Simon Burnton's report from Bengaluru
Updated
Matthew Mott, England’s Australian coach, finds himself losing to an English coach for the second time in this tournament. First it was Jonathan Trott with Afghanistan, now it’s Chris Silverwood with Sri Lanka. Mott, to his credit, comes out and faces the cameras. “We’ve unfortunately saved our worst form for this World Cup,” he says. “Everyone feels like they’ve let a lot of people down.”
Asked if England have more than a mathematical chance, he demurs. “Realistically, we’re in a bit of trouble.”
He can say that again. But then he has won a World Cup with England – the T20 one, this time last year in Australia. He, like most of the players, has plenty of credit in the bank.
That’s it from us on a chastening day for England. Thanks very much for your company, correspondence and gallows humour. The last word goes to Simon McMahon. “And maybe the most depressing thing about it all,” he reckons, “is that it was the fairest of margins.”
Updated
The player of the match is Lahiru Kumara, who took three for 35 and removed Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Ben Stokes. It could equally well have been Angelo Mathews, who roared back from the wilderness to take two wickets and a run-out, or either of the two batters who cruised to victory – Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
So Sri Lanka had four superstars as well as a strong team effort that manifested itself in fine fielding. England had only David Willey playing well, and he’s the one player in their squad who hasn’t just been given a central contract.
Ben Stokes did his best, hanging in there against the odds, and Chris Woakes and Mark Wood showed signs of finding their rhythm. But these are straws to be clutched at. England have been awful. And they’ve lurched from one policy (lots of bits and pieces) to another (specialists) and back.
They’re not out of the World Cup yet, strangely. But they surely soon will be as their next game is against India, who have been remorselessly efficient.
Updated
“It’s incredibly tough,” says Jos Buttler. “Incredibly disappointing tournament. Not just short of our best but a very long way. As captain, you feel that a lot – disappointed for myself and all the boys that we’ve not shown a good account of ourselves…” He manages a wry smile. “Can’t fault the guys’ efforts. It' starts at the front and I’ve been a long way short of my best. ”
Sri Lanka go up to fifth in the table, ahead of Pakistan. Both those sides have four points from five games, as do Afghanistan. England have two points from five – won one, lost four – and they are ninth. Their net run rate is awful too (-1.63), but luckily for them the Netherlands’ is even worse (-1.90). So Glenn Maxwell’s big hitting has at least kept England off rock bottom.
Updated
Sri Lanka win by eight wickets with almost half their overs to spare – 24.2 overs. This has been the shortest match in the 2023 World Cup. And the lowest ebb for England, who were widely expected to win.
SRI LANKA WIN BY A STREET AND ENGLAND'S MISERY DEEPENS
25.4 overs: Sri Lanka 160-2 (Nissanka 77, Samarawickrama 65) A six from Nissanka, and England are put out of their misery – or rather, pitched into another level of it. They’ve been utterly outplayed.
Updated
Key event
25th over: Sri Lanka 152-2 (Nissanka 69, Samarawickrama 65) Chris Woakes, exuding decency as ever, manages to delay the inevitable, but his over still goes for six. Five needed to complete this thrashing.
Updated
24th over: Sri Lanka 146-2 (Nissanka 66, Samarawickrama 63) It’s party time now. Samarawickrama goes inside-out to loft Moeen for four, then reverse-sweeps him for four more.
“Re when England were expected to be this bad (drinks break),” says Smylers, “the 11-year-old recently read Young Wisden, published in 2007, in which England are described as ‘Good at: seam bowling, especially at home; being given newspaper columns’ and ‘Not so good at: one-day cricket’. That all sounds pretty accurate again — maybe you should consider a reprint?” Ha. “or anybody desperate, I see the original is available on Amazon for a mere £105.” Blimey.
Fifty to Samarawickrama!
23rd over: Sri Lanka 135-2 (Nissanka 64, Samarawickrama 54) Buttler goes back to seam, in the form of Woakes. Samarawickrama takes a single to reach a fine, attacking fifty off 44 balls with four fours and a six. He celebrates by flipping a full toss for another four. SL need 22: it’s all over bar the handshaking.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 129-2 (Nissanka 63, Samarawickrama 49) Five off the over from Moeen, 28 needed. England are just going through the motions now.
Hundred partnership!
21st over: Sri Lanka 124-2 (Nissanka 62, Samarawickrama 45) Nissanka, facing Livingstone, hits an inside-out drive for four to bring up the hundred partnership, 101 off 94 balls. He and Samarawickrama have been far too good.
“You ask if any of us remember when England were this bad,” says Sarah Skelding. “The answer is yes, but please don’t ask for details. It’s still too soon and too fresh even 30 years on.” Ha… 30 years, eh – sounds as if you’re thinking of the Ashes series that did for Graham Gooch’s captaincy.
Updated
20th over: Sri Lanka 118-2 (Nissanka 57, Samarawickrama 44) Buttler gives Wood a breather and turns to Moeen Ali, so it’s spin at both ends – from two bowlers who were not wanted in the previous match. The batters do some milking. What would Eoin do? Bring back Willey, most likely.
19th over: Sri Lanka 113-2 (Nissanka 53, Samarawickrama 43) Livingstone continues with his leg-breaks and induces a false shot, but it just plops to the ground in the no-man’s-land beyond midwicket. Only three off the over, as if that matters: Sri Lanka need only 44 more.
Fifty to Nissanka!
18th over: Sri Lanka 110-2 (Nissanka 51, Samarawickrama 42) Nissanka, facing Wood, cuts for two and then eases into a lovely drive that brings up his 50 off 54 balls with six fours and a six. He’s been so good, unflappable and fluent.
Wood has been decidedly better today, which is a crumb of comfort for England as they head for a humbling at the hands of India on Sunday.
17th over: Sri Lanka 103-2 (Nissanka 44, Samarawickrama 42) Faced with those options I mentioned, Buttler picks Liam Livingstone with his liquorice all-sorts. His first ball sits up asking to be slapped away for four and Samarawickrama is happy to oblige. Sri Lanka need another 54.
Drinks: it's all going pear-shaped
That was drinks, by the way. Anybody else old enough to remember when we expected England to be this bad?
16th over: Sri Lanka 95-2 (Nissanka 43, Samarawickrama 35) A rare bad ball from Wood today, a bouncer that just needs helping round the corner by Nissanka. The target shrivels to 62. Buttler has a rather skimpy set of options – bring Woakes back, try Moeen or Livingstone, bring Willey back … or persuade Stokes to take up bowling again.
“This seems so obvious as to be a mundane observation in the extreme, and yet: confidence and momentum are so important, aren’t they?” says Rob Knap. “This group of players has seemed to collectively maintain both for longer than normal, despite the occasional dips. It’s not unusual for such a successful sports team to suffer such a rapid turnaround in fortunes like this, as others have said today. I can understand motivation and intensity dropping as they realise what’s happening - see Adil’s run-out for an example of that. Willey seems to still have some of that intensity at least (perhaps contract-related?).
“I can only imagine they’re extremely aware of what’s happening, whatever they say publicly (God knows every club cricketer of a certain age understands what ‘losing it’ feels like, whether collectively or individually). It must be pretty depressing for them. I hope they get a sympathetic and appreciative send-off as a team, but I suspect that’s unlikely...”
Updated
Sri Lanka are past halfway!
15th over: Sri Lanka 87-2 (Nissanka 36, Samarawickrama 34) Buttler gives Rashid a leg slip, which should be a step forward – but Rashid takes three steps back, offering a drive-ball outside off (single), a nothing ball on the stumps (flicked for six), and long hop outside off (cut for two). That’s 12 off the over, and suddenly Sri Lanka are past halfway – 87 in the bag, just 70 needed. Apart from anything else, England’s net run rate is heading from bad to worse.
Another optimist writes.
India won't risk playing England on pitches and outfields like this come the Test series will they @TimdeLisle? If Bazball comes off two or three times, that could be the series.
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) October 26, 2023
(Yes, I'm moving on).
14th over: Sri Lanka 75-2 (Nissanka 34, Samarawickrama 24) Wood is bowling pretty well, but these two batters have got their eye in and he can only draw a half-false shot out of them. A magnificent bouncer brings a fence from Samarawickrama, who puts his hands on the line and gets a cut for his trouble. The fifty partnership comes up, off 48 balls, which is exactly the right way to approach a small run chase. Buttler belatedly brings in a slip. Let’s have a Test-match field!
13th over: Sri Lanka 72-2 (Nissanka 33, Samarawickrama 22) Samarawickrama, facing Rashid, tries a scoop and ends up getting it in the neck, but he seems to be OK. This is a better over from Rashid, just three from it. But England need eight wickets fast and he doesn’t look like getting more than one or two.
“Just recovering from two cataract operations,” says David Gaskell. “Is it my imagination or were England better when I couldn’t see them?”
Updated
12th over: Sri Lanka 69-2 (Nissanka 32, Samarawickrama 20) Willey takes a break (5-0-30-2) and Buttler plays the only card left in his hand of seamers: Mark Wood. He simply can’t afford to be in his expensive mode, and the heart sinks as his first ball is a long hop, slapped away over backward point by Samarawickrama. Wood recovers well, touching 151kph and beating the bat in the channel not once, not twice, but three times. Give him a slip! Or three!
11th over: Sri Lanka 64-2 (Nissanka 32, Samarawickrama 15) Rashid too starts well before giving Nissanka a juicy half-volley, despatched for four. One reason England are still firm favourites to lose this match is the outfield, which is like an ice rink.
Updated
10th over: Sri Lanka 56-2 (Nissanka 26, Samarawickrama 13) Willey gets a fifth over. “He’s fired up,” says Nasser, who knows a bit about that. Willey starts this over well, but then Samarawickrama flicks over his left shoulder and gets four for it as someone I can’t quite make out slides in and shovels the ball onto the Toblerone.
“I don’t think Max Williams should be too worried about the test team,” says Mark Beadle. “Ben [Duckett] and Zak [Crawley] will be in their prime and have England 150+ off 25 overs. Plus, there is actually some decent young players coming through and maybe even Jofra will be fit.” Are you, by any chance, an optimist?
Updated
9th over: Sri Lanka 51-2 (Nissanka 25, Samarawickrama 9) On a seaming pitch, England have picked one seamer fewer than in the last game, dropping Gus Atkinson (who might have been worth a place just for his batting). So Buttler brings on Adil Rashid before the end of the Powerplay. Nissanka cashes in with a straight six, the first one of the day not struck by David Willey.
8th over: Sri Lanka 43-2 (Nissanka 18, Samarawickrama 8) Willey beats Samarawickrama with the ball that goes straight on across the right-hander. If England do somehow manage to get out of jail here, their 156 will be the second-lowest first-innings score by a winning team in a men’s World Cup. Full list here: it makes you wish that England were facing themselves.
“The timing of the central contracts was completely misguided,” says John Starbuck. “The best option would have been to wait until the end of this tournament and rewarded players appropriately. Don’t the ECB guys know anything?”
7th over: Sri Lanka 38-2 (Nissanka 16, Samarawickrama 6) Nissanka is close to being pinned in front by Woakes, but he fights back with a flashing blade – a whip to leg, which Dinesh Karthik thinks is premeditated, and then a cut with fast hands to take it past cover point. He has decided that attack is the best form of defence, and he’s surely right. This is a good contest, for now.
Updated
6th over: Sri Lanka 29-2 (Nissanka 7, Samarawickrama 6) Is Sadeera Samarawickrama bothered? He is not. He sees a full one first ball and creams it through the covers. But that was another vital incision from Willey, who has persuaded two good players to play bad shots. He has two for 20 off his three overs.
Updated
WICKET!! Mendis c Buttler b Willey 11 (Sri Lanka 23-2)
Willey’s done it again! Possibly a slower ball – Mendis aims a flick to leg which ends up as a steepling top edge, over the keeper’s shoulder. Buttler keeps calm, runs back and ends up holding a very good diving catch. Is this a glimmer of hope we see before us?
Updated
5th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Nissanka 7, K Mendis 11) Good again from Woakes, going for just two singles. His first three overs have gone for nine, a big improvement on the mayhem of his three earlier appearances. But England need wickets …
Updated
4th over: Sri Lanka 21-1 (Nissanka 6, K Mendis 10) Willey starts this over well, swinging the ball in, and Jos Buttler brings in a catcher at a sort of deep short leg. But then that lifter which nearly paid off in the first over goes awry and Mendis upper-cuts it for four.
Willey is clearly rated by Buttler – he’s been preferred today to Sam Curran. But in the break there was an interview with Rob Key, who said the point of this mass hand-out of central contracts was “to make sure we’ve got the best 29 cricketers in England”. What a slap in the face for Willey to find that he’s in the first XI (with a few injuries, as we know) and yet not in the boss’s top 29. What a way to dent a player’s morale in mid-tournament.
Updated
3rd over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Nissanka 6, K Mendis 4) A good over from Woakes! Just two from it. Not that England can win this with thrift – nothing but ten wickets will do.
“This is it,” says Tom van der Gucht. “The moment England stand tall and are counted. The moment they bounce back and launch their attack on the World Cup. The moment they began to believe in themselves. When they lift the trophy in a few weeks, we’ll look back to this day and their unlikely victory as the point they Lit the blue touch paper and went off into the stratosphere.”
Updated
2nd over: Sri Lanka 13-1 (Nissanka 4, K Mendis 4) And the next ball is a missed chance! Kusal Mendis flashed at a lifter and Joe Root, at slip, just couldn’t get his hands up fast enough. A great first over from Willey, who has been treated abysmally this week by the England management. They handed out central contracts to 29 players, including every single member of this World Cup squad – except Willey. If he was a Yorkie of an earlier generation, he would have flown home in disgust. As it is, he hit the only six of England’s innings, didn’t get out, and now has a wicket and a near-miss. Give that man a pay rise!
Updated
WICKET! Perera c Stokes b Willey 4 (Sri Lanka 9-1)
Stokes and Willey were England’s best batters, not that that is saying much, and now they combine to get an early scalp. Perera, looking to turn Willey to the on side, pops a leading edge towards mid-off, and Stokes, for all his ailments, manages to run in and take the catch.
Updated
1st over: Sri Lanka 5-0 (Nissanka 4, K Perera 0) Woakes’s opening over is at least not a disaster. The wheels threaten to stay off when he tries to bring his second ball back into the right-handed Nissanka and just succeeds in dishing up a fat legside wide. The next one is straighter but too full, and Pathum Nissanka on-drives it for a handsome four. But Woakes recovers well with some line’n’length.
Nissanka has been in form, which is more than you can say for any of the Englishmen selected for this match. Harry Brook was badly missed.
The players are out there and Chris Woakes has the new ball. There’s a slip and a gully, when Steve Waugh would surely be posting the full cordon.
Here’s a thoughtful take., sent to Rob before he handed over. “Like you,” Max Williams writes, “I find it tough to muster much ‘send ‘em to the stocks!’ righteous indignation. A tournament like this was probably inevitable: great teams tend to flame out. Leaving aside the England Test burnouts of 2007 and 2013-14, consider France and Spain exiting the group stages of the 2002 and 2014 World Cups – both sides were World and European champions at the time. It’s hard enough to engineer a perfect exit from individual sports, let alone get a collective of greats to bow out on top. You always think you have one more in you.
”A similar fate almost certainly awaits the current England Test team – indeed never has a side been more obviously destined to implode spectacularly when their time comes. I’m now extremely worried for the 2025-26 Ashes tour, when most of the team will be deep into their 30s. The Bonfire of Bazball will be quite something.” It will! When we all stay up for the first session at the Gabba, England could be all out by lunch.
This pitch should suit England’s seamers, as it was offering some movement throughout their innings. But they may well be too shellshocked to mount a fightback.
Thanks Rob and afternoon everyone. Autopsy? Not just yet. WinViz gives England a 10pc chance!
Updated
Time for me to hand over to the great Tim de Lisle for the second innings. I can think of nobody better to begin the autopsy of England’s World Cup.
Thanks for your company and emails. Let’s meet up for some dead rubber next week.
Updated
“I was trying to work out the most inept defence of a World Cup apart from this one,” says Rob Durbim. “Racked my brain very hard, but I think it’s got to be Australia in the 1992 version. They didn’t get out of the pool and managed all that at home as well...”
Yes that was a shocker because going the tournament they were effectively both England (holders) and India (hosts and huge favourites) ahead of this year’s World Cup. Sri Lanka in 1999 was also very poor, though it was overshadowed by England’s Hitchcockian fiasco.
Updated
“You said neither of the last two batters deserve this,” says Matt Dony. “Willey and Wood, shafted. Yes, I am a child.”
Johnners would be proud of you. Brian, not Emma.
“I wish this were the correct score,” writes Daniel Storey, screenshotting an entry in which I had England at 1563-9. “Although what would we moan about then?”
Oh we’d find plenty.
England raced to 45 for none, though even then they were lucky because Jonny Bairstow should have been out to the first ball of the match. And then it happened.
I still don’t know what ‘it’ was, so let’s deal in numbers: England lost 10 wickets for 111 in 26.5 overs. Ben Stokes top-scored with a defiant, scruffy 43. While he was at the crease there was a soupçon of hope, but it never felt like something brilliant might happen.
England’s demise was shocking, though I’m not sure it was surprising. It fits the profile of their tournament - a great team who, in good faith, took on one job too many.
The two run-outs in particular were a window into England’s soul, and also their collective noggin. Let’s not be too harsh or whiny; this is part of a bigger story. A thoroughly life-afirming story.
Updated
WICKET! England 156 all out (Wood st Mendis b Theekshana 5)
England have been bowled out with – and you’ll love this – exactly 100 balls to spare. Mark Wood charges Theekshana, misses and is stumped.
Updated
32nd over: England 156-9 (Willey 14, Wood 5) Mark Wood doesn’t deserve this. He picks up where he left off against South Africa, blazing Kumara coldly over backward point for four.
Willey, who also doesn’t deserve this, slaps four more over extra cover. If England can get to 220… No.
“Too many people are ready to criticise The Hundred, a fantastic and fun sprint competition that has energised a younger fanbase who find the dull and plodding nature of Test cricket too slow and the time needed to dedicate to a 50 over game too long,” writes Oliver.
“If the point is that this group of cricketers hasn’t played enough 50-over cricket heading into a World Cup, the responsibility falls only at the feet of the ECB for not organising enough ODI before the World Cup. Looking to apportion blame anywhere other than that masks the root of the issue.”
I’d argue it’s more complicated than that. The ODI schedule was compromised because of franchise cricket generally, not so much the Hundred. But let’s not have this debate now, it’s exhausting.
Updated
32nd over: England 147-9 (Willey 10, Wood 0) This should be mind-blowing, and yet it feels increasingly logical. As Alex Ferguson once said: “When it goes, it goes quickly, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“The damage was most likely done over the last two years,” writes Victor Manley. “No consistent attempts to bring in younger players who hang about being excellent in county cricket. Shall we have the central contracts argument, just for fun?”
What’s this argument? I can’t keep up.
Updated
Theekshana bowled a leg-side wide to Willey which was collected by the keeper Mendis. He spotted Rashid daydreaming and threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end. It’s borderline genius from Mendis but so poor from Rashid, another reflection of England’s mental state. (NB: Clip contains lots of adult language and themes. Not the bit I’ve linked to, but the rest of it.)
Updated
WICKET! England 147-9 (Rashid run out 2)
From bad to worse to whatever the hell comes next: Adil Rashid has been run out off a wide! Not stumped, run out. I’ve never seen that before.
31st over: England 144-8 (Willey 10, Rashid 1) Poor David Willey, whose World Cup dream has gone wrong again, just in a different way. He tooks a defiant six, the first of the innings.
I find it hard to be angry at this. It’s disappointing, confusing, frustrating and sad, but this group of players have given us so much joy over the past decade. Has there ever been a better England team in any sport? (That question is interrogative, not rhetorical.) If they aren’t the best, they’re certainly at the top table, and they deserve better than the ‘send them home’ crap. It will not stand, man.
“I know we all still love him, but I’m afraid that was yet another disappointing cameMo,” writes Brian Withington. “And as Woakes is deemed ‘out’ then the much-vaunted returning all-rounder triumvirate providing ‘batting depth’ (of despair?) has gone for 16 runs. Never mind being less than Harry Brook’s expected value it’s less than half f what Atkinson scored against South Africa. And he bowled rather well …”
WICKET! England 137-8 (Stokes c sub (Hemantha) b Kumara 43)
And it’s goodnight from England. Stokes pulls Kumara straight to deep midwicket and walks off chuntering to himself. England’s World Cup defence is over before the halfway point.
Updated
30th over: England 137-7 (Stokes 43, Willey 4) The mystery offie Theekshana returns to the attack. He hasn’t taken a wicket – yet – but he played a key role in asphyxiating England after the Powerplay. Four from the over, though it wasn’t particularly comfortable for Stokes.
“Hello Rob from sunny Wiltshire,” writes Jack Jarrett. “Thank you for your duty and dedication to the cause - at least the rest of us can turn off this dire spectacle, and forget about it! However, isn’t about time we started to address the elephant in the room? Joe Root perhaps alluded to it, but the Hundred has been a catastrophic indulgence that has done nothing to help England. We’ve reduced amount of 50-over cricket, reduced access for spectators, and all for a form of the game that the rest of the world has essentially laughed off and ignored. I know Sky and the Beeb are in thrall to it, but it’s about time the rest of us stopped drinking the Kool Aid and woke up to the damage it’s inflicting.”
I can’t. I’m not ready to go there, not again. Please don’t make me.
Ouch! Okay. Well, there are folk who know a lot more about this than me, but my first thought is that this particular mess isn’t really about the Hundred. This group of players haven’t missed any 50-over cricket because of the Hundred. England’s World Cup campaign is a complicated case – lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous.
29th over: England 133-7 (Stokes 40, Willey 3) Kumara, whose terrific first spell of 4-0-16-2 blew the bloody doors off, returns to the attack. Willey edges his first ball through the vacant slip cordon for a single.
“You say no one knows how this pitch will behave under lights,” says Ed Round, “but will the lights be switched on before Sri Lanka have a bat?”
Ah, I’ve missed England being crap. I feel young again.
Drinks “We’ve got our King Viv at the crease,” writes Gary Naylor. “Who fancies being Michael Holding! (I’m going to regret hitting send aren’t I?)”
28th over: England 130-7 (Stokes 39, Willey 1) A snorter from Rajitha takes the shoulder of Willey’s bat and loops just wide of backward point. I hate to say this, especially as I was screaming BAT FIRST, but I think England may have got it wrong at the toss for the third game in a row. If so, unlike the other two, it’s an understandable mistake.
Stokes charges Rajitha and flat-bats four between extra cover and mid-off. While Stokes is still at the crease, this old favourite still applies.
27th over: England 124-7 (Stokes 34, Willey 0) If you’re just joining us, don’t bother. Actually, for all the navel-gazing, Sri Lanka have been fantastic today. I haven’t seen any of their games in full but had a hunch they weren’t as bad as we were told.
This is also a great moment for their coach Chris Silverwood, a good guy who had a bad time – and no luck – with England. I was going to say that two of England’s defeats at this tournament have been inflicted by former players, but that would suggest there is something rare or unusual about being an England-beating coach.
26th over: England 123-7 (Stokes 34, Willey 0) “You mentioned the test equivalent of this being 13-14 Ashes,” says James Male, “but I think this is much more surprising. The cracks were showing in the 2013 summer - that 3-0 scoreline really flattered England and Swann in particular shouldn’t have gone to Oz. There were even whispers of the form Johnson was in. Not that the manner of the 5-0 was expected, but it wasn’t crazy to think England might lose.
“This however feels like a different ball game (literally). This side seemed in at least decent nick even two months ago! Not world beating but not this terrible.”
The points you make are spot on but were we making them before the series? I remember almost a feeling of ennui when Australia slipped to 160-odd for six on the first day. And I suspect, when the post-mortems are written in about four hours’ time, folk will gather plenty of evidence that this England horror-show was clearly on the cards.
I suppose the broader point is that you just don’t know when great teams are over the hill. It’s hard enough to know with one player, never mind seven or eight of them. And even then, we still don’t know for sure whether England are past it, out of form, rusty or all three.
WICKET! England 123-7 (Woakes c Samarawickrama b Rajitha 0)
It’s out! Woakes shakes his hand, and you can understand why. I’m not sure there was enough evidence to give that out, because most of the replays were blurred, and yet I suspect it was out. Confused? Great, now all I need are the three digits on the back of the card.
Updated
WICKET? England 123-7 (Woakes c Samarawickrama b Rajitha 0)
Look, what do you want from me? I can’t go round making it up; this isn’t X. Chris Woakes is the latest to go, blasting Rajitha to backward point. Samarawickrama claimed the catch – a sensational low catch – but it has gone upstairs.
Woakes might get away with this. It’s impossible to tell for sure whether he got his hands under the ball, though my instinct is he probably did.
Updated
25th over: England 122-6 (Stokes 33, Woakes 0) I typed ‘England are finally looking comfortable’ approximately 30 seconds before Moeen played that shot. Ach, it’s a mess.
Angelo Mathews has figures of 4-0-14-2. This, with respect to a really fine cricketer, does not reflect well on England.
WICKET! England 122-6 (Moeen c Perera b Mathews 15)
Angelo Mathews replaces Madushanka, who was manhandled by Stokes, and he strikes again! Moeen falls tamely, elegantly, FFSinducingly, waving a cut to backward point, and England are back in trouble.
Updated
24th over: England 119-5 (Stokes 31, Moeen 14) England aren’t out of this game. You can argue it’s irrelevant because India will shellac them on Sunday, but the here and now is all that matters. Nobody really knows what this pitch will do under lights, and if England can scramble to 250 they should be in the game.
“The Netflix documentary should be interesting at least,” says Niall Mullen. “The Last Dance, but that dance is a 3am extremely inebriated singalong to New York New York where you rip your trousers attempting a high kick before falling backwards, badly bruising your coccyx and end up vomiting on your own shoes. The specificity of this example in no way implies a real life experience.”
23rd over: England 117-5 (Stokes 30, Moeen 13) That review seems to have roused Stokes. He whips Madushanka over midwicket for four; then, after a couple of overeager strokes, he pulls smoothly for another. That’s Stokes’ fourth boundary in 10 balls.
Will Padmore makes a good point here. “Looking forward, this result probably makes life easier for the next generation. It’s not so daunting following this than it would have been following the 2019 winners. Plus England teams tend to produce their best when they start at rock bottom with minimal expectations, Morgan’s white-ball revolution and Bazball both came after massive lows.”
Updated
22nd over: England 108-5 (Stokes 22, Moeen 13) The offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva comes into the attack. His first ball is driven gracefully through extra cover for four by Moeen, and then Stokes dances down to chip a boundary between long on and deep midwicket.
That’s 19 runs from the last two overs. England aren’t exactly on the charge, but they’ve had a good 10 minutes.
Updated
21st over: England 98-5 (Stokes 17, Moeen 8) Madushanka replaces Kumara, and Moeen gets a couple of bonus runs from a misfield and then an overthrow. Despite their lamentable collapse, England aren’t out of this game – 250 could be competitive, and Ben Stokes is still at the crease. The fact he’s batting dreadfully almost makes him more dangerous. He hacks Madushanka wide of mid-on for four to move to 17 from 40 balls.
“Hello from the Chinnaswamy, Rob,” writes Kandukuru Nagarjun. “Black kites are our local scavengers, particularly partial to carrion. As Buttler walked into bat, a soar of them encircled him. As though waiting to pick apart England’s carcass.”
20th over: England 89-5 (Stokes 13, Moeen 3) So, Stokes has 13 from 38 balls, and Theekshana has figures are 6-0-14-0. He’s toying with England.
“This is such a strange performance, isn’t it Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “On the one hand, of course we’ve played so little one-day cricket, especially when you look at the likes of Buttler, Root, Stokes. But these are great players, title winners, and then likes of Livingstone and Malan are very good too. But this feels way beyond that. It’s a collective malaise across the team, where we can’t seem to get going and fold under pressure against teams we should beat.
“It’s hard to see us winning now, and Sunday will be a massacre. You can’t help think careers may finish earlier than expected after this competition, but we have plenty of talent in reserve. Sometimes you just can’t do battle any more. And hindsight makes things very easy.”
The team was always going to split up after this tournament; we just didn’t expect it to happen during the competition. It’s the white-ball version of the 2013-14 Ashes.
Updated
Stokes is not out!
I take it all back: there was the thinnest under-edge, so Ben Stokes survives and is a flawless judge of a review.
Stokes missed a reverse sweep at Theekshana and reviewed, but he looks plumb.
I’ve cocked up again – England have two reviews left because Livingstone’s was umpire’s call so it’s not quite as egregrious a call as I first thought. But it was still a very poor one, a reflection of England’s scrambled noggins.
WICKET! England 89-6 (Stokes LBW b Theekshana 13)
A grisly innings comes to an end, and Ben Stokes is going to take England’s last a review with him.
Updated
19th over: England 88-5 (Stokes 13, Moeen 2) Stokes looks rusty as hell. He fresh-airs a hook at Kumara, who was brought into the side today and is bowling marvellously. The next ball jags back to beat Stokes on the inside and bounce over the stumps.
And now Stokes has been dropped! He came down the track and got a leading edge to backward point, where Samarawickrama just failed to take a blinding catch. He clasped the ball as he dived to his right but couldn’t hang on.
18th over: England 85-5 (Stokes 12, Moeen 0) A maiden from Theekshana to Stokes, including a reasonable LBW appeal. Pitched outside leg, just.
“I’d be tempted to bring Woody in now just so he has some partners later,” says Mark Beadle. “But, seriously, would Crawley and Duckett have been such a terrible idea?”
With hindsight, it’s a no-brainer. The one that annoys me is the selection of Jos Buttler. Sure he’s England’s greatest white-ball player of all time, but he’s 33 years old!
17th over: England 85-5 (Stokes 12, Moeen 0) Look, whatever happens here, and I think we’ve got a pretty good idea, this lot have been the most successful English cricket team of all time, the most successful English team full stop in the sports I follow, so please let’s not resort to rotten eggs, entitlement and hashtags. They don’t deserve that.
Also, Ben Stokes is still in, so there’s that.
“I’m proofreading an academic paper called ‘Has Bazball’s mantle been passed on to the Saffers and other nameless Antipodean rivals?’” writes Rob Lewis. “Actually it’s about Oman, but the above title appeared through my tears as I stared at the paper and alternated it with the OBO.”
Don’t worry about Bazball, that’s going just fine, and next up they’ve got five Tests in Indi-ah.
Updated
Livingstone is out! It was closer than I thought, hitting the top of the bails, so the on-field decision was cruciail. Livingstone goes for one and England are beneath all sorts, never mind in them.
Livingstone played around a fullish nip-backer from Kumara that hit him on the back thigh. It might be bouncing over, but I doubt it.
WICKET! England 85-5 (Livingstone LBW b Kumara 1)
Livingstone reviews, but this looks out to me.
Updated
16th over: England 80-4 (Stokes 7, Livingstone 1) Theekshana returns to the attack and concedes just three singles. Stokes is taking his time, because by heaven England have lots of it. He has 7 from 22 balls, Livingstone 1 from 2.
“2019 suddenly feels like an awfully long time ago,” says Matthew Dony. “But, oddly, the 90’s don’t. Is it too negative at talk about regression to the mean?”
Loath though I am to call anyone negative, I think it is. The genius of Eoin Morgan is that, as well as winning a World Cup, he changed England’s mean, median and mode in white-ball cricket. If this pans out as we expect, it’s the age-old story of a great crew taking on one job too many, maybe getting a little complacent. I don’t think it’s a reflection of the state of English white-ball cricket. Fifty-over cricket maybe, but that’s a more complicated story.
15th over: England 77-4 (Stokes 5, Livingstone 0) It’s been a long time since we could post this with a straight face.
That might be a killer blow. Jos Buttler has failed again, snicking a drive through to Kusal Mendis. It wasn’t full enough for the shot, but Buttler looked too keen to dominate – as he has throughout this World Cup. And as Nasser says, that’s the third time he’s been dismissed by a ball in the corridor.
Updated
WICKET! England 77-4 (Buttler c Mendis b Kumara 8)
Lads. LADS!
Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Updated
14th over: England 71-3 (Stokes 4, Buttler 3) Morning Jos.
“Would the team who England put out in the Ireland ODI series (curtailed by rain) and even the Stokes skippered covid era Pakistan/Sri Lanka series have fared better here?” says Tom Barrington. “The exuberance of youth outdoing the baggage of the 30+ year olds England are rolling out?”
It’s not beyond the realms, and a few of them will be playing for England at the next World Cup. Thing is, there are three dad’s armies in this tournament – England, Australia, New Zealand – and the other two are doing fine. You don’t know you’re over the hill until it’s too late. And we don’t even know England are over the hill; it might just be that too many key players, who happen to be thirtysomethings, are out of form at the wrong time.
Drinks England are now 24 for three in the last 7.2 overs. This pitch isn’t the belter some of us expected, so there’s no need to panic yet. Ah, who am I kidding. Panic away!
Updated
WICKET! England 68-3 (Bairstow c Dhananjaya b Rajitha 30)
Uh-oh. Bairstow falls to a poor shot, clubbing Rajitha straight to mid-on, and England are reacquainting themselves with the malodorous stuff.
Updated
13th over: England 68-2 (Bairstow 30, Stokes 4) Lahiru Kumara, a beefy fast bowler, comes into the attack. Stokes drives him just short of cover, then considers a dodgy single to backward point before being sent back by Bairstow. England are nervous.
Stokes plays his first muscular stroke, belabouring a cut through the covers that is well stopped on the boundary. An eventful over ends with Stokes being beaten not once but twice. Yeah, England are nervous.
“It’s morbidly fascinating how quickly England have lost their collective mojo and become terrible,” says Phil Harrison. “The margins are so tiny in top-level sport aren’t they? And if you lose your flow, your confidence, your vibe (which is what I think has happened), it’s so hard to recover. You can see them doubting themselves; doubting their ability to manage setbacks.
“As a Leeds fan, I now get a similar mood off this England team to how Leeds felt towards the end of last season. They’d always find a way to lose.”
12th over: England 66-2 (Bairstow 30, Stokes 2) On the run-out, it looked like Root’s mistake rather than Bairstow’s. It was a very tight single and Bairstow had already survived one chance.
Rajitha replaces Theekshana, who bowled a mischievous spell of 3-0-10-0, and Bairstow has a stroke of fortune when he bottom-edges a wild mow onto his pads. He could easily have dragged that one.
11th over: England 62-2 (Bairstow 27, Stokes 1) This isn’t a 350 pitch. I’m not sure it’s even a 300 pitch. That doesn’t suit England but it should make for a fascinating struggle. England were 44/0 after six overs; since then they’ve managed 18/2 from five.
“Is now the time to mention that England have lost their last four matches against Sri Lanka in the 50-over World Cup?” writes Michael Avery. “Including two absolute demolitions in 2011 and 2015?
“Also, whilst double-checking these matches were both pastings, I remembered in 2015 that Moeen opened the batting with Ian Bell. How could such a dream combination fail?”
Well, I did, ahem, sort of mention it in the introduction. In truth I’m not sure it’s particularly relevant, though it’s the kind of statistic you’d rather have in your favour.
As for Moeen and Bell, who says they failed? You’ve got to lose that scorecard lens sometimes! (Actually, their overall record wasn’t bad, though it was helped by a biggie against Scotland.)
Updated
Stokes is not out! Yep, miles outside leg, so Sri Lanka lose a review.
Sri Lanka review for LBW against Stokes! Don’t worry, it’s a poor review – it pitched outside leg. And if I’ve got that wrong, this entry will be deleted faster than you say, “You effing effer I’ll chop your effing effers off.”
Updated
10th over: England 59-2 (Bairstow 25, Stokes 0) “On the train from Berlin to Utrecht today so this has my full attention,” says Mark Beadle. “Do you think this will finally be ‘the one’ we’ve been waiting for this tournament? You know what I mean.”
Since reading your email, all I can hear is a frankly unrewarding mash up of Nick Cave and Rosie Gaines. But yes, I’m confident this will be the first really close game of the World Cup. It’s got that smell.
WICKET! England 57-2 (Root run out 3)
If this isn’t a window into England’s soul, then I don’t know what is. Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, whose running between the wickets has been telepathic for 15 years, have just had an extremely costly mix-up. Root scuffed Theekshana to backward point and set off; Bairstow sent him back and Root was well short despite a dive. He didn’t even wait for the replay.
Updated
9th over: England 55-1 (Bairstow 24, Root 3) Bairstow survives a run-out chance after being called for a short single on the off side by Root. It was Spandex tight, but I think he would have been out had the throw hit the stumps. The pressure is starting to build: the last three overs have brought 11 runs and the wicket of Dawid Malan.
“Angelo Mathews constantly turns up against England,” says Alistair Stewart. “Feels like every game no matter the format there’s at least a fifty or a fivefer.”
You’re not wrong. No fivefers but he has scored heaps of runs against England in all formats, most notably that epic, series-winning 160 at Headingley in 2014. I think he took his only four-for against England in that game as well.
8th over: England 52-1 (Bairstow 22, Root 2) Theekshana, whose variations make Mitchell Santner look repetitive, already looks a handful. England are playing him with caution, Bairstow especially, and there are three singles from the over.
7th over: England 49-1 (Bairstow 20, Root 1) That’s another frustrating dismissal for Malan, though at least he gave England a bit of impetus with a 25-ball 28.
Before that intervention, since you asked, Mathews had bowled only 20 overs in ODI cricket since 2017. Alex Lees has had two kids since then.
WICKET! England 45-1 (Malan c Mendis b Mathews 28)
Here comes the replay – he’s out! Angelo Mathews has struck with his third ball! Malan flirted with a cross-seam delivery and snapped his head round nervously as the ball went through to Mendis. Mathews waved his hands desperately at the umpire, who said not out, but Mendis reviewed instantly. Sri Lanka knew and so did UltraEdge.
Updated
Sri Lanka review for caught behind against Malan!
he recalled Angelo Mathews, 36, comes on to bowl his slightly stiff medium pace. That’s a surprise, not least because Bairstow is on strike so Madushanka could have had another crack at him.
Mathews has bowled just three overs in international cricket – all codes – in the last two and a half years. But he’s a canny old rogue and he may have got Dawid Malan here!
Updated
6th over: England 44-0 (Bairstow 16, Malan 28) Kusal Mendis doesn’t waste time in bringing on his best bowler, the mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.
Bairstow is beaten by a quicker one, then cuts a rank bad ball behind square for four. An otherwise excellent first over ends with Malan being beaten on the inside.
5th over: England 39-0 (Bairstow 11, Malan 28) England’s openers were a bit frantic at first but they’re playing nicely now. Madushanka’s first ball is driven sweetly through the covers for four by Malan, and suddenly Sri Lanka look rattled.
Malan picks up two more boundaries in the over, pulling a poor ball round the corner and spanking another uppish cover drive. That’s his sixth boundary and England’s sixth in the last 10 balls.
It’s clever batting from Malan, not least because he’s keeping Bairstow down the other end. Madushanka has bowled just one ball to Bairstow in this match, the LBW that wasn’t.
“The 40-ball hundred,” says Matthew Doherty, “obviously.”
I reckon only three players are capable of that: Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood.
4th over: England 27-0 (Bairstow 11, Malan 16) Malan smashes consecutive wide deliveries from Rajitha for four – the first past point, the second over cover. Both were in the air but perfectly safe. “There’s a pattern here,” says Nasser on Sky, “all four boundaries have been wide.”
Make that five boundaries. A length ball from Rajitha, only slightly wide, is punched imperiously through the covers by Bairstow. That’s a superb shot.
Updated
3rd over: England 12-0 (Bairstow 7, Malan 5) Madushanka pulls his length back and beats Malan with consecutive outswingers; the second was a jaffa. Early wickets are so important in this tournament, particularly on the 300+ pitches.
This has been a terrific start from Madushanka, who looks a sure thing for the next 10 years. Mind you, I said the same about Avishka Fernando in 2019.
2.2 overs: England 11-0 (Bairstow 7, Malan 4) Madushanka v Malan and Rajitha v Bairstow is a preferable match-up for England. When Madushanka pitches one up, looking for swing, Malan plays a pristine cover drive for four.
“Hi Rob,” says Matthew Doherty. “Who do you think will be England’s Maxwell?”
Are we talking about the 40-ball hundred v Netherlands or the comedy golden duck v Pakistan?
Updated
2nd over: England 7-0 (Bairstow 7, Malan 0) The tall right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha shares the new ball. There’s been some talk of Sri Lanka being the worst team in the tournament, but their three defeats were against South Africa, Pakistan and Australia and they had their moments in all three games. They also reached the Asia Cup final last month.
Bairstow is beaten by Rajitha’s second ball, wafting across the line. The openers are trying too hard to make a statement. But that’s better: when Rajitha offers a bit of width, Bairstow cracks the ball into the ground and past point for four. That felt natural rather than forced.
Updated
1st over: England 3-0 (Bairstow 3, Malan 0) Malan is beaten twice – once by a good delivery, once having a lusty slap across the line. An exceptional start from Madushanka. I’m still reeling from that Bairstow reprieve. It’ll be a helluva story if he reels off seven successive hundreds.
“Am gutted that Brook has been dropped,” says Ian Copestake. “I did not think much of Livingstone’s gum-chewing nonchalance last time he threw his wicket away and then reviewed it.”
Look, Ian, he’s not in the team for his gum-chewing nonchalance.
Updated
Bairstow out but Sri Lanka don't review!
0.1 overs: England 3-0 (Bairstow 3, Malan 0) Madushanka’s first ball is a beautiful full inswinger. Bairstow jabs down on it and the ball races back past the bowler for three runs. Sri Lanka discuss a review, wondering if it was pad first, but eventually they run out of time.
Replays show it was pad first and Bairstow was plumb! My goodness, England have dodged one there.
Updated
Right, here we go. Madushanka to Bairstow, mind the gap between bat and pad.
In 2019 and 2022, England’s charge to World Cup glory started with a riotous opening partnership. The fit-again Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 160 in 22.1 overs against India at Edgbaston; Jos Buttler and Alex Hales belted 81 in 10.2 overs against New Zealand last year.
They’d love a similar start today, though they should be wary the left-arm swing bowler Dilshan Madushanka. He has 11 wickets in the tournament – no fast bowler has taken more – and Jonny Bairstow’s name is screaming MATCH UP.
Simon Burnton’s preview
Can you hear the drums Romeo?
When Sri Lanka stunned England in the 2019 World Cup, 21-year-old Avishka Fernando made a majestic 39-ball 49, taking Jofra Archer to the cleaners in the process. He looked like a future superstar.
His record since is no more than okay, and he’s nowhere this squad. Does anyone know what happened? If not, could someone ask Andrew Fidel Fernando?
“My shabby amusement at Glenn Maxwell’s collapse-inducingly ludicrous first-baller against Pakistan has deservedly received full karmic retribution with England’s humbling by South Africa and then of course the Super Max redemption yesterday,” writes Brian Withington. “I’m hoping that’s quite enough punishment for one tournament, but your warning about Sri Lanka’s record against England makes sobering reading.
“However, lest we forget, England were deeply in the mire in 2019 before winning four consecutive cup finals. (Some New Zealanders would query that result in the actual final, of course.) But then, I can’t recall the team and toss selection being quite as chaotic four years ago, nor Cap’n Morgan forgetting the name of an unfortunate player just dropped. Ominous.”
It feels different this time, but then it always does until the fightback gets going. I thought they were done in 2019, and that would have been a far greater humiliation, though I agree it was nowhere near as chaotic or confusing as this. They made one change, essentially, Liam Plunkett for Moeen Ali. This time, as Steven Finn says on TMS, they’re chasing their own tail.
Updated
Can we clear one thing up? The received wisdom is that England rather ingeniously weakened their batting and bowling with their selection against South Africa on Saturday. I’m not sure about the former: on current form, I’d argue, Ben Stokes, David Willey and Gus Atkinson will get you more runs in an ODI than Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes.
England were a mess, that’s beyond dispute, but let’s not charge them with offences they didn’t commit.
Team news: three changes for England
England continue to adjust the deckchairs/search for a winning formula. Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes replace Harry Brook, Gus Atkinson and Reece Topley. That feels pretty harsh on Atkinson, though playing three spinners makes sense if it’s a dry track. For whatever reason, I don’t think England trust Atkinson with the new ball.
Sri Lanka make two changes. Angelo Mathews, who starred when Sri Lanka stunned England at Headingley in 2019, and Lahiru Kumara come in for Chamika Karunaratne and Dushan Hemantha.
England Bairstow, Malan, Root, Stokes, Buttler (c/wk), Moeen, Livingstone, Woakes, Willey, Rashid, Wood.
Sri Lanka Nissanka, Perera, Mendis (c/wk), Samarawickrama, Asalanka, Mathews, Dhananjaya, Theekshana, Rajitha, Kumara, Madushanka.
Updated
England win the toss and bat
Jos Buttler says the pitch is dryer than usual, which makes batting first an even more straightforward decision. “We’ve been short of our best,” he says. “We’ve done enough talking, it’s all about performing.”
Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain, the brilliant Kusal Mendis, says he would have batted first as well.
Updated
Pitchwatch This is the ground on which Australia played Pakistan last Friday. Between them they scored 672 runs at more than seven an over, with 25 sixes and 59 fours.
This is the only data England need to consider. Jos, should you win the toss, please for the love of wellness bat first.
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to the last-chance saloon. For a team whose LinkedIn page proudly says skill: running towards the danger, England don’t half enjoy having their back against their wall. For the third time in the past 12 months, they’ve left themselves with no margin for error and a whole heap of cricket still to play.
There’s an outside chance England could lose one more game and qualify for the semi-finals, but realistically they have to win five matches in a row just to reach the last four. It’s been done before – not by Pakistan’s cornered tigers, wonderful though they were, but by Australia’s red-hot goers. In 1999 they were at the precipice of an enormous crossroads after losing to New Zealand and Pakistan in the first group stage.
As he sat alone in a Durham hotel with a club sandwich and a Coke, watching Manchester United score two injury-time goals to win the Champions League and the Treble, their captain Steve Waugh had a moment of clarity.
As I watched this stunning fightback I couldn’t help thinking that anything is possible in sport and in life, if you want it badly enough and have enough faith in those around you. What we have to do in the World Cup suddenly seems quite simple - go out there, give it a ‘red-hot go’, and trust ourselves.
Independently of Waugh – they were barely talking – an out-of-form Shane Warne drew a similar conclusion. “I thought that if this was going to be my last chance to win the World Cup, I was going to give it a red-hot dip.”
Australia, like England, had to win five games in a row just to reach the semi-finals. You know the rest. And if you don’t, you can probably guess. We wouldn’t be citing this precedent if Australia lost every game and went home to a banquet of rotten eggs, would we.
All England can do is win the next game and see where it takes them. By that, I mean this bloody game. Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know what you’re up to. It’s just Sri Lanka, they’ve been rubbish, this’ll be a formality and then we can move on to the big one against India on Sunday. If England win that, they’re brawling!
England’s performances, never mind results, don’t justify such hyperopia. Sri Lanka, despite an injury crisis and some disappointing results, are above England in the table – and they’ve had a tougher run of fixtures. They also have a terrific World Cup record against England, with only one defeat in the last 30 years.
In the current climate, every opponent is dangerous. All England can do is feel the bricks against their back, trust their muscle memory, stop talking. And start running.
