England extended their extraordinary hex over Sri Lanka to a 14th game, with the tourists looking as out of their depth as the balls that were repeatedly deposited into the River Taff as their opponents cantered to an increasingly and deliciously customary victory.
More than a dozen years have passed since Sri Lanka, crowned world champions in the format a month earlier, beat England by nine runs at the Oval. They have lost every meeting since and with this one also another series, and while much about this game contrasted with Tuesday’s first encounter in Southampton – starting with England winning the toss and choosing to chase – the outcome did not. This emphatic home win was sealed in the end in slapdash style: no-ball, wide, single, wide, single, muted celebration. Ryan van Niekerk, the Sri Lanka bowling coach, estimated a par score on this pitch at 200; England’s target was just 146, and they got there with 47 balls remaining to win by six wickets.
