“I didn’t feel like I was looking at the tournament winners,” deadpan Athers. Hmmm, hard to disagree, but England do keep collecting results, despite sometimes looking like two ends of a pantomime horse. I’m not writing them off yet.
A super innings by Salt was the difference between the two sides today, and England, led by Will Jacks, bowled nicely while Sri Lanka self-destructed. England currently top Group two!
India v South Africa is just about to start in Ahmedabad, while England’s next game is against Pakistan in Kandy on Tuesday. We’ll be back for that.
Thanks for your company – bye!
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Captain talk
Dasun Shanaka: “It was disappointing, though we had lots of positives with the ball. I expected our batters to bat well. I think the pitch played well, a bit slow first thing, but settled with the lights but we batted badly. We played some rash shots.”
“The discussion [at half time] was to take it deep and taking the positive and right options. One bad game is not affordable in the World Cup but we need to bounce back.”
Harry Brook: “I thought we played exceptionally there to bowl them out for less than 100. I didn’t think there were any daemons in the pitch, the spinners on both sides used the pace really well.
“It was slow, and hard to time, Salty was exceptional. I’m not concerned at all about Jos Buttler, he’s a power house of a white ball cricketer, and I’d rather he started the tournament like this and finished with a flourish.”
“Jacksy was pretty annoyed with the way he got out and he said he always bowls better when he’s angry and he did….Once we can figures the power play out we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”
“I thought Jacks’ innings was crucial to give us some runs at the end,” says Moeen Ali, “but I thought the wicket was quite slow and we bowled brilliantly”
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As the disappointed crowd drift away into the night, time to reflect on that peculiar match.
England’s total was a tale of two innings. Salt and Jacks made 83-2 off nine overs with 12 boundaries. Everyone else: 58-7 off 11 overs with three boundaries. [Thank you Tim de Lisle for those stats]. Cracking bowling by Dunith Wellalage in particular.
Sri Lanka’s innings started badly with the loss of main man Nissanka and didn’t improve. Only captain Shanaka, with 30, made more than 13.
Player of the match: Will Jacks
They don’t hang about with these presentations. Will Jacks is the deserved player of the match.
“We seem to do well here, defending, squeezing the game, Brooky is very big on us getting every dot we can. I love getting responsiblity with the ball, bowling in the power play.”
“After being expected to win [in the group stages] the pressure is off [in the Super 8s], we’ve played with freedom and unity.”
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Blimey. My mind is scrambled, I don’t know about Sri Lanka’s.
England beat Sri Lanka (95-10) by 51 runs!
WICKET! Dilshan Madushanka b Rashid 0
A Rashid googly draws the curtains on a haphazard and frantic Sri Lankan effort. England are handed an easy victory from a unpromising position at the half way point.
16.4 overs: Sri Lanka 95 all out (Theekshana 10)
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WICKET! Dushmantha Chameera b Dawson 6 (Sri Lanka 94-9)
Dawson gets his second with his last ball of the innings as Chameera has a toddler’s charge for daddy and is bowled
16th over: Sri Lanka 94-9 ( Maheesh Theekshana 9) Sri Lanka need 53 from 24 balls.
15th over: Sri Lanka 86-8 (Dushmantha Chameera 3, Maheesh Theekshana 4 ) Shanaka goes for a big heave – he probably has to – and with him goes Sri Lanka’s last shred of hope. Sri Lanka need 61 from 30 balls.
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WICKET! Shanaka c Jacks-Banton b Rashid 30 (Sri Lanka 82-8)
The big one! A cracking tag-team bit of catching on the midwicket boundary as a leaping Jacks takes the ball with both hands above his head and as he is about to fall over the rope gently tosses the ball to the hyper-aware Banton.
14th over: Sri Lanka 81-7 (Dasun Shanaka 30, Dushmantha Chameera 2) Shanaka top edges Overton up, up … but the ball bisects the fielders on landing. Overton pounds in a brutish ball and Chameera can only poke him away. But from the last ball, Shanaka rouses the crowd by making brutal contact and pounding him straight for six. Sri Lanka need 66 from 36 balls.
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13th over: Sri Lanka 73-7 (Dasun Shanaka 23, Dushmantha Chameera 1 ) The lowest total so far this World Cup is 97. Sri Lanka now have to face an on-song Rashid and can only pat him around. Sri Lanka need 74 from 42 balls.
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WICKET! Hemantha hit wicket b Overton 5 (Sri Lanka 69-7)
Hemantha, looking for an innovative way to get out, finds one, twirling into a pull, missing the ball, but catching his own bails. Overton is delighted; the ground silent.
12th over: Sri Lanka 69-7 (Dasun Shanaka 21)
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11th over: Sri Lanka 64-6 (Dasun Shanaka 17, Dushan Hemantha 4) Shanaka nearly removers the umpire’s head with a firey straight four. Eight from Dawson’s over.
“This is not the Sri Lanka batting performance I think anyone expected, and it doesn’t exactly solve our batting issues, but I’ll take it Tanya! “ writes Guy Hornsby.
“What a truly strange game this is though. England all at sea against spin, a total surely 25 short, and yet here we are, another wicket away from the batters. What a brilliant, mad, incomprehensible game this is. Jacks has saved us with the bat this tournament, and now he could have done it with the ball. Are we good? Who knows!”
10th over: Sri Lanka 56-6 (Dasun Shanaka 11, Dushan Hemantha 2) Sri Lanka are six down and Brook is only just playing his trump card, Adil Rashid. Three from the over and half way through Sri Lanka’s innings they need 91 from 60 balls, but with just four wickets to play with. The full house, ready to party, is pensive and quiet.
9th over: Sri Lanka 53-6 (Dasun Shanaka 9, Dushan Hemantha 0 ) Kamindu throws it away the very next ball after frying-panning a short ball from Dawson for six over midwicket.
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WICKET! Kamindu c and b Dawson 13 (Sri Lanka 52-6)
Oh dear, dear. A leading edge straight back into the waiting hands of Dawson.
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8th over: Sri Lanka 45-5 (Dasun Shanaka 8, Kamindu Mendis 7) Brook keeps Jacks on for a fourth over. Dasun tucks into a drag down by leaning back and hauling six over midwicket.
7th over: Sri Lanka 37-5 (Shanaka 1, Kamindu 6) Some sanity at last, three calm singles off Dawson’s first over
6th over: Sri Lanka 34-5 (Shanaka 1, Kamindu 5) At the end of the powerplay, Jacks had 3-14 and an unnecessarily panicked Sri Lanka have made a complete horlicks of the start of their innings. Two lovely shots for four by Wellange off the over before he was out.
WICKET! Dunith Wellalange c Brook b Jacks 10 (Sri Lanka 34-5)
Another shot to forget, this time a sort of failed umbrella opening to mid off.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 26-4 (Mendis 4, Dunith Wellalange 2) I’m not sure which manual Sri Lanka consulted during the innings break, but they might be regretting it.
WICKET! Kamil Mishara c Overton b Archer 6 (Sri Lanka 22-4)
Mishara edges, Overton scoops up close to the ground at gully and Sri Lanka have stumbled into a huge hole.
4th over: Sri Lanka 21-3 (Kamil Mishara 6, Wellalange 1) Disastrous batting by Sri Lanka hands the advantage right back to England, with a big juicy red bow. Nice bowling from Jacks too.
WICKET! Pavan Rathnayake c Banton b Jacks 0 (Sri Lanka 20-3)
Jacks on a hat-trick! Frankly awful shot, feet dancing, bat everywhere and nowhere, ugly leading edge to Banton who gratefully takes the ball in the covers running backwards.
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WICKET! Kusal c and b Jacks 4 (Sri Lanka 20-2)
Kusal has a half-hearted prod straight back into Jacks’ paws.
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3rd over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Kamil Mishara 5, Kusal Mendis 4) A very clever dink for four by Nissanka who steps to leg and angles Archer away to deep third. Next ball, he goes the other way, on one knee fanning behind square for four more. But then Archer gets his man, and looks pretty mean about it. Kusal starts beautifully with four shimmied through backward square.
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WICKET! Nissanka c Overton b Archer 9 (Sri Lanka 15-1)
Lovely looking shot but straight to deep midwicket where the newly deployed Overton takes the prize. Big wicket.
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2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Pathun Nissanka 1, Kamil Mishara 5) Jacks is handed the second over. Mishara gets four off the first ball after an uncharacteristic fluff by Bethell at point. Five dots follow.
1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Pathun Nissanka 1, Kamil Mishara 1) Archer with the new ball, slinks in. Nissanka fresh from his 100 off 52 balls against Australia at this very ground, is hit on the forearm going for a pull. Jofra is not impressed by a no ball call as the ball swings very late.
Sri Lanka need 147 to win
England huddle, Jofra Archer rubs his hands vigorously in the dust. Here we go…
Under par by an out of sorts England, but can they pull things back with the ball? Sri Lanka’s chase will tee off shortly, but time for me to make a quick coffee.
“Time to reach for the bat phone and tell Barney to prepare an English national teams in crisis article.” He’s neck stretching as I type, Ian Copestake.
20th over: England 146-9 (Overton 10, Rashid 1) Overton traction engines six from Chameera’s third ball. But England can only get three from the final three balls. In between, Sri Lanka review an lbw against Overton to no avail. Overton limps off after being hit on the leg and that’s not quite what the doctor ordered.
WICKET! Archer c Hemantha b Madushanka 0 (Engand 135-9)
A cherry-ripe diving catch as Archer pillowcases a full toss to Hemantha just outside the circle. Golden duck!
19th over: England 135-9 (Overton 2) The long legged Madushanka. Noughts and crosses. Jacks crunches four through extra cover. Madushanka fires the next succesfully wide of off stumps. But Jacks spears the next through extra cover again. Then two wickets on the bounce leaves England in the mire.
WICKET! Jacks c Wellalage b Madushanka 21 (England 135-8)
Scythes at a stretch at a very wide full toss and is well caught on the rope
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18th over: England 126-7 (Jacks 13, Overton 1) Big Jamie can’t get a hold on Theekshana either, after three dots he eventually digs out a single. Theekshana beats Jacks last ball and that’s an awesome over – a wicket, a wide and a single.
WICKET! Dawson c Shanaka b Theekshana 6 (England 124-7)
Advances down the pitch, doesn’t pick Theekshana, instead licks, stamps and delivers to Shanaka jogging back at cover.
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17th over: England 124-6 (Jacks 13, Dawson 6) Chameera barrels in. Pow! Jacks posts him through the covers for four more. Graciously accepts a wide. Dawson is doing his best but not found his timing.
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16th over: England 114-6 (Jacks 8, Dawson 2) Theeksana keeps England to four singles, until Jacks crunches a lofted cover drive for four off the last ball – only the second four hit today by an England batter whose name isn’t Phil Salt.
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15th over: England 105-6 (Jacks 2, Dawson 0) A big wicket for Sri Lanka, a super innings from an exhausted Salt. Wellalage tightens the knot: dot, dot, dot, dot.
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WICKET! Salt c Hemantha b Wellalage 62 (England 106-6)
Down long on’s throat!
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14th over: England 105-5 (Salt 62, Jacks 1) Chameera is charging in, but his field let him down, with a terrible fluff on the boundary handing Salt four. An incredible shot next ball, a one legged flick over the deep backward square leg boundary for six. But he still looks exhausted and quite ill.
”Hello from sunny Naples, rather similar to the weather in Pallakele.” Hello there, Colum Fordham.
”A very nervy performance from England’s batsmen thus far, only Salt giving the innings any solidity. The running between the wickets has been panicky to put it mildly.
”Sri Lanka have bowled well and I was impressed by Chameera’s pace. Wellage’s left arm spin is also effective and has just (partly) ruined Harry Brook’s birthday.
Sri Lanka have definitely improved as a team although there’s still a long way to go.”
They’re taking an early drinks break.
WICKET! Curran c Mishara b Chameera (England 94-5)
A cheeky slow drifter, and Curran is done for, aiming down the ground, but picking out Mishara on the rope who steadies himself and holds on tight.
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Fifty for Phil Salt
13th over: England 94-4 (Salt 52, Curran 11) Hemantha’s final over. Salt turns him off his boots for fifty from 36 balls, but he looks exhausted actually, breathing heavily. He could do with some help and here it is with perfect timing from Sam Curran, who drops to one knee and sweeps six with gumption.
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12th over: England 83-4 (Salt 49, Curran 3) In the soggy outfield, one of the fielders loses his shoe. England take a fistful of singles.
11th over: England 74-4 (Salt 45, Curran 1) Not hugely going to plan for England thus far. Salt get back to business with an inside out pound to the left of the fielder at deep long off. He has the form man for company now though, in Sam Curran.
WICKET! Brook lbw Wellalage 14 (England 68-4)
A gorgeous ball, slow and airy. Brook plays down the wrong line and the ball bounces like a juicy satsuma onto his front pad. The bat is playing in a different universe. Brook reviews, but it is umpire’s call, and he must go.
10th over: England 68-4 (Salt 34, Curran o) In the outdoor seating, Buttler and Banton are out of their pyjamas and stare into the distance. Out on the field, Brook eyes up the ground’s shortest boundary, dances down and pounds Wellalage for four. He looks in great touch – but the crowd will not be any more entertained as he misses a beauty last ball and is on his way.
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9th over: England 59-3 (Salt 34, Brook 8) Chaos! Less than an over after Banton was run out, England plump for a suicidal second and Salt would have been way out of his crease, despite a down and dirty dive, if the throw hadn’t been wild, and in fact flies for four overthrows.
8th over: England 49-3 (Salt 32, Brook 0) Chameera replaces wicket taker Theekshana after one over. England play tip and run for the first four balls and Banton tries to do it to the fifth but the run is never on and the agile Shanaka picks up and throws down. Brook is met by an 90mph bouncer. Happy birthday old boy.
WICKET! Banton run-out (Shanaka) 6 (England 49-3)
Banton hits nicely to mid-off and charges like a bull out of a gate, unfortunately Shanaka is on the ball too and his pin point throw beats Banton’s now desperate dive.
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6th over: England 45-2 (Salt 30, Banton 4) Dushan Hemantha, ah that’s more like it, Salt eyes up a full toss and sweeps to the boundary, like a gavel on a sound block.
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5th over: England 37-2 (Salt 24, Banton 2) Bethell hangs his head back in dismay before trooping off. Not sure if this exactly what Brook meant by “the full shebang.” Maheesh Theekshana is delighted, and at the end of the power play, it’s advantage Sri Lanka.
WICKET! Bethell c Madushanka b Theekshana 3 (England -2)
To the first ball of a new bowler, Bethell takes an ugly old heave-ho and gets an leading edge to Madushanka at short third, who scrabbles and dives, but holds on
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5th over: England 32-1 (Salt 22, Bethell 3) A third over for Madushanka. Salt has a one handed swing and miss at a wide yorker, then gets an outside edge to a slower ball just a Sunday supplement short of the diving short third. A half volley brings some respite, and Salt sends it to the rope.
4th over: England 23-1 (Salt 14, Bethell 2) It’s not a huge surprise that Buttler finds himself back in the pavilion, he looked out of sorts and out of touch. Bethell immediately seems more comfortable, pulling Wellalage hard for a single. Salt flambes him through the offside for four to finish the over.
WICKET! Buttler lbw Wellalage 7 (England 16-1)
Buttler hacks an unbalanced reverse sweep, misses and the ball clocks him on the thigh. He considers a review but Salt, I think, sends him on his way.
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3rd over: England 13-0 (Salt 9, Buttler 4) Madushanka again. Buttler swipes and misses; swipes and misses again, feet fixed in concrete boots. The next ball beats him on the inside edge. He strains for a single from the last ball, by inelegantly fishing way outside off stump.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Salt 9, Buttler 4) Now Dunith Wellelage, all youthful slicked back hair and tucked in shirt. To the rhythmic drumming of the crowd, he wanders to the crease, left arm orthodox. Salt slams him over deep mid off for six, but Wellelage gets something from the over as his last ball rips and sticks. Apparently they had to bring the boundary in a little before play as the outfield was so soggy.
1st over: England 4-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 2) Dilshan Madushanka starts things off, long run up, left arm over. Salt pockets a single first ball, then Buttler plays out a couple of dot balls, gimlet eyes through his helmet, before getting off the mark behind square.
Salt and Buttler stride out, they look confident, but Buttler in particular is very short of his usual haul of runs.
In the battle of the anthems, a crushing win by Sri Lanka’s jaunty tune. The crowd, with parasol, flag and face paint, sing along enthusiastically.
More news from Simon, who has become something of a banana expert on his trip.
“Sri Lanka has the most incredible range of bananas. Not the single variety we have to put up with in the UK. Stubby, stocky ones like a trucker’s thumb. Thin, slender ones like a princess’s ring finger. Small, cute ones like your child’s hand on the first day of primary school. Red ones, green ones, yellow ones.
“Basic shops might have six or eight varieties. I went to one the other day and asked for their best banana. I got a 20-minute tutored tasting and then bought an enormous bunch of slender ring-finger bananas - hugely intense flavour, a sledgehammer of a banana - for about 40p.”
Sky have roped in Moeen Ali as commentator and he’s quite charming – and somehow looks unruffled in a long sleeved grey polo shirt in the high humidity of Pallekele.
England team
England are unchanged:
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka team
Sri Lanka make two changes, with Dushmantha Chameera and Kamil Mishara coming in.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Dunith Wellelage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera.
Sri Lanka won the toss and will bowl!
“We’ve been chasing well so, I’m very happy,” says Dasun Shanaka, “and very confident.”
Birthday boy Harry Brook would have fielded too, but he looks happy enough. “We’ve got to be brave and take them on.”
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He also has news of England’s best player – Sam Curran. “Curran has warmed up with strapping on his right leg. Wasn’t stopping him bowling. He was wearing it the other day also, probably no big deal”
Our man on the ground, Simon Burnton, has been in touch with the most important report of all – the weather. He reports:
“Sunshine! Last night Kandy was on the receiving end of an extraordinary 10-hour thunderstorm, and the chances of this game being played felt very slim. Yet here we are. It’s a glorious, unpredictable world.”
Yesterday, the opening Super Eight match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Colombo was washed out without a ball bowled, with both sides taking one point.
Good morning! After skirting around the edges of the tournament for a few weeks, here, at last, be monsters.
England find themselves in Super Eights Group runners up, which also includes New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with previous points pocketed no longer counting for anything.
Today, they play Sri Lanka at the familiar Pallekele Cricket Stadium. England have the numbers on their side, easily beating Sri Lanka here three times in the pre-tournament muscle-flexing, and have won the last 11 T20s between the two sides. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have the advantage of an enthused home crowd and the perky pill of having taken down Australia here a week ago – thanks to their hand of spinners and the dangerous Pathum Nissanka.
Neither side covered themselves in glory during the group stages, Sri Lanka losing to Zimbabwe; and England limping over the line against Italy and Nepal. Now, though, they say they’re primed, or, in the words of Jacob Bethell: “ready to go out there and give it the full shebang”.
Shebang or shemozzle, play is due to start at 9.30am GMT, do join us.
