By Srian Obeyesekere
England rebounded to shedding a perilous 12 successive ODI losses to salvaging highly professional 5-wicket stroll in the park smashing Sri Lanka’s spin impregnability that throttled them in the lung opener on a favourable home wicket of the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday to evening up purely by the clinical pace-spin bowling attack led by the 2 wicket apiece Jamie Overton and Adel Rashid to a 219 yanking out that set the stage for super batsman Joe Root as the man hailed as England’s greatest willow wielder of all-time marshalled a 188-ODI experience in driving it home by a stoic 75 off 93 ball Player of the Match sparse 5 boundary vigilance with veteran Jos Butler imbibing his old soldier weight by a stirring unbeaten 33 of 21 with one over the top and 3 across in reviving a shade of a declining bazball dash.
Buttler did instill from the bat of former New Zealander, the Head Coach Brendon McCullum of a hit your way mode that had highly transformed England before a recent evaporation.
Buttler’s bashing followed the England skipper Harrry Brook’s timely comeback 42 off 75 in resurrecting a 97 for 3 setback after a threatening Jeffrey Vandersay had removed Jacob Bethell for 6 snapped up by the safe hands of Dhananjaya de Silva who himself had reduced England to 20 for 1 clean bowling Rehan Ahmed, the injury replacement for Zak Crawley for 13. But Ben Duckett stood up with a 52 ball 39 before being bowled by Vandersay.
England indeed, had it in thei r bag in decimating the Lankans for 219 that had much to do by top batter and match winner of the previous game Kusal Mendis carelessly running himself out when again looking well set for a big score that took away the run gloss of its most astute stroke maker in that batting debacle.
In that lost cause, the all round weight of recalled test captain Dhananjaya de Silva, 40 off 59 and 2 wickets was a welcome auguring to Sri Lanka’s white ball build up ahead of February’s T20 World Cup.
De Silva, as he did in the previous game showcased a much sought staying power to Sri Lanka’s batting in pushing the score to 134 in s 66 fourth wicket bonding with Skipper Charith Asalanka, top scorer with 45 off 64.
Newcomer Pavan Rathnayake 29 off 34 was promising though his dismissal attempting to clear Will Jacks put paid to what was the turning point to the Lankans hopes of a bigger score in the final four overs when he was on song together with Dunith Wellalage a run a ball 20.
England 223 for 5 (Root 75, Brook 42, Dhananjaya 2-37, Vandersay 2-45) beat Sri Lanka 219 (Asalanka 45, De Silva 40, Root 2-12, Overton 2-21, Rashid 2-34)
