No.10 batsman Liam Plunkett smashed Nuwan Pradeep for six off the very last ball to earn England a thrilling tie against Sri Lanka in the first ODI which concluded on Tuesday night at Trent Bridge.
After having England struggling at 82 for 6, Sri Lanka let the Buttler-inspired English lower-order steal a tie from the jaws of defeat. With 10 runs required off the last 2 balls, Plunkett and Chris Woakes scampered to 3 runs amidst Sri Lanka’s early celebration before Pradeep missed his length in the final ball.
The hosts’ batting display had been indebted to Jos Buttler, who showed excellent maturity in rescuing England with a classy 93 in a partnership of 138 with Woakes for the 7th wicket.
When the home team needed 64 off 46 balls, Dasun Shanaka took a brilliant leaping catch at the long-on boundary to end Buttler’s heroics and later Willey was given out off an almost no-ball to the bowling of Maharoof.
Woakes was the real hero for England as he tormented Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 95 not out, the highest score by a No 8 in ODI cricket and was rightly adjudged the man of the match following his earlier 2 for 56 with the ball.
Chasing 287 to win, Jason Roy was the first to be dismissed when a brilliant Mathews’ delivery hit the seam and jagged back in to trap him right in front while his partner, Alex Hales reviewed his dismissal even though he had clearly inside-edged onto pad off Lakmal before the ball cannoned to square leg.
Sri Lanka continued to bowl wicket-to-wicket as Joe Root stood back for a fuller delivery and castled himself to give Mathews his second victim while in-form Jonny Bairstow pushed it straight to point off Lakmal.
Captain Eoin Morgan made 43 to slightly repair the innings but made an unforgivable waft at a harmless delivery off Pradeep outside off-stump and edged to Chandimal while after two overs, Moeen Ali chopped on to the bowling of Pradeep which brought Woakes and Buttler together.
Earlier in the match after opting to bowl first, the England left-arm seamer David Willey removed both Sri Lankan openers, Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Perara cheaply. Gunathilake struck a checked drive to cover and Perera’s outside edge flew to backward point. Woakes had Kusal Mendis caught behind feathering a pull to reduce Sri Lanka to 59 for three at the end of the Powerplay.
Sri Lanka were 138 for 4 at the start of the 30th over with Chandimal having swept Moeen Ali to backward square on 37 to end a stand of 64 with Mathews. Seekkuge Prasanna joined Mathews and upped the tempo with a 28-ball 59 which included four sixes in five balls before he mistimed a pull off Woakes and offered a simple return catch.
Mathews continued his good work anchoring the Lankan innings with a dogged 73 while Maharoof provided a late cameo of 31* to help Sri Lanka post 286 on the board.
“We had the game in the bag for most of the overs, but unfortunately the yorker fell just off-line. It happens, unfortunately for bowlers. All the bowlers bowled really well, we should have got at least 300 on that wicket.As for me, my hamstring is a little stiff so we will see how I am in a few days.” a dejected Mathews said.
