England take Vitality T20 series 2-nil with a cake walk

By Leonard Ratnayake in Cardiff, Wales

Picture courtesy – Sesatha UK

With a revised target of 34 runs in 36 balls, English batsmen scored at ease to reach the target in 25 balls as the home side beat Sri Lanka to take the Vitality T20 series with a match to spare on Saturday at Southampton.

Sri Lanka bowlers knew exactly what was expected from them. Defending 112 against England was no easy task, and another loss meant a series victory for the home-side and the Saturday’s match would be of just calendar interest.

They were upto the task as Binura Fernando struck in his first over send Johnny Bairstaw back to the pavilion for a duck and Dushmantha Chameera took Dawid Malan’s wicket in the next over trapped LBW in a reviewed decision.

After three overs England were 10 for two against Sri Lanka’s 15 for one and the hope for a win was lagging. The efforts of the bowlers were not equally assisted by the fielders as their floppy commitment coupled with less agility and responsiveness cost many boundaries that Englishmen saved.

England lost two more wickets before Sam Billing and Liam Livingstone steadied the innings chipping in runs in drizzling weather to be in par with the Duckworth Lewis run rate as weather stopped play eventually in the 12^th over. England were 69 for four with just four runs above the required.

After a 40-minute halt, when play was resumed, the target was revised to 103 in 18 overs and England needed 34 in 36 balls with two of their settled batsmen at the crease. They scored at ease to reach the target although Billings’ wicket for 24 by Wanindu Hasaranga did not receive much jubilation. Livingstone was unbeaten on 29.

Earlier in the afternoon, to the amusement of a disappointed crowd that gathered at Cardiff Stadium and for the special live broadcast on BBC, Sri Lankan made only runs for their innings stubbornly sticking to their decision to bat first at Cardiff Cricket Stadium, where they are yet make a formidable total on the board.

Much to the surprise of all cricket pundits, Skipper KJP once again chose to bat first stating that they hope to put up a formidable total on the board that their bowlers could defend. Sri Lanka dropped Dananjaya de Silva and Nuwan Pradeep for their dispirited performance in the first match and included Niroshan Dickwella and Binura Fernando in place.

Danushka Gunatillake was out cheaply going for a hasty run in the second over while Avishka Fernando was trying to find the form as the run scoreboard read 18 for 2 in the fourth with his departure trying to pull Sam Curran.

Captain Kusal Perera and his deputy Kusal Mendiis played cautiously to interrupt their team’s wicket falling spree but scoreboard read 47 for two at the end of 10 overs. Most of their runs were brilliantly curtailed by energetic English fielders who were placed cleverly by their captain.  The only exceptions were when Dawid Malan failed to reach out to catch at long mid-wicket off Chris Jordan.

Exactly, when the duo was freeing their arms to get some runs on the board, skipper KJP played an unnecessary reverse sweep to loft an easy catch to the cover fielder. He was out for 21, with the score was on 68 in the 13^th over, while his deputy followed in the next over for 39. Niroshan Dickwella was out in the next bowl for three as Wanindu Hasaranga survived the hat-trick ball from Mark Wood thanks to a kismet.

Also Adil Rashid took two wickets as every English bowler maintained their line and length with discipline while the Sri Lankan batters gifted their wickets skying the ball up with no power to finish onto the hands of the English fielders. Yesterday’s saviour Dasun Shanka could not do much today as he was out for 8 in 14 balls.

In a match expected to be a T20 spectacle, Sri Lanka waited till the 20^th over to surpass the 100 runs to limit their total for 111 for seven, while Isuru Udana’s towering six off Chris Jordan to the woods was the only exception.