By Brian Thomas
Eoin Morgan the England captain stated that Sri Lanka was the only team that pushed them so far in the T20 World cup. Rightly so because at the end of the 10th over the quality of the English batting was tested when they made only 47 for 3 wickets.
Dasun Shanaka winning the toss and bowling first did well to controll the game in the first 10 overs. Hasaranga was in great nick , hit the right areas. Theekshana even though he went wicketless was miserly. What happend in the last ten overs ?
It was the onslaught of facinatin Jos Buttler who cartered an hapless Sri Lankan last ten overs spell for his career best of 101 in 67 deliveries.
The seamers Lahiru Kumara , Dushmantha Chameera and Carmika Karunaratne bowled fuller length deliveries , including short balls , and the Lankans were fetching the balls from the spectator stands by the 100 run partnership of skipper Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler.
It was an absolute carnage. Morgan scored 40 , by using his time in the middle , and this is a lesson the Sri Lankan batters can learn.
Sri Lanka were ahead of the English run rate upto the 15th over. England looked worried, when Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka stiched a partnership of 53 runs in Quick time for the 6th wicket. In fact they looked within striking rate , however a brilliant catch by Sam Billings at deep extra cover , off the bat of Hasaranga who was on 34 , and a brilliant run out executed by Jos Buttler to end Dasun Shanaka’s innings of 26 closed the Sri Lankan chapter.
Sri Lanka will be didsapointed with their seam bowlers, dissatisfied with Kushal Perera and Avishka Fernando not delivering when it matters , also the sudden rush of blood by inform batters namely Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksha , to a great extent.
Sri Lanka will end their vigil in the 7th edition of the T 20 World cup on 4th November after tgey compete against the West Indies. A win in the forthcoming game will do them a World of good.
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