of them being able to get away with stuff like that. Morgan, instead of making his way back, takes two of the six runs to come from the over.
Updated
8th over: England 56-2 (Morgan 7, Buttler 33) target 141 More spin from Gunathilaka. Well, slow bowling anyway as he’s getting no turn. As such, a fuller one to Buttler is despatched mercilessly back over the bowler’s head for six. England are almost exactly with the required rate here, although only one of this pair seems interested in scoring at a decent rate.
7th over: England 47-2 (Morgan 5, Buttler 26) target 141 Change of bowling as the Northants man Prasanna comes on for Mathews. One, one, one, one, one, one goes that over.
6th over: England 41-2 (Morgan 2, Buttler 23) target 141 “Catch!” is the shout as Buttler cuts in the air towards cover point. It drops a good six yards short of Mathews though. The batsman celebrates by effortlessly driving a full one up and over mid-off for his second six and guiding the next ball past point for three. Sri Lanka’s powerplay still, you would say.
5th over: England 31-2 (Morgan 1, Buttler 14) target 141 Short from Mathews first up and Buttler simply stands tall and swats it a mile and a half over midwicket for six. Shot, that and it prompts a delay as the ball has landed on the concrete and chunks have flown out of it. He adds a single, then Vince paddles one through backward square-leg for four more. That’s as much as we’re getting from him though and Eoin Morgan is very much needed.
Wicket! Vince st Chandimal b Mathews 16
This is outstanding keeping. The ball ricochets from bat to pad to ground before Chandimal can gather. Vince then takes an inexplicable step forward, into the danger zone and Chandimal has the bails off in a flash.
Updated
4th over: England 19-1 (Vince 12, Buttler 7) target 141 Maharoof replaces Rambukwella and the batsmen can only milk two singles from his first five balls. It’s almost identikit bowling to Mathews and that’s no bad thing. Vince sweeps the final ball from well outside off for two.
3rd over: England 15-1 (Vince 9, Buttler 6) target 141 We’ve had “canny” and “wicket-to-wicket” already in this round of Angelo Mathews Commentary Bingo. It’s effective enough though and he reckons he’s got Buttler here. The batsman backed away and tried to cut but got a thin edge through to Chandimal. Both bowler and wicketkeeper whirled off in celebration only to discover the umpire has remained unmoved. That makes up for the Gunathilaka non-run-out, I suppose. Just three from the over once again.
Rambukwella not getting any flight, which is probably just as well.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) July 5, 2016
Updated
2nd over: England 12-1 (Vince 7, Buttler 5) target 141 Spin from at the top of the innings then, Rambukwella to bowl his off-spin. Presumably this is going to be more competent than his batting was. Well, I say that: he starts by drifting one down leg and Vince sweeps him away to fine-leg for four. There’s a little bit of turn for the big man but Vince cuts anyway, getting one thanks to a misfield at backward point. Three more singles and a two, from a short-arm jab over mid-on, make nine from the over.
1st over: England 3-1 (Vince 1, Buttler 2) target 141 Angelo Mathews will open the bowling, Roy with the first strike under lengthening shadows. It’s such an exciting combination at the top of the order but sadly for the fans they won’t get to see much of it. Vince gives parity to the runs/wickets columns with a nudge into the on-side, before Buttler gets off the mark with a couple.
“Dan.” Robert Seaton. “There’s every chance that Morgan won’t be needed? Now you’ve done it. England all out for 139.” Yeah an inauspicious start to the innings for Roy/your OBOer.
Wicket! Roy b Mathews 0
Roy steps across to off and looks to shovel it over backward square-leg. He misses, Mathews hits and England don’t make the ideal start.
Updated
The players are back out. Liam Dawson says Sri Lanka’s score is “well below par”. Also Sky are reporting that Eoin Morgan dislocated his finger but will bat as normal. He’s slated to come in at No4 and there’s every chance he won’t be needed, however.
So England need 141 to win. They bowled quite brilliantly there, although Sri Lanka didn’t help themselves: they were a shambles. Back in 10.
End of innings: Sri Lanka 140
20th over: Sri Lanka 140 (Bandara 2) It’s Jordan with the final over and Plunkett puts the tiniest of blots on his copybook with a misfield at mid-off first ball, ceding a whole one run. Bandara slogs, misses and takes a bye from the second; Maharoof started that run halfway down the track! Two dots follow, then the wicket fifth ball. Pradeep is yorked final ball for a golden duck and Sri Lanka are all out, having scored just two from that final over. Three for 29, Jordan’s final figures – and one of those overs went for 20.
Wicket! Maharoof c sub (Willey) b Jordan 10
In the slot and launched to the man at long-on, who takes an easy catch.
19th over: Sri Lanka 138-8 (Bandara 2, Maharoof 9) In case you were wondering, Jos Buttler is acting captain while Morgan is off the field. Plunkett comes back on for Mills, who is bowled out now. Five runs – a two and three ones – mean Plunkett finishes with two for 27. Excellent bowling again from the Yorkshireman.
Lanka need a win or else they will tie with India 2011 for worst ever tour of England...at least they didnt lose to Northants... #engvsl
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) July 5, 2016
I’d be amazed if they won it from here, even if they hit 36 from the last over.
18th over: Sri Lanka 133-8 (Bandara 1, Maharoof 5) Jordan comes on, with his first two overs having gone for three and 20 respectively. We’ll call that a mixed bag, yeah? Sri Lanka have hit just eight fours (and three sixes) so far and their prospects of adding to that total considerably take a blow when Chandimal chips softly to Morgan. That could be a pyrrhic catch for the England captain though, as he’s hurt his little finger in taking it and has left the field immediately. Bandara, fresh from making his ODI debut on Saturday, narrowly avoids running his partner out first ball because of course he does. Buttler then fumbles a dodgy return through allowing a second from a shot that should only have brought one.
Wicket! Chandimal c Morgan b Jordan 23
Full and outside off, but Chandimal is through with the shot too early and picks out the captain at extra-cover.
17th over: Sri Lanka 128-7 (Chandimal 23, Maharoof 1) Shoooooottttt from Chandimal, latching on to a bit of width and smashing a cut through backward point for four. The Sri Lankan ‘keeper looks by far and away the most competent at reading Mills’ variations, picking a slower one and guiding it away for one. Maharoof gets just a single and Mills ends with 0-22. He can be very pleased with that debut.
Updated
16th over: Sri Lanka 122-7 (Chandimal 18, Maharoof 0) Plunkett is back from t’other end. Chandimal likes the look of him a lot more, it seems: digging out a full ball for two to third man, stepping down the track to lift him straight back over his head for six and then getting four leg-byes via the hip to boot. If that all sounds a bit competent, the next ball brings a mix-up when deciding if they want a second run or not. Mills’ hesitation spares further blushes, albeit not for long as Prasanna becomes the latest victim of Liam Plunkett’s Scrambled Seam. Maharoof survives his first ball in T20 cricket for eight years.
Wicket! Prasanna c Buttler b Plunkett 1
On a good length and Prasanna has a little prod, nicking it through to the keeper.
Updated
15th over: Sri Lanka 109-6 (Chandimal 9, Prasanna 1) Tymal – pronounced T’mall, you know – returns and, after a single to Chandimal, Rambukwella is run out. This is, incidentally, the man who was once fined for trying open an aeroplane door at 35,000 feet. Prasanna enters and you would think with him comes Sri Lanka’s last chance to post a decent total on this fine batting wicket. Another near-suicidal single from a bottom edge sees the big hitter nearly run out himself. Just four from an excellent over, in which Mills varied his pace wonderfully.
Rambukwella run out 19
Rambukwella dabs to backward point and Vince collects and throws down the stumps in one smooth action. Rambukwella doesn’t dive and is well short.
14th over: Sri Lanka 105-5 (Chandimal 6, Rambukwella 19) Perhaps I spoke too soon? Too full from Rashid and Rambukwella lifts him over long-off for six, before swinging wildly and screwing a googly through midwicket for four more without having a clue where it was going. With that, the team 100 is up. That’s a much better over for Sri Lanka. Rashid ends with 0 for 25 from his four.
13th over: Sri Lanka 91-5 (Chandimal 5, Rambukwella 6) You kind of feel sorry for Rambukwella. He heaves one out to cow corner and should be caught, but Roy and Vince collide in the outfield and ultimately the latter does well to flick the ball back into play and save a couple. Chandimal looks to turn one into the on-side but sends a leading edge just wide of Morgan at cover. Rambukwella gives one the charge and slaps to long-on, breaking his bat in doing so. Dawson finishes with three for 27 on an outstanding debut.
12th over: Sri Lanka 84-5 (Chandimal 3, Rambukwella 1) Rambukwella plays and misses at the first four balls. This is hilarious; it’s like watching a dog try to change a bike tyre. Three slogs and a couple of prods and none of them connect. A leg-bye mercifully gets him off strike and Chandimal defends the last.
11th over: Sri Lanka 83-5 (Chandimal 3, Rambukwella 1) Liam Dawson picks up his third wicket with the third ball of this over and is a mere foot or so away from getting his fourth with the fourth. Oh hang on, Sri Lanka are doing all the work for him! Rambukwella comes in to see out the rest of a catastrophic over for Sri Lanka. Just four from it and two wickets to boot.
Wicket! Shanaka run out 1
So nearly a catch when Shanaka chips it just over mid-off. No matter as Roy picks up, sends in the throw and punishes the batsman for trying to take as idiotic a second run as you’ll see.
Updated
Wicket! Mathews b Dawson 11
Mathews goes for a wild slog towards midwicket, smashes the ever loving stuffing out of the air and a straight ball from round the wicket crashes into his stumps.
Updated
10th over: Sri Lanka 79-3 (Chandimal 2, Mathews 10) Rashid reckons he has Chandimal lbw when the latter misses a reverse-sweep; he does not as it was drifting down, er, off. Midway through the over there is yet more confusion between the wickets: Chandimal cutting, setting off and getting sent back by his captain, only to be saved by Morgan’s throw being too high. England’s return throwing hasn’t been the best – the one time they have run someone out they didn’t bother to appeal. Chandimal misses a reverse sweep once again last ball and survives a stumping appeal by virtue of not leaving his crease.
9th over: Sri Lanka 75-3 (Chandimal 1, Mathews 8) Dawson continues, meaning John Starbuck has a chance of seeing his pattern continue. Mathews gets a reverse sweep away past point before Mendis’s tour comes to a slightly milquetoast end and Liam Dawson picks up his second international wicket. He is now nine behind his namesake Richard.
Updated
Wicket! Mendis c&b Dawson 21
Nicely floated down and Mendis chips a soft catch back to the bowler.
8th over: Sri Lanka 67-2 (Mendis 20, Mathews 2) Spin, or what little of it there is on offer, from both ends as Rashid comes on. Unlike Dawson, Rashid does find a bit of turn, beating Mathews with a leg-break. A couple of balls and a pot pourri of singles later, Mendis flips one over his shoulder and just beyond the reach of Jordan. Eight from the over, all in ones and twos.
“We can discern a pattern already,” reckons John Starbuck. “The bowler doesn’t take a wicket with his bowling, but he takes a catch in the next over. So Dawson should be due one soon. I expect one of the Stattos will have worked out the incidence of this in First Class cricket but does it apply to T20s?”
Who do you think I am, Rob Smyth?
7th over: Sri Lanka 59-2 (Mendis 14, Mathews 0) Time for some spin now that the powerplay is done, although you might be surprised to hear it’s the left-arm spin of Hampshire’s own Liam Dawson ahead of Adil Rashid. Gunathilaka gets a thin top edge reverse-sweeping, but it lands just short of the fielder at what had been backward-point. Four more for Gunathilaka, via the inside-edge down to fine-leg when he has a heave. That’s the end of his day though: gone for 26 from 16, which is a handy start but little more.
Wicket! Gunathilaka c Jordan b Dawson 26
In the slot and not turning, Gunathilaka likes the look of this. He takes aim over mid-off but doesn’t get hold of it properly and sends a high catch straight down the throat of Jordan.
6th over: Sri Lanka 51-1 (Mendis 11, Gunathilaka 21) Jordan returns and opens the over with a full-toss, which Mendis picks up with the sweep and deposits beyond the midwicket boundary for the first six of the day. A pair of chips into the on-side bring two, then one, before Jordan is harshly called wide outside off. Gunathilaka carves a full, wide one through extra-cover once again to turn this into an excellent over for Sri Lanka just four balls in then slices to third man for a hairy two. Sri Lanka aren’t half riding their luck but it’s working for them: a slog back over the bowler’s head bounces once and skips away for four to long-on.
Updated
5th over: Sri Lanka 31-1 (Mendis 2, Gunathilaka 11) Yet more dodgy running from Sri Lanka: Gunathilaka goes for the scoop and doesn’t get hold of it but sets off for the sharp single anyway. The throw from fine leg is just wide, which is just as well for the batsman who was nowhere near home. He’s much more convincing four balls later: slashing a wide, slow half-volley through extra-cover for only Sri Lanka’s second boundary.
4th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Mendis 1, Gunathilaka 5) Mills continues and a single from the first ball brings Kusal Mendis on strike to face his first ball in T20 international cricket. A vicious bouncer is called wide, much to the distaste of the crowd. Mills has a lovely slower ball on him; a 69mph delivery that suddenly dips on Gunathilaka has the batsman in two minds somewhat. Three more singles from the over.
We Guardian Sport journalists like to ask the hard-hitting questions:
Anyone know why Liam Plunkett doesn't have the adidas logo on his shirt? Is he a 'trefoil or nothing' man?
— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) July 5, 2016
3rd over: Sri Lanka 17-1 (Mendis 0, Gunathilaka 2) England changing things up already: Plunkett into the attack. Perera gives him the charge, pulls to Bairstow at midwicket and the batsmen dash two runs more panicky than the streets of Dublin, Dundee and Humberside. Another two, nudged behind square before Morgan absolutely nails the stumps with a throw from mid-off, only the batsmen hadn’t tried for a run. Ooh hold on a minute: Gunathilaka had wandered out of his crease and the replay shows he was out, only no one appealed! To soften the blow, Perera is out last ball.
Wicket! Perera c Mills b Plunkett 13
Short from round the wicket and it tucks the batsman up. He gets a top edge going for the pull and it loops straight to Mills at short fine-leg for an easy catch.
Updated
2nd over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Perera 7, Gunathilaka 2) Here we go: a first bowl in England colours for Mills and his first ball is a beauty: swinging back into the left-hander from over the wicket at 92.5mph. A hasty single almost leads to the eighth Sri Lankan run-out of the series, before Perera guides one in the air just wide of the diving man at backward point. I’m not sure it would quite have carried, actually. Perera is the man to get the first boundary, slashing a short one hard, over cover with a horizontal bat and over extra-cover for four.
“Do all cricketers have to have size 11 feet, then?” asks John Starbuck. “No wonder my career was so limited. Apart from a mention in Prince’s ‘Kiss” shoe sizes don’t get much of a shout-out in today’s popular culture, so here’s a feet song from way, way back (it was a send-up of Max Bygraves’s sickly ‘You need hands’)”
1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Perera 1, Gunathilaka 1) One slip for Jordan to begin with. Twice in the first three balls Perera misses out on short ones, bottom edging into the ground and swinging and missing at the first and third deliveries respectively. Sri Lanka are under way thanks to a wide down leg and then, a couple of balls later, Perera does connect with a short one and pulls it square for a single. Gunathilaka gets the same with a push to mid-on.
The players are out. It looks like Chris Jordan is going to open the bowling.
Updated
“Evening Dan.” Evening, Simon McMahon “They’re [the Kaiser Chiefs] not exactly The Duckworth Lewis Method, are they? Although I did like ‘Everything Is Average(s) Nowadays’. And ‘I Predict A Super-Over’.” Cocktails on them if a riot happens, right Simon?
Earlier today on this very same ground, England’s women continued their good form against Pakistan. After making 138 for seven from their 20 overs they bowled Pakistan out for 103 to win by 35 runs. Fran Wilson was the star, with 43 on her return to England colours.
The teams in full
England
JC Buttler†, JJ Roy, JM Vince, EJG Morgan*, JM Bairstow, SW Billings, LA Dawson, LE Plunkett, AU Rashid, CJ Jordan, TS Mills
Sri Lanka
MDKJ Perera, MD Gunathilaka, BKG Mendis, LD Chandimal†, AD Mathews*, MD Shanaka, KMC Bandara, RLB Rambukwella, S Prasanna, N Pradeep, MF Maharoof
Toss and team news
Heads calls Angelo Mathews, heads it is so Sri Lanka win the toss and bat on what looks like a lovely flat wicket for the batsmen. Maharoof and Rambukwella come into the visitors’ team.
Eoin Morgan says he would have bowled first anyway. David Willey is out with a shin injury and there’s no place for Malan – Jos Buttler comes up to open with Alex Hales rested. Tymal Mills and Liam Dawson will therefore make their England debuts.
One response to that Kaiser Chiefs tweet so far:
@DanLucas86 @GlamCricket Every day I glove you less and less?
— David Edwards (@albion1981) July 5, 2016
I have several questions about this Tweet ...
Kaiser Cheifs ‘Parachute’ is record of the week on Radio 2 this week. https://t.co/vXiiW1Evoc pic.twitter.com/NgVcNipCnW
— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) July 5, 2016
... and only the second of those is “what does this have to do with cricket?”
The weather forecast is for it to remain warm and dry all night. Yes! A dry day of cricket this summer! Truly miracles will never cease.
If punk rock Sheryl Crowe covers aren’t your thing then I can heartily recommend a read of The Spin, which came out today.
Preamble
Evening, folks. There is, as ever, one big question on people’s minds today: what kind of stupid bloody time is this to start a cricket match?
I jest. After the Test series finished 2-0 and the ODIs 3-0 (although Sri Lanka did come within a moment of Liam Plunkett brilliance of winning one of those), both in favour of the hosts, this is Sri Lanka’s final chance to beat an English side on this tour. It has largely been a miserable one for the visitors, with the odd shoot of hope springing through in the form of Kusal Mendis or Dinesh Chandimal, but by and large those have quickly been stomped out by one Englishman or another’s size 11.
For England, the intrigue lies less in the prospect of a 20-4 Super Series walloping (is 20-4 a wallapoing? Ah who cares?) and more in the prospect of seeing three debutants today.
Tymal Mills is the name on most fans’ lips. Amazingly he’s only 23 and made his List A debut less than five years ago, but such was the buzz around him that it feels like he’s been around forever. It’s heartening to see him fight the back condition that he was diagnosed with last year and the prospect of seeing someone regularly bowl well over 90mph is an exciting one. His strike rate and average in this format are quite stunning, though an economy of 8.10 means he could be just as much Shaun Tait as Waqar Younis.
The other prospective new caps are Liam Dawson of Hampshire, a bowling all-rounder whom I’m sorry to admit I’ve not seen this season, and Dawid “Not a Typo” Malan. The latter is another name that’s seemingly been around forever and threatened to fade into obscurity after a promising start. However he had a cracking 2015 and this season has been striking the ball like a dream for Middlesex.
Play begins at 6.30pm BST, or 11pm Sri Lankan time. Toss and team news half an hour or so before then, so without further ado here is today’s musical interlude.
Updated
