Reigning Kings of T20 tame the Brits

The World T20 champions, Sri Lanka avenged their only loss at World T20 Bangladesh 2014 by beating England by 9 runs in a high octane T20I played at The Oval on Tuesday night.

Touring Sri Lanka finished on 183 for 7 in 20 overs with top scorer Thisara Perera making the most of a dropped catch by debutant Michael Carberry to blast 49 from only 20 balls playing savior to some scrappy collection of runs by his team mates.

Alex Hales continued to be the thorn in the Sri Lankan flesh continuing where he left off from Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup where he single-handedly disfigured Sri Lanka’s unbeaten track.  He gave England hope with a fine 66, but the opener had little support from further down the order. The hosts had no answer to Lasith Malinga’s match winning spell of 3 for 28 and fell short by 9 runs despite Ravi Bopara’s late hitting. 

Malinga’s superb fast bowling, where he conceded just four runs in the penultimate over, was crucial for the visitors while Chris Jordan gave away 22 runs in the penultimate over of the Lankan innings.

England’s stand-in captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to field first. Sri Lankan openers raced to 24 runs in just 16 balls but left arm pacemen Harry Gurney claimed his first scalp in international cricket by bowling Tillakaratne Dilshan edging one on to his stumps. Kusal Perera was dismissed by Jordan in the next over to put brakes to the early onslaught.

Young guns Kithuruwan Vithanage and Lahiru Thirimanne staged a recovery with a partnership of 54 for the third wicket which included fearless batting by Vithanage who smartly used his reverse sweeps and late cuts bisecting fielding with ominous ease to score 38 in 26 balls while Sri Lanka’s new vice-captain showed the mettle he is known for to contribute 40 valuable runs in 32 balls. 

England’s attack chipped away at the Sri Lanka middle order; a young pack that showed talent and some bludgeoning but holding out regularly. All-rounder Thisara Perera walked into the crease at the perfect time for him with the license to kill with just 5 overs left and the Lankan score on 122. 

Carberry, playing his first T20 international nearly collided with Morgan as he dropped a steeping chance from Perera, who was on 20 at the time. Perera took full advantage with some savage hitting, scoring 49 of the 61 runs added while he was at the wicket in the last five overs of the innings. Gurney was the most impressive of England’s bowlers throughout the innings as he took 2 wickets in his quota of 4 overs.

Carberry’s miserable debut continued when the left-hander was dismissed for seven at the start of England’s second over when Angelo Mathews took the initial breakthrough. Alex Hales kept his side in the hunt with an inning of 66 which came in a strike rate of 160. Hales was in cracking form like last time England played Sri Lanka, sweetly timing and getting in the big shots to continue to keep England in the fray. 

Experienced campaigner Ian Bell playing his 1st T20I after three years failed to make an impression and Bell’s dismissal triggered a minor batting collapse. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan scored only 5 runs each as they fell to Suranga Lakmal’s bowling and fielding heroics. Wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler put up a 39 run partnership with Hales for the fifth wicket but Sri Lanka’s death bowling specialists, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara used all their experience to remove well-set Alex Hales and Buttler respectively. 

Hales’ dismissal did not quite end England’s lingering hopes, but Malinga’s miserly penultimate that went for just 4 runs meant England required 24 from the last over. Skipper Malinga gave Suranga Lakmal the opportunity of bowling the final over instead of the more experienced Angelo Mathews who had bowled best from the Lankan camp going for just 7 in his two overs with a wicket to boot. Ravi Bopara cleared the ropes once and hit the next ball for four, but his efforts as England had left a tad too much to do in the final over as Sri Lanka clung on to ensure the first home match of Peter Moores second spell as England head coach, end in defeat.

Sri Lanka started their T20I journey minus Twin Towers, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene with a well-executed win which was a collective effort by all the players and heartening to the Sri Lankan fans who held their breath for a good performance by the new camp.

Sri Lanka innings