Well that was a lot more exciting than it should have been. With Sri Lanka 15 for four chasing 171 the game looked dead, but what an innings from Angelo Mathews – on a par with if not better than Jos Buttler’s outstanding effort earlier. He very nearly dragged his team, kicking and screaming, over the line but was perhaps undone by the injury he picked up late on.
Still, congratulations to England, who once again do just enough to win the match. It’s something they’ve discovered a more-than-useful knack for and it’s something that will stand them in good stead for the semi-finals. They are almost certainly going to face the unbeaten New Zealand in that on Wednesday in Kolkatta. The other match, the following day, will be between the West Indies and the winners of tomorrow’s effective-quarter-final between India and Australia. Don’t miss that.
Thanks for reading. Do stick around for the match report, which will no doubt drop here shortly. Bye!
Updated
England win by 10 runs & qualify for semi-finals
20 overs Sri Lanka 161-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 73) Mathews defends a full one and Ben Stokes raises his arms in triumph!
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Dot ball
19.5 overs Sri Lanka 161-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 73) 11 to win Smeared out to midwicket, they don’t take the run and barring a no-ball that’s it.
19.4 overs Sri Lanka 161-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 73) 11 to win Excellent yorker and it’s all Mathews can do to dig it out. Two sixes needed...
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19.3 overs Sri Lanka 161-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 73) 11 to win Full, scooped over the shoulder and just brushes Rashid’s fingertips at short fine-leg! They run two again.
19.2 overs Sri Lanka 159-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 71) 13 to win Dug out, they scamper for two as the throw isn’t close enough to the stumps.
19.1 overs Sri Lanka 157-8 (Dushmantha 0, Mathews 69) 15 to win Full toss, slapped to extra-cover, no run.
It’s raining now.
Wicket! Herath b Jordan 1
18.6 overs Sri Lanka 157-8 (Mathews 68) 15 to win Yorker, smashes middle stump as Herath backs away. Mathews is on strike for the start of the final over though, Stokes to bowl it.
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18.5 overs Sri Lanka 157-7 (Herath 1, Mathews 68) 15 to win Wide and full and Mathews can only smack it out to deep extra-cover for one.
18.4 overs Sri Lanka 156-7 (Herath 1, Mathews 67) 16 to win Waist high and Herath shovels it square on the leg side for a single to give Mathews the strike.
Wicket! Dasun c Root b Jordan 15
18.3 overs Sri Lanka 155-7 (Mathews 67) 17 to win Screamer from Root, flinging himself high to his left at extra-cover and holding on to a howitzer!
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18.2 overs Sri Lanka 155-6 (Dasun 15, Mathews 67) 17 to win Dasun opens the face and somehow manages to squirt a very good yorker down to third man for four!
18.1 overs Sri Lanka 151-6 (Dasun 11, Mathews 67) 21 to win Jordan with the penultimate over: 22 needed from 12 balls with Mathews on strike. First ball is a yorker, dug out into the off-side for one.
18th over Sri Lanka 150-6 (Dasun 11, Mathews 66) target 172 Willey again and Dasun very nearly plays on, a bottom edge from a wild swing that misses the stumps and is well stopped by Buttler. An exchange of singles – the second coming for Mathews when they really wanted two – but then Dasun clubs over wide mid-on for six! He beats him next ball with the No8 going for the scoop, but the last ball is short and slaughtered through midwicket for four more! Willey finishes with an excellent two for 26.
“Cocktails for Angelo Mathews if there’s a super over,” writes revisionism’s Simon McMahon.
17th over Sri Lanka 138-6 (Dasun 0, Mathews 66) target 172 Jordan to bowl now. He’s been good in the later overs in this tournament, so much so that the phrase “Jordan to bowl at the death” no longer instills fear among England fans. The win predictor now puts Sri Lanka as favourites, despite having earlier had England at 100%. Perara swivels and shovels off his ribs, round the corner and down to long leg for four. He’s out next ball though and that takes England into the tail and perhaps makes them favourites once again. Just six runs and the wicket from that over. 34 needed from 18 now.
“Good call from the selectors not picking another spinner,” writes John Busby. “Pace only from here surely. That six from Stokes could be the difference.”
Yes I’d go along with all of that.
Wicket! Thisara c Willey b Jordan 20
Perera looks to drive but can only hit it straight to extra cover!
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Updated
16th over Sri Lanka 132-5 (Thisara 16, Mathews 65) target 172 Morgan sticks with Moeen – a massive risk with the spinners getting slogged. Mathews might be hobbling but that doesn’t appear to have had any effect on his ability to smash the slow bowlers back over long-on, which is precisely what he does to the first ball. The second is a full-toss and that’s over midwicket for the same! How are your nerves now, England fans? Mathews smacks the next one into the deep and is able to struggle back for two, but can only get a single from the fourth ball, a full-toss flicked square on the leg-side. Then six more from Perera, absolutely murdered flat and straight back past the bowler! 21 from the over, the same as Rashid’s last. 40 from 24 the ask, but England can stick to pace now.
15th over Sri Lanka 111-5 (Thisara 10, Mathews 50) target 172 With not much batting left to come for Sri Lanka, Morgan goes back to Willey, who took two for 10 from his first two overs and will be kindly asked to produce a third for not many more here. Mathews looks to be struggling out there, limping back to the striker’s end when Thisara calls him through from a leg-bye. Just four runs – a one, a two and that leg-bye – from the first five balls – then the last clumped out to extra-cover for the one that brings up Mathews’ half-century from 40 balls. He calls for the physio at the end of the over though.
14th over Sri Lanka 106-5 (Thisara 8, Mathews 48) target 172 Right, my apologies but my computer decided to die at the start of the 13th over, during which England finally broke that partnership. Perera, dangerous enough himself, comes in and with a huge arc of the bat sends Moeen long over midwicket and, it seems, into someone’s drink. In doing so he takes Sri Lanka into three figures and, with 66 needed from 36 balls, back into the suburbs on the outskirts of hope.
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PLEASE STAND BY, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Wicket! Kapugedera c Stokes b Plunkett 30
Kapugedera goes! He flicks Plunkett off his hips and straight to the man on the boundary rope!
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12th over Sri Lanka 88-4 (Kapugedera 25, Mathews 44) target 172 There are extended cries of “catch” when Kapugedera flicks out to deep mid-on but the ball doesn’t carry as far as the fielder. Mathews, having decided he quite fancies Rashid – grow up – lifts him high into the night sky and deep into the stands for another six. And Kapugedera does it too, up and over extra-cover for six more! From the last ball Mathews hammers a third six, slightly flatter but still high and hard over long on!
11th over Sri Lanka 67-4 (Kapugedera 17, Mathews 31) target 172 Short from Stokes and Mathews clubs him from outside off, over mid-on and away for four. A push to wide mid-off a few balls later brings up the 50 partnership off as many deliveries. Mathews is then technically dropped by Morgan, diving to his left at extra cover, Collingwood-esque, but not being able to cling on to an absolute screamer.
A huge thank you goes to @MahelaJay for helping @englandcricket ..!!!!!! #Cheers #ENGvSRL
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 26, 2016
10th over Sri Lanka 59-4 (Kapugedera 15, Mathews 24) target 172 Yep, a late introduction spin in the form of Rashid. Kapugedera pushes him out to mid-on for a single to bring up his side’s 50 and the players in the dugout go absolutely wild celebrating . Mathews then hits perhaps the biggest six of the match, his eyes lighting up at a tossed-up delivery and smashing it into the third tier back behind the bowler. It’s only been measured at 59 metres but that’s because it crashed into the wall at the back of the stand and bounced back on to the pitch. Still, 11 an over needed from here and this one only brings them 10.
9th over Sri Lanka 49-4 (Kapugedera 13, Mathews 17) target 172 The problem with England causing carnage at the start of the innings is that it has induced an earlier, extended period of Boring Middle Overs. I imagine we’ll see some spin sooner rather than later so as not to let these two settle and get any big ideas.
8th over Sri Lanka 46-4 (Kapugedera 12, Mathews 16) target 172 Plunkett, with 0 for eight from his first two, continues into a third. After three singles and a wide, Kapugedera gives him the charge and gets his first boundary, smacked hard over extra cover for four much-needed runs.
7th over Sri Lanka 38-4 (Kapugedera 7, Mathews 14) target 172 On balance, I’d say England got the better of the powerplays. Ben Stokes comes into the attack now. He narrowly beats Kapugedera’s wafting outside edge with a very quick delivery that, despite being full outside off, lifts sharply. A sedate four from the over, including a wide.
6th over Sri Lanka 34-4 (Kapugedera 6, Mathews 12) target 172 Kapugedera nearly becomes the fifth wicket to go down, gloving an attempted pull just short of Rashid running in from short fine-leg. It bounces awkwardly and skips past the fielder, down towards the boundary rope where Buttler chases it down and reels it in very well to save one.
After the most recent football, rugby & ODI World Cups England finally have a team get out of the group stage #WT20 #ENGvSL @DanLucas86
— David Lander (@Davel79) March 26, 2016
Shhh. They haven’t won it yet! Neither of these two are mugs and nor is Perera to come. Although having said that, Sky’s Win Predictor gizmo thing has England’s chances at 100% now.
5th over Sri Lanka 28-4 (Kapugedera 2, Mathews 10) target 172 It’s a change of ends for Jordan, who nearly gets Mathews playing on with his first ball. It’s short and the batsman’s attempted cut bounces down, past off stump and scoots off to fine leg for four. Four more next ball too, tuned off the ribs and out to deep backward square. A pair of singles bookend a wide.
“Cocktails on Angelo Mathews if there’s a super over,” writes Simon McMahon. Simon is my new favourite OBO reader, by the way, having actually sent me a book of cocktail recipes, which made my day earlier this week. Let that be a hint to everyone else out there.
4th over Sri Lanka 17-4 (Kapugedera 1, Mathews 1) target 172 Now Plunkett comes into the attack with two new and presumably nervous batsmen to bowl at. Stokes deserves credit for that run-out by the way, he came charging in at great pace from mid-off, swooped in to field, dived and threw down the stumps in the blink of an eye. Kapugedera gets off the mark with a single then Mathews comes charging at Plunkett’s back-of-a-length ball and swishes at air. One more single from the last.
If #AUS win tomorrow, we'll have a repeat of the 2006 Champions Trophy. Tournament in Asia with no Asian teams in the semis. #WT20 #ENGvSL
— Dileep Premachandran (@SpiceBoxofEarth) March 26, 2016
3rd over Sri Lanka 15-4 (Kapugedera 0, Mathews 0) target 172 Willey again and Thirimanne flicks his first one just short of Rashid at short fine-leg. They get a single then, after Siriwardana is tied down for two balls, he lifts a big six over wide mid-on, taking out a camera in the process. He’s gone next ball though and England are rampant. Mathews promotes himself up the order and watches aghast as the fourth wicket goes down off the last ball.
Wicket! Thirimanne run out 3
Mathews defends his first ball back down the track, Thirimanne sets off for a run that isn’t there and Stokes, diving, throws down the stumps with the non-striker well short!
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Wicket! Sirawardana c Morgan b Willey 7
Sirawardana looks to thrash over extra-cover but can’t get the requisite elevation to beat England’s captain on the edge of the circle!
2nd over Sri Lanka 8-2 (Thirimanne 2, Siriwardana 1) target 172 Jordan starts from the other end and starts with a short ball that flies down the leg-side for a wide. I’d have gone with Plunkett, but there you go. He makes up for it almost immediately though with the wicket of Chandimal. Malodorous stuff, Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka, malodorous stuff. Thirimanne, the new man, gets off the mark with a single before Jordan sends another wide down leg. Singles from each of the last two.
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Wicket! Chandimal c Buttler b Jordan 1
Short and quick outside off. Chandimal looks to push it behind square down to third man/backward point, but can only get a thick-ish edge that Buttler catches comfortably.
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1st over Sri Lanka 3-1 (Chandimal 1, Siriwardana 0) target 172 David Willey has the new ball. He starts with his customary accurate inswinger, back into Chandimal’s pads and tucked to midwicket for a single. Dilshan tucks the second out to deep backward square-leg for twice as many. That’s as good as it’s going to get from him though, caught the very next ball and that might be the last we see of the 39-year-old in a major tournament. The left-handed Siriwadana is the new man and a slip comes into play for him. He’s cut in two by his second ball, which sticks in the pitch a touch and somehow misses off-stump after passing the closed face of the bat. Brilliant first over from the new honourary Yorkshireman.
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Wicket! Dilshan c Hales b Willey 2
Dilshan goes with the in-swing, flicks it up and over square-leg only to see Hales waiting for it in the deep. Huge wicket for England in the first over!
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Bumble reports there is no dew out there, which will suit England’s bowlers. If I was Eoin Morgan I’d be of a mind to open with seam from both ends and hope they can bowl accurately enough not to get flayed, then get the spinners on with a view to strangling Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, incidentally, have never chased more than 170 in a T20 international.
If your name is Jeffrey Vandersay you should be leading hostile takeovers on Wall Street, not bowling long hops. #SL #WT20
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) March 26, 2016
@Vitu_E or setting up your own latex company, named Vandersay Industries
— Alan R Gardner (@alanroderick) March 26, 2016
David Willey's been struggling with Delhi belly over the last couple of days. Be interesting to see if he's 100%. LET THE PUNS BEGIN.
— Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew) March 26, 2016
Depending on how England’s spinners bowl that could well be a match-winning innings from the brilliant Jos Buttler – 66 from 37. Sri Lanka won’t be too devastated at conceding 171, although you wouldn’t stake your house on them chasing it on current form.
I’ll be back for the chase in 10 minutes or so. In the meantime, here’s Vic Marks on tomorrow’s near-quarter-final.
End of innings England 171-4
20th over England 171-4 (Stokes 6, Buttler 66) Thisara Perera, whose solitary over so far went for 18, will bowl the last. He starts with a yorker that hits Morgan on the boot and has the batsman falling over, but they get a leg-bye. Next ball the captain is run out, so Stokes comes in at the non-striker’s end. They should only get one off the third but Dilshan fumbles it at deep midwicket. This is very good bowling though, from Perera and he beats Buttler next. Another yorker, dug out by Buttler and they jog through for a single, allowing Stokes to face the last. Last ball of the innings is a full-toss, low outside off-stump and Stokes launches it over wide mid-on for six!
Wicket! Morgan run out 22
Buttler drills it back at the bowler, who stops it with his boot. Morgan has literally backed up halfway down the track and Perera easily runs him out.
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19th over England 161-3 (Morgan 22, Buttler 63) Back comes Dusmantha for his fourth over and he begins with a wide. If Buttler doesn’t get out England can look at 170 here. He gets four more from the first legal delivery of the over with a hard cut behind point. Next ball is a length ball, eminently hittable and clubbed over long-on for six! He guides one out to point for a single and Sri Lanka finally get a respite, bowling to Morgan. He goes for the pull and top-edges, but the ball drops safely allowing another single. The fifth ball is smashed back at the bowler who, I guess technically drops it in the follow-through but that very nearly took his head off.
18th over England 146-3 (Morgan 20, Buttler 51) Dasun, making his first appearance in the World T20 gets his first bowl in the 18th over. His first ball is short and Buttler goes after it, but doesn’t connect fully and only gets two for it. He does connect going after a wide full-toss though, casually swishing it through cover for four. His bottom hand is so, so quick and strong. He clubs into the on-side for two more, bringing up the 50 partnership, then clubs a massive six down the ground to bring up his own half-century. Both of those from 28 balls, curiously.
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17th over England 131-3 (Morgan 20, Buttler 36) Dushmantha returns and Buttler is nearly run-out, Thirimanne missing one stump from side on with the batsman well short of his crease. The over opens with a pair of dots, but then Buttler clumps a pair of fours, the first along the ground through wide mid-off and the second lifted back down the ground, with Dushmantha overpitching attempted yorkers both times. He misses a cut at a wide, slow long hop but then guides a no-ball behind point for four more. That was nowhere near a no-ball, actually, the bowler’s heel landing well behind the line. They only get one from the free hit.
16th over England 117-3 (Morgan 20, Buttler 23) Thisara Perera comes into the attack and brings up England’s 100 with a leg-side wide. Somewhat remarkably, that’s the first wide of the innings. Morgan drives through cover for a couple, then picks a full delivery off his pads and flicks it over backward square-leg for a skimming four. England and Morgan both needed that, struggling for runs as they are. Even better next up from the captain, getting one in the slot and clobbering it over mid-off for six! Another wide means England already have 14 midway through the over. A full toss is clipped off the ankles out to deep midwicket for two more. He tries to go big again next ball, down the ground, but can’t get under it and the ball just squirts away for a single. Buttler gets one more from the last.
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15th over England 99-3 (Morgan 5, Buttler 22) Also into his fourth over is Herath. This time though, England get a whopping SIX – count ‘em SIX! – singles. One for 27, Herath’s final analysis and England will be pretty happy with that result.
14th over England 93-3 (Morgan 2, Buttler 19) Mathews will complete his spell. The batsmen exchange singles then Buttler goes on the pull, not really connecting with a short one and presumably feeling relieved when it drops short of midwicket. Morgan then comes charging at a slower one, gets cramped for space, misses and very nearly loses his off peg. Five singles from the over, Mathews finishes with a tidy 0-25.
13th over England 88-3 (Morgan 0, Buttler 16) Buttler gives Vandersay the charge and gets a thick outside edge down to third man for four. He takes one next ball then Roy goes on the charge himself, smearing it to the fielder at deep mid-on for one. Another single brings him back on strike and precedes his downfall. Hawkeye says that Roy’s hissy fit as he left the field is unwarranted, clattering as it was into the stumps.
Wicket! Roy lbw b Vandersay 42
Skids on and passes beneath Roy’s big swish. The batsman isn’t happy with the decision, perhaps reckoning it was too high.
12th over England 81-2 (Roy 41, Buttler 10) Back comes Mathews and he appeals for lbw against Roy. The ball hit him outside off but the batsman stood ball-watching and was close to being run-out by Herath’s throw to the non-striker’s end. They get the leg-bye, then a pair of singles, before Buttler somehow avoids treading on his stumps while backing away and scooping to fine-leg for a boundary.
Susceptibility’s Ian Copestake writes: “The problem with watching the coverage of this tournament on Indian TV is that I keep wanting to make a money transfer to someone living abroad.”
Don’t you live in America, Ian? Thereby making me abroad?
11th over England 73-2 (Roy 40, Buttler 4) Root goes to the very first delivery, ending his innings on 25 from 24 and the partnership on 61 from 51. As suspected, Buttler is in up the order and gets off strike with a leg-bye. Confusion in the outfield at wide mid-on gives Roy two rather than one and allows the opener to move into the 40s. From the final ball, Buttler gets four with a hard reverse-sweep along the floor and round the corner.
Wicket! Root c Thirimanne b Vandersay 25
A rank long-hop and Root swishes it straight down the throat of deep midwicket!
Vandersay crybaby cry.
10th over England 65-1 (Roy 37, Root 25) You won’t see an uglier four runs from Root, whose hand comes off the bat but he just gets enough to send it skewing up and over the mid-off fielder, whose desperate attempt to reel the ball in from the fence ends in failure and a tumble. He’s beaten trying a huge heave into the on-side two balls later, the ball too low and too outside off for that shot to ever really be on. Root cuts the fifth ball to deep cover point for one, then Roy misses out by slapping a full-toss straight to extra cover. Jos Buttler is padding up.
Only the second time Roy has gone beyond 30 in T20Is... Looking poised #EngvSL
— Alan R Gardner (@alanroderick) March 26, 2016
9th over England 60-1 (Roy 37, Root 20) Back comes Herath and Roy smears his first ball to mid-off for a single. This is the left-armer’s third over and England will think that if they can see him off their long batting order can feast on the lesser spinners. Or not, as Roy steps down the wicket to a full ball on leg-stump and whips it over mid-on for six. That’s the 50 partnership. Three other singles make 10 from the over, which is nothing to be sniffed at.
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8th over England 50-1 (Roy 29, Root 18) Again it’s just a one-over spell for Mathews, who replaces himself with Dushmatntha Chameera, who beats Roy with his first two balls, a pair of neat cutters, the second far quicker than the first. There’s a noise on the second too and Chandimal thinks Roy has nicked it but Rod Tucker says it was off the pad. Roy is beaten again but it keeps low and they scuttle through for a bye when Chandimal fumbles it. Other than that, just two singles from the over. Enough to bring up the England 50 but good for little else from an English perspective.
7th over England 47-1 (Roy 28, Root 17) Left-arm spin for left-arm spin: Siriwardana comes on for Herath. Roy smashes the first ball, looking for the boundary but only picking out the man at deep mid-off. Two balls later he nails it though, getting a juicy low full-toss and drilling it straight back over the bowler’s head for the first six of the innings. Siriwardana comes back well, with two dots and a single from the next three.
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6th over England 38-1 (Roy 20, Root 16) Back comes Mathews. A good decision from the captain I think, not letting England settle against one pace. Roy picks his slower ball and plays a clever shot, shuffling across and shovelling over backward square leg for four. There’s a stilted appeal when Root is hit on the back pad, but he thwacked the leather off it trying to play into the on-side. Next ball, the last of the over, he succeeds with the same shot, timing it past a midwicket misfield and away to the fence. Not a terrible powerplay in the end for England. Not the best, but 160 could be enough here.
Simon McMahon writes: “In the era of dieticians and fitness coaches, Herath gives hope to us all. Well, me anyway. He looks like he wouldn’t say no to a cheese roll at the end of each over. With a nice pint to wash it down.”
Not a cocktail, Simon? Meanwhile Brian Baldwin asks: “If there’s a correlation between initials and sporting prowess, is there one with tattoos? If so, England would win, (left) hand down.”
5th over England 29-1 (Roy 15, Root 12) Now England look to get ticking over. Root opens the face and guides a yorker-length ball brilliantly through cover, teasing the chasing fielder before beating him and getting to the rope for four more. A single down the ground brings Roy on strike, Vandersay drops short and Roy punches a cut through point for another boundary. A leg-bye to finish.
“An awful run as usual but the real Sri Lanka always turns up and turns it on at tournaments (winners, finalists or at least semi-finalists),” writes Vinny. “Forever underestimated and always the underdog, they always continue to prove the doubters wrong, as I suspect they might today.”
Yes but until this tournament they had the cricketing equivalent of Xavi and Iniesta in their middle order.
4th over England 19-1 (Roy 11, Root 7) Sri Lanka might be regretting not picking Jos Buttler’s favourite Senanayake after this start. Roy gets the first boundary with a reverse slog – too agricultural to call it a sweep – past backward point for four. A couple of balls later Root drives a filthy full toss through extra cover for the same.
@DanLucas86 DJ Hodor is actually the actor who plays Hodor. He's very good.
— Dave Hogg (@Stareagle) March 26, 2016
Indeed, I met him once on a flight. He’s lovely.
3rd over England 8-1 (Roy 6, Root 1) Change of bowling already: after the success of spin in that last over, Jeffrey Vandersay comes on to bowl his leggies. Singles worked off the first and third balls with a leg-bye in between, then Root heaves a short ball out to deep square leg but can only get one more for his trouble. Roy is hit on the pad with the last ball – a googly – and it looked very good on first view to me, although replays show it was probably spinning too much and going past leg. Still, only four from the over again.
“At least every England player has two or more initials,” writes J M Starbuck. Sri Lanka one of the few teams who can better that.”
2nd over England 4-1 (Roy 4, Root 0) Herath from the other end and he begins with an utter peach, angling it in and straightening past Hales’ outside edge and fizzing just over the stumps. This is lovely bowling, which Hales can’t get away and he’s a goner the first time he tries to go big. Joe Root – somehow No53 in the T20 world rankings – is the new man and plays out a couple of dots. Wicket maiden from Herath, whom we can no longer call underrated.
Wicket! Hales lbw b Herath 0
After three dots, Hales go for the big sweep to try and release the pressure. He misses and is pinged in line with off.
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1st over England 4-0 (Roy 4, Hales 0) Mathews opens the bowling. Roy gets the innings started with a couple, flicked out and run hard to midwicket. Two balls later he’s beaten and struck on the pad by a lovely inswinger but the ball was drifting so far down leg it didn’t even warrant an appeal. Two more for Roy, run wide of the man at backward point. The Surrey man has a big wild and wooly pull at the final ball but misses it completely. Good start from Sri Lanka.
“I’ve thought it would be fun to live amongst the posh folks calling myself DJ Required,” HONKs Marie Meyer.
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The Sri Lankan anthem is finished now. I’m pretty sure that was longer than Stairway to Heaven.
.@DanLucas86 DJ Willey surely a contender for worst DJ name ever.
— Robert Wolf Petersen (@robwolfpetersen) March 26, 2016
Today I got invited to something called Rave of Thrones, with DJ Hodor.
Anthems time. “Please stand for the national anthem of England,” says the stadium announcer, which would go down really well with our BTL commenters on the Six Nations articles this year.
Poor Geoffrey.
I'd love to make a solid prediction @DanLucas86 but God knows what'll happen. We *should* win, but... England. Root/Rashid will be key.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) March 26, 2016
I agree and would chuck Moeen into that, as well as how they handle the glorious Herath. England are the strong favourites but I’ve got a funny feeling Sri Lanka, fielding first, are going to win this one.
Josh Robinson emails to point out that in the event of a tie then the same conditions as a wash-out apply. However this isn’t the case as a tie would send us to a super over.
The teams in full
With my earlier typo corrected too.
England
JJ Roy, AD Hales, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, CJ Jordan, DJ Willey, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett
Sri Lanka
LD Chandimal†, TM Dilshan, TAM Siriwardana, HDRL Thirimanne, AD Mathews*, CK Kapugedera, NLTC Perera,MD Shanaka, PVD Chameera, HMRKB Herath, JDF Vandersay
This shouldn’t come into it as the weather is expected to be clear tonight. But as has been pointed out to me, if it’s washed out, Sri Lanka can still put England out by beating South Africa. It’s been drizzling all afternoon.
Toss and team news
Sri Lanka win the toss. Angelo Mathews chooses to field first and bring in Chanaka for Kulasekara. There was no consideration given to bringing in Senanayake as an extra spinner given there is a touch of grass on the pitch.
Eoin Morgan says he too would have bowled first – England do tend to bat with more intent when chasing so that’s no surprise. Hales comes in for Vince as expected and that’s the one change.
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The pitch
This is the same pitch on which England played Afghanistan, so expect a slow non-turner. The weather is expected to be clear too.
Also it’s worth noting that Alex Hales, who missed the Afghanistan match with a back-GAH! trained yesterday with the team so is likely to come in for James Vince.
Hello, folks. This has been a curious campaign so far from Andrew Strauss’s Fearless New England. They were pummelled in the opener by a West Indies side who have gone on to pummel everyone else. They were rescued by Joe Root and some brilliant batting after their bowlers were flayed by South Africa. They were rescued by Moeen Ali, David Willey and the bowling after the batsmen were very nearly humiliated by Afghanistan. In any other circumstances, we would be saying that a complete performance today is of utmost importance.
The thing is, it’s not. The equation is even simpler than that: win and England go through to the semi-finals along with New Zealand and the Windies; lose and they go out as Sri Lanka face South Africa in the final game and the Proteas have a far superior run-rate to Eoin Morgan’s men.
The defending champions have been poor so far, beating only Afghanistan and that largely down to an excellent innings from Tillakaratne Dilshan. Defeat would send them packing with a whimper and confirm that the retirements of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, as well as the injury problems that Lasith Malinga has faced, have hit them exactly as hard as you would expect. They’ll need to hope that their spinners, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay and Rangana Herath, fare better than Samuel Badree and Imran Tahir did against a batting line-up that features the Super 10 stage’s leading run-scorer in Joe Root.
Play begins at 2pm GMT, or 7.30pm local time in Delhi. Toss and team news will be in half an hour or so before then.
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