SRI LANKA WIN AN INCREDIBLE MATCH BY TWO WICKETS!
49.5 overs: Sri Lanka 430-8 (Liyanage 61, Asitha Fernando 1), target 430. So what can Liyanage do under pressure – Tongue puts it tight in the slot … and Liyanage sends it straight over everyone’s head for a brutal six to win the game, and complete one of the greatest ODI run chases the game has ever seen. Harry Brook’s heroics were in a losing cause.
Key events
And I’ll leave you with Taha Hashim’s report of a memorable, crazy, record-breaking, chastening/thrilling match. Thanks for following and emailing. Bye.
Harry Brook pulverised his way to the fastest double hundred in ODI history and it still was not enough for England. Sri Lanka were the victors in this absurd contest, hauling down a target of 430 in Rawalpindi, the second-highest successful chase in the history of the format. Only that magical 438 game, 20 years ago, trumps it.
Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka and Avishka Fernando were the headliners, somehow turning it around for Sri Lanka after they were reduced to 24 for two. Rathnayake top-scored with 130, Fernando struck 97, and Shanaka – with 97 of his own – was the most brutal of the lot. After being taken apart with the ball, his revenge act included eight sixes. None of the trio were there at the close, as England suddenly found themselves back in it.
The captains speak
Up comes a crestfallen Harry Brook, who said his record-breaking knock now has “no value whatsoever” to him.
It was an incredible game of cricket – both teams were exceptional. Sri Lanka outplayed us unfortunately, we couldn’t hit our straps with the ball, but fair play to them. [My own batting] was a nice innings – unfortunately it does not mean anything now. It has no value whatsoever in my eyes. We need to get together and go back to the drawing board a little bit. We know where we’ve gone wrong.
Kusal Mendis:
We’ve won the toss in our last five games and every game we’ve chased because of the dew. It was a very good game today; as a captain I really enjoyed it. Me and the coach talked to the players before the chase to play the first couple of overs as normal, then we decided Dasun [Shanaka] would come in earlier and everyone batted really well and took responsibility. Everyone showed their characters and belief in themselves.
Geoff Lemon
This has been quite the cricketing week, with South Africa levelling the Test series against Australia. Here’s Geoff Lemon:
It took time, it gently frayed nerves, but ultimately South Africa sealed the second Test at Gqeberha deep into the final day, clear by an innings and 31 runs, levelling the series with one to play. In truth, although Australia made 295 and got within 28 overs of safety, they did not deserve to save this game, even if Scott Boland and Travis Head did. Letting South Africa escape from 40 for four to pass 400 was the first offence, then came Australia’s capitulation for 99 to be forced to follow on. The salvage operation was in waters too deep.
So, the all-important Tri Series standings look like this:
Pakistan P2 W2 L0 T0 Pts 4
Sri Lanka P2 W1 L1 T0 Pts 2
England P2 W0 L2 T0 Pts 0
England face Pakistan next, on Sunday in Lahore, before Pakistan face Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the same venue, which also hosts the England-Sri Lanka rematch next Thursday. The final is on Sunday week in Lahore.
Sri Lanka pull off second highest ever successful ODI run chase
If England’s batting brought almost unprecedented levels of brutal pyrotechnics, Sri Lanka’s was an extraordinarily well paced and judged. Avishka Fernando and Rathnayeke laid the foundations for Shanakas and then Liyanage’s extraordinary finishing.
Conditions were a batter’s dream, for sure, but England did not bowl, looked bereft of cutting edge for long spells, and poor Sam Curran has conceded the most expensive ever figures by an England bowler in an ODI. Josh Tongue’s excellent death bowling nearly won it before Liyanage held his nerve and won it.
Cricket eh.
SRI LANKA WIN AN INCREDIBLE MATCH BY TWO WICKETS!
49.5 overs: Sri Lanka 430-8 (Liyanage 61, Asitha Fernando 1), target 430. So what can Liyanage do under pressure – Tongue puts it tight in the slot … and Liyanage sends it straight over everyone’s head for a brutal six to win the game, and complete one of the greatest ODI run chases the game has ever seen. Harry Brook’s heroics were in a losing cause.
49.4 overs: Sri Lanka 424-8 (Liyanage 55, Asitha Fernando 1), target 430. Fernando slices over cover for a single. Six needed off two
Wicket! Malinga b Tongue 0
49.3 overs: Sri Lanka 423-8 (Liyanage 55), target 430. Tongue rinses and repeats – straight and true. Bowled. He’s on a hat-trick
Wicket! Wellalage b Tongue 5
49.2 overs: Sri Lanka 423-7 (Liyanage 55), target 430. Tongue concedes one off his first ball, then bowls Wellalage, swinging and missing.
49th over: Sri Lanka 422-6 (Liyanage 54, Wellalage 5), target 430. Overton returns, with a good ball speared in that Wellalage glides backward of square for one, but a misfield grants them two. The next, short-pitched one, cracks Wellalage on the grille. He’s OK but it’s a dot. A single follows. Nine needed. Liyanage swings and misses. Overton ends with one more single conceded.
Eight needed off six balls.
48th over: Sri Lanka 417-6 (Liyanage 52, Wellalage 5), target 430. Jacks has been England’s best bowler in these late stages and he begins with one, dot, one, before Liyanage straight drives for four to bring up a 21-ball 50. Magnificent stuff. A single follows before Wellalage ends the over with a straight drive over the bowler’s head for four! Incredible. Thirteen needed off two.
Wicket! Arachchige c Jackcs b Curran 13
47th over: Sri Lanka 406-6 (Liyanage 46), target 430. Carnage! A smart reverse scoop from Liyanage off Curran starts the over with a four. A square cut for four more follows – this is crazy. But not as crazy as the next shot, the purest of straight drives for SIX. A single follows. Arachchige’s the new man in but he’s unfazed, ramping over the keeper for four more – but the fun can’t last as he sends a full toss next ball high to long on where it’s pouched by Jacks. It’s reviewed for a high ball but it’s fine. He’s out.
46th over: Sri Lanka 387-5 (Liyanage 31, Arachchige 9), target 430. We’re over 800 runs for the match now, as Arachchige creams a lofted drive for four off Jacks, who is mostly pretty controlled, until one slips out of his hand for a beamer that is hack-edged to third man, with the boundary well saved. Jacks rounds off the over with a dot, a speared in yorker that confounds the battter’s attempted reverse sweep.
43 needed off four overs.
45th over: Sri Lanka 377-5 (Liyanage 29, Arachchige 1), target 430. Liyanage drags Sri Lanka off the canvas straight away with consecutive fours off Overton, followed by a well run single. Sri Lanka’s batting performance has been brilliantly indefatiguable it must be said. Arachchige nudges a single into a gap, before Liyanage drives the last ball of the over for four.
SL need 53 off 30 balls.
Wicket! Shanaka c Banton b Dawson 97, Sri Lanka 363-5
44th over: Sri Lanka 363-5 (Liyanage 16), target 430. Dawson starts his over by yielding two singles, before Liyanige sends a brilliant telegraphed reverse sweep over the infield for four. Better follows for Sri Lanka – an on-drive for SIX, then a single that brings to the strike Shanaka, who falls for 97 – his thumping drive taken at long-on by Banton again.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 350-4 (Shanaka 96, Liyanage 4), target 430. Shanaka ramps things up again as he pulls Curran into the crowd for his sixth SIX. A cut single follows, Liyanage drives for another, before Shanaka thumps the cleanest, most majestic SIX of his knock – right out of the screws, straight over the sightscreen. Curran’s retort is a fine dot-ball yorker … but Shanaka’s retort to the retort is even better, pulled over square leg for SIX MORE.
Game back ON!
42nd over: Sri Lanka 330-4 (Shanaka 77, Liyanage 3), target 430. Jacks is back at last, as the air begins to be sucked from this chase suddenly, and boundaries prove more elusive. It’s really canny bowling from Jacks, offering little that’s short and wide. Sri Lanka now need more than two a ball.
41st over: Sri Lanka 326-4 (Shanaka 74, Liyanage 2), target 430. A partnership of 133. is broken when Rathnayeke holes out, bringing the in-form Liyanage to the crease but he has no time to play himself in, and five from the over is not much use. 104 needed off 54 balls.
Wicket! Rathnayeke c Banton b Curran 130, Sri Lanka 323-4
No sooner do I say that than Rathnayeke perishes, tiredness getting to him, as he offers up a high on drive intoo Banton’s hands on the boundary, for a career best score.
40th over: Sri Lanka 321-3 (Rathnayake 128, Shanaka 73), target 430. Tongue, after a superb early wicket, has struggled a touch today, and Rathnayake eases a long hop over backward point for four. Tongue gets a better length after that, until Shanaka swings inelegantly at a slower ball but its sliced over backward point and zips through for four.
Sri Lanka need 109 from 10 overs. If these two stay together, this is on.
39th over: Sri Lanka 309-3 (Rathnayake 120, Shanaka 67), target 430. Rathnayake takes two off an Atkinson full toss. The dew is beginning to take effect as Jacks sees a Rathnayake drive slide past him on the boundary for four, as SL advance to 300. This didn’t seem on at 24 for 2. Shanaka celebrates it with the cleanest of straight hits for SIX. They’re still favourites but England are really toiling here.
“The record breaking 200 may still go in vain,” quips Krishna Moorthy.
38th over: Sri Lanka 292-3 (Rathnayake 113, Shanaka 60), target 430. Curran returns from the other end, and is creamed over extra cover for four by Shanaka – a yorker turned into a half-volley. Curran stems the tide, as so often, with a judicious slowie, but he can’t stop Shanaka bringing up his 50 off 30 balls by sending another slower ball wide down leg to the deep square leg boundary. Nor can he stop Shanaka driving the next moon ball into the crowd for SIX to bring up the 100 partnership.
37th over: Sri Lanka 274-3 (Rathnayake 112, Shanaka 43), target 430. Brook continues to reshuffle his attack and brings back Overton for Curran. Rathnayake has found gaps well in this innings and sends an overpitched one outside off through the covers for four. Overton responds with a dot-ball bumper before a gloriously timed cut through backward point brings Rathnayake four more.
Sri Lanka remain ahead of England at this stage – but they don’t have Harry Brook.
36th over: Sri Lanka 264-3 (Rathnayake 103, Shanaka 42), target 430. Dawson is brought back into the attack – where’s Jacks? – and tucks the batters up nicely for three balls. Then, he snares Shanaka in front, sweeping and missing. The batter reviews, and successfully, as his front foot is outside the line. It’s a good over from Dawson.
Hundred for Pavan Rathnayake!
35th over: Sri Lanka 260-3 (Rathnayake 101, Shanaka 40), target 430. Rathnayake brings up a superb hundred in the circs with a controlled cut off Curran through point for two; it’s his second ODI century, the other coming against England at the start of the year. Shanaka later adds to the party mood with a crack over deep point for SIX more.
34th over: Sri Lanka 251-3 (Rathnayake 98, Shanaka 33), target 430. Atkinson returns, with five of his overs still to bowl, and he thinks he’s got his man straight off: Shanaka tries to pull a short one but grubs it behind where Cox takes a fine sprawling catch. The finger goes up but the batter reviews, reasoning it came off the helmet – which it did. Shanaka then gets away with a straight hack in the air which drops safely at midwicket. A misfield at deep backward square then grants Rathnayake four. The same shot next ball, more cleanly struck, bounces just short and is four more. Rathnayake adds two more to go within two of his ton.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 239-3 (Rathnayake 89, Shanaka 32), target 430. Sam Curran loves the slower ball and the moon ball but they still take batters by surprise and they can’t work them away here in the first two balls of the over, but Shanaka responds with a pull round the corner for four – he’s going at around two runs a ball. But Curran probably wins the battle for control and momentum from this particular over.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 234-3 (Rathnayake 88, Shanaka 27), target 430. Overton is held back and Dawson replaces him, and effectively initially, cramping up Shanaka until he manages to lift one over the offside infield for four. The next is even bigger, a crunching lofted on-drive for SIX. Less than 200 needed but it needs T20 level pyrotechnics now.
31st over: Sri Lanka 223-3 (Rathnayake 87, Shanaka 17), target 430. Curran is wisely reintroduced, and moonballs it up to the max first up for a dot ball before a well-run three from Shanaka’s bat. But some composure returns from England’s point of view – six from the over is not much use to Sri Lanka at this point.
30th over: Sri Lanka 217-3 (Rathnayake 85, Shanaka 13), target 430. Overton suddenly looks comfortably England’s trickiest bowler – he has three to go after this one – and the batters are finding it much harder to work him away. A single and three dots are followed by a sumptuous gap-finding textbook square cut for four by Rathnayake.
29th over: Sri Lanka 212-3 (Rathnayake 81, Shanaka 12), target 430. Tongue’s getting some treatment from Rathnayake, who swivel pulls into the crowd for another SIX – a fine statement that – as the 200 comes up. Another single ensues before Shanaka opens the face to send a controlled edge through the vacant slip area for four. Next ball, even better, a swing over square leg that just eludes Dawson on the boundary … SIX more. Shanaka justifying his promotion instantly. That was the most expensive over of the innings.
28th over: Sri Lanka 194-3 (Rathnayake 74, Shanaka 1), target 430. Just as Sri Lanka dare to dream, Fernando perishes, Overton finding some sorely needed pace and bounce. Shanaka is promoted to No 5, and is off the mark with a single straight off. That extra pace and bounce also befuddles Cox behind the stumps, who fumbles his take and yields a bye.
Wicket! Avishka Fernando c and b Overton 97, Sri Lanka 190-3
Heartache for Avishka Fernando, who’s flummoxed by a ball that climbs sharply at him, and he can only hack a return catch to the bowler. A big partnership ends.
27th over: Sri Lanka 190-2 (Avishka Fernando 97, Rathnayake 72), target 430. Tongue is brought back, and is rudely greeted by a lovely lofted square cut for four by Rathnayake, who improves on that next ball with an effortless pull for SIX off a short ball. A single brings to the strike Fernando, who inches closer to his 100 with a single. England struggling for a response here. Two dots to round off the over at least restore some control.
26th over: Sri Lanka 178-2 (Avishka Fernando 96, Rathnayake 61), target 430. Overton continues, and the batters help themselves to some singles, before Rathnayake cracks a lofted straight drive for four to bring up the 150 partnership in 130 balls.
25th over: Sri Lanka 169-2 (Avishka Fernando 94, Rathnayake 54), target 430. Fernando sizes up Dawson and absolutely belts him over long-on for a much needed SIX. At the hslfway stage Sri Lanka are kind of still in this.
24th over: Sri Lanka 159-2 (Avishka Fernando 86, Rathnayake 52), target 430. Has everyone just been watching South Africa v Australia during this middle-overs push and runfest? As if sensing that a global audience has just switched back, Fernando cracks Overton over his head for four. Next ball, Brook squanders a run-out chance after the batters get mixed up but makes the wrong decision with a wayward throw. He’s had a busy day.
The teams are actually about level on run rate – at this stage.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 152-2 (Avishka Fernando 80, Rathnayake 51), target 430: Rathnayake drives for one to bring up a second consecutive 50, and it’s been a composed one. The singles continue to be pushed but as we approach halfway Sri Lanka know they’ll need to go on the charge at some point.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 144-2 (Avishka Fernando 74, Rathnayake 49), target 430: A deft reverse sweep off Jacks brings Rathnayake four more, then the singles and striker rotation continue. Batting continues to look easy, bowling a toothless chore. I know he’s getting on and not in the best form, but England could do with a bit of Adil Rashid’s magic here.
SOUTH AFRICA HAVE WON!
21st over: Sri Lanka 135-2 (Avishka Fernando 73, Rathnayake 41), target 430: Dawson switches ends, but there’s not much turn in the pitch and little sense that spin will bring much beyond control at the moment. It’s all very middle-overs like. Some singles happen and not much else.
20th over: Sri Lanka 131-2 (Avishka Fernando 71, Rathnayake 39), target 430: Will Jacks, who’s already had some fun today, comes into the attack – and is thwacked square for four by Fernando; this has been a crucial knock by him on his return to the side. Singles are milked, and England still have work to do.
19th over: Sri Lanka 124-2 (Avishka Fernando 65, Rathnayake 38), target 430: Rathnayake drives Curran for two, then one, the bowler using his moonball at one point to maintain control, a control he loses with a long hop that Rathnayake clobbers for four through midwicket. Two more bring up the 100 partnership.
Australia nine down – you know where to go.
18th over: Sri Lanka 114-2 (Avishka Fernando 64, Rathnayake 29), target 430: Fernando pushes Dawson through the legside for one before … Curran fluffs a catch on the boundary after a brutal high drive from Fernando, which appears to have gone through his hands. Four more, from Dawson’s most expensive over thus far.
17th over: Sri Lanka 106-2 (Avishka Fernando 58, Rathnayake 27), target 430: Sam Curran replaces Overton as England seek to make something happen, as Fernando brings up his 50 with a nudged two through square leg. He and Sri Lanka need that – and they’re keen on looseners down leg by Sam Curran too, and Fernando helps himself to four through the vacant deep fine leg area.
And that’s drinks. Sri Lanka are still in this, with two set batters, but they’ll need another gear change at some point, and may not have that in them.
16th over: Sri Lanka 97-2 (Avishka Fernando 49, Rathnayake 27), target 430: Dawson’s doing OK here, offering some control albeit without looking like taking a wicket. But two from the over keeps England on top.
Australia now eight down:
15th over: Sri Lanka 95-2 (Avishka Fernando 48, Rathnayake 26), target 430: Fernando, emboldened by this partnership’s progress, swings Overton over deep midwicket for four to gee up a crowd that, to be fair, now looks bigger than it was earlier in the afternoon. Fernando helps another round the corner for four as England just lapse into the middle-overs rut to which they are sometimes prone.
