“Believe it or not,” Sri Lanka beat England in the 2015 World Cup, in Wellington, New Zealand. It will be a “pipe dream” if this happens again at the Oval when these two sides meet in 2019.I hope Lahiru Thirimanne proves me wrong.
England won the toss and elected to bat, Moin Ali and Ian Bell opened. Malinga was on song swinging from the word go. Suranga Lakmal looked ordinary and Ali helped himself to a couple of fours. 2 overs 10 runs scored. Bell forced Malinga close to cover for four and got another and Ali drove Lakmal square for four and three fours on the trot, England got off to a blazing start. Bell chipped Lakmal over mid on for four and immediately was dropped by Chandimal at cover diving to his right a tough chance, Bell got another four, the score stood at 38 for 0 off 4.3 overs. They were blasting our bowlers. Ali cover drove Malinga for four and England was 42 for 0 after 5 overs. Mathews came on to ball and he moved the ball but at pedestrian pace and Bell helped himself to a cluster of fours, Dilshan came on and retarded the flow of runs, 62 for 0 in 9 overs.
Mathews accounted for Moin Ali who drove a short ball straight to Lakmal, the score stood at 62 for 1, out of form Garry Balance was the new man in, he squeezed a single through the covers to get off the mark but Dilshan pegged him down inducing him to push the ball back to Dilshan who took a low diving catch. It was 71 for 2 off 12.3 overs.
Mathews in the meanwhile was moving the ball late in the air and got Root to edge and Mahela dropped a dolly. Root was going at a rate 40 runs off 40 balls. After 20 overs it was 100 for 2.Lakmal managed to get rid of Bell who played an airy fairy shot got an inside edge and the ball went on to hit the stumps. Morgan the new man in got off the mark with an on driven four. Joe Root got a four off Lakmal square driven and at the half way mark the score stood at 118 for 3.Dilshan carried on retarding the run rate to 4.5 a significant change from 10 at the beginning. Then Morgan broke the shackles by swinging Dilshan over mid-wicket for six,
Root joined in and swept Herath for four, 145 for 3 from 30 overs. Morgan was busy as ever, he went down the wicket and drove Herath to the long on boundary, there 50 partnership was established, this was immediately followed by Roots 50 which came at a canter in 66 balls.
The flourishing partnership was broken when Dilshan took a blinder at point to get rid of danger man Morgan off Tissera Perera, his 27 came off 47 balls, it was 161 for 4 off after 35 overs. Root made merry blasting the ball through point and cover for 3 fours at the expense of Tissera Perera and Herath and England were 170 for 4.It was Root all the way who played elegantly to get England up to 200 for 4 in 40 overs. The partnership between Root and Taylor came in 42 balls. Eventually Root got to his 100 in 100 balls. England ended up at 309 after 50 overs.
Sri Lanka started their innings with Dilshan and Thirimanne whereas Anderson and Broad started proceedings for England. After 8 overs it was 8 for 0.Thirimanne was lucky to get a streaky four when Taylor dropped him off Broad, and somehow Thirimanne got to 15 off 19 balls, the score was 25 after 5 overs. Dilshan repeatedly hit Broad for two sixes both swivelling hooks, Thirimanne joined in with a cover driven four.Dilshan was 21 off 20 balls and Thirimanne 21 off 30 balls.It was 78 for 0 off . Thirimanne got to his 50 off 58 balls and 100 came to Sri Lanka along with the 100 partnership. Dilshan got out mishitting Ali and Morgan took the catch, he went for 43. At 105 for 1 Sangakkara entered the fray and in no uncertain terms pulled Ali for four. At half way stage Sri Lanka were 131 for 1. The run rate was 5.1, Thirimanne was on 70 off 86 balls and 140 for 1, he got into his eighties with two shots a six and a four, 50 partnership with Sangakkara came in no time, Thiri called the shots then and not the maestro, somehow the two of them had something which was mutual and both understood their game well matching stroke to stroke, before you could say “boo to goose” 188 came off 34 overs and the batting power play started and Sanga took advantage and swung Broad to leg for four and with another couple got to his 50 in 45 balls. Sanga pulled Finn for a glorious six and with it 200 came up together with the 100 partnership. Sanga and Thiri smelled victory in the air and the atmosphere was electric, nonchalant Sanga ‘cocky as ever” was on fire, treating the bowlers with disdain, in the meantime Thiri was dropped at 98 by Ali in the covers but got to his 100 in 117 balls.
Sanga cover drove Woakes and shimmied down the wicket for another four, so the four came pouring down Sanga’s bat like the monsoon rains in Colombo.He blasted 93 off 63 balls and the required rate was 6, easy meat indeed, ultimately it came to 6 runs off 20 balls and Thirimanne delivered the “Coup de gras” with a six. Sri Lanka was 312 for 1 off 47.2 overs, that man again-Kumar Sangakkara was the Man of the Match.
Add new comment