It was probably always going to be the case that this soggy one-day series between Sri Lanka and England would be settled by another downpour.
At 3.45pm local time, and with Eoin Morgan on 31 and Joe Root on 32 having steered the tourists to 132 for two from 27 overs in pursuit of 274, the rain began to fall. Light at first, within moments it was clear this was no passing shower but instead a tropical storm.
With lakes forming on the all-covering blue tarpaulins, and lightning in the vicinity, the fourth one-day international was soon called off; England, victors by 18 runs on DLS, had claimed an unassailable 3-0 lead with one match still to play.
Though a ninth successive bilateral series win for the world’s No 1 side – their one-off defeat to Scotland in the summer notwithstanding – it was a huge shame, both for the lively weekend crowd that had pitched up at Kandy’s grassed-banked Pallekele Stadium and that an intriguing contest was potentially bubbling up.
Sri Lanka’s 273 for seven may have looked light but the fact that Moeen Ali (two for 55) and Adil Rashid (one for 36) had led the way on a pitch offering turn meant England still faced a tricky task against a three-pronged and varied spin attack. From a possible 400 overs in this curiously scheduled series, we have witnessed 210.
Morgan was naturally satisfied and said that looking ahead to the fifth ODI on Tuesday, players such as Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett and Joe Denly may now get a game. But there were words of warning too, not least as regards the fielding that, despite two late run outs, squandered two genuine chances.
“It wasn’t good. It was average,” he said. “It is definitely something we need to improve on because today we weren’t anywhere near where we should be. And it was frustrating not to play a full game because that would have been a good run chase.”
Had it not been for Dasun Shanaka clearing the rope five times in a run-a-ball 66 and late flourishes from Thisara Perea (44) and Akila Dananjaya (32no), Sri Lanka may well have been overcome in the 77 overs permitted by the weather, having stumbled to 102 for four in the 24th as their top-five floundered.
Chris Woakes once again struck early in the powerplay and although Sri Lanka rebuilt through Niroshan Dickwella’s sweep-heavy 52 England’s spinners suddenly surged. Moeen bowled an advancing Dinesh Chandimal for 33, before he and Rashid took out Dickwella and Kusal Mendis in the space of three balls. Both fell lbw – the former finally missing a sweep, the latter playing back to a gentle leg-break – but in between Dhananjaya de Silva should have gone for a golden duck, too, only for Jos Buttler to grass a stumping chance off Moeen. Despite using a golf ball to tune up his glove-work 24 hours earlier, this sharp chance somehow lipped out.
De Silva eventually perished on 17, feathering Tom Curran behind, but Shanaka had already begun a counterattack that included 17 taken off a nine-ball over from the very much nullified Ollie Stone. For all the crisp ball-striking on show, the left-hander did receive a life on 24 when Alex Hales fluffed the type of boundary-rope chance that the better modern fielders tend to gobble up.
Granted a rare game after Jonny Bairstow twisted his ankle playing football – Morgan confirmed the Yorkshireman will undergo a scan on Sunday – things did not improve for Hales, who was stumped for 12 off Dananjaya early on in the run chase.
At the other end Jason Roy was already humming, though, punching back-foot drives and dampening some queries about his proficiency against left-arm spin by heaving Amila Aponso over long-on for a delicious six en route to a 49-ball 45.
Roy’s removal, trapped lbw by a top-spinner from the mystery man, Dananjaya, offered Sri Lanka some hope only for Root and Morgan – two of England’s form men in this soggy series – to keep the run-rate up knowing rain was coming. That said, had Sri Lanka not had one too many men outside the circle when Root swept Dhananjaya to Lasith Malinga at short fine leg on 22 – and therefore given as a no-ball – the final four overs, before the clouds finally burst, may well have become nervier.
