Hara-kiri at Pallekele! Sri Lanka batters surrender meekly; England win by 51 runs

TimesofIndia.com successful Kandy: Sri Lankan fans packed the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium successful afloat dependable arsenic England’s batters obligingly threw their wickets away. The noise, however, didn’t past long.

What followed was an adjacent much miserable spectacle from the location side, a illness truthful mediocre that it concisely resembled a contention to nutrient the ugliest dismissal of the night.After opting to bat first, England were inactive pinned down by a Sri Lankan bowling show that, for each its subject and variety, deserved acold much than what was to travel later. Despite caller wounded concerns, it was adjacent to a textbook T20 effort: left-arm gait from Dilshan Madushanka, loopy left-arm rotation from Dunith Wellalage, enigma rotation from Maheesh Theekshana, and raw, hostile gait from Dushmantha Chameera, who nailed his yorkers and exploited the around-the-wicket angle.

England scraped to 146 for 9, a full that felt astatine slightest 20 runs abbreviated connected a slow, two-paced surface.Then came the implosion. Sri Lanka’s pursuit unravelled astir instantly, wickets tumbling with numbing predictability. Shot enactment was reckless, execution worse. After losing to Zimbabwe successful their last radical match, this crushing 51-run decision successful their opening crippled against England whitethorn not conscionable harm their campaign; it could good bring an extremity to their semifinal hopes.

Salt’s masterclass

England’s innings was a survey successful contrast: the composure and clarity of Phil Salt acceptable against a broader batting effort that unravelled erstwhile Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened the screws. On a aboveground offering conscionable capable grip, with the outfield slowed by damp patches, England ne'er genuinely escaped the chokehold, contempt Salt’s fluent 62 disconnected 40 balls portion battling cramps successful the humidity.For Sri Lanka, the code was acceptable aboriginal by Madushanka, who recovered a hint of plaything with the caller ball.

He kept Salt and Jos Buttler quiet, conceding lone 4 runs successful his opening implicit and repeatedly probing the fourth-stump line. Buttler, nether changeless examination, struggled to settle. When Sri Lanka introduced Wellalage arsenic aboriginal arsenic the 2nd over, the intent was clear: onslaught England with rotation from the outset.

Salt momentarily broke the shackles, leaning backmost to loft Wellalage implicit other screen for the archetypal six of the innings, but the unit seldom relented.

Madushanka continued to tease Buttler with afloat lengths and subtle changes of pace, conceding conscionable 3 runs successful a miserly over. The contention ended abruptly erstwhile Wellalage trapped Buttler successful front, the England skipper departing for a scratchy 7 disconnected 14.Sri Lanka sensed an opening and doubled down with assertive fields. Jacob Bethell walked into a limb gaffe and perished soon after, miscuing a slog to springiness Madushanka a crisp catch.

At the extremity of the powerplay, England were 37 for 2.Spin dominated the mediate phase. Wellalage and Theekshana bowled with power and imagination, varying gait and trajectory to unit errors. The duo conceded 47 runs and shared 5 wickets. Harry Brook fell to drift and dip from Wellalage, portion a needless run-out accounted for Tom Banton. At halfway, England were 68 for 4.Salt kept England afloat, reaching a well-judged 50 disconnected 36 balls.

A mates of cleanable strikes disconnected Chameera lifted the tempo and brought up England’s 100, but enactment remained fleeting. Salt’s absorption ended erstwhile helium failed to wide long-off against Wellalage, departing for a high-quality 62. Theekshana wrapped up the little order, portion Wellalage completed a three-wicket haul.

Sri Lanka imploded

Sri Lanka’s pursuit unravelled successful a blur arsenic England ripped done the batting with a ruthless new-ball burst and a singular spell of part-time rotation from Will Jacks.Jofra Archer acceptable the tone, investigating Pathum Nissanka with crisp abbreviated balls. Nissanka concisely counterpunched earlier Archer induced a mistimed pull, safely taken by Jamie Overton.England past went bang-bang. Kusal Mendis chipped 1 consecutive backmost to Will Jacks, earlier Pathan Rathnayake charged archetypal shot and skied 1 to Tom Banton. Archer removed Kamil Mishara with a heavy edge, Overton taking a crisp drawback astatine alert slip.Jacks struck doubly much arsenic Wellalage picked retired Brook and Kamindu Mendis chipped Dawson consecutive down the ground. Chaos followed erstwhile Dushan Hemantha dragged a propulsion changeable onto his ain stumps. Sri Lanka’s past hope, Dasun Shanaka, fell aft a good relay drawback by Jacks and Banton. Shanaka top-scored with 30 disconnected 24 balls.Sri Lanka were bowled retired for 95 runs successful 16.4 overs. For England, Jacks (3/22), Liam Dawson (2/27), Archer (2/20) and Adil Rashid (2/13) were the standout bowlers.Brief scoresEngland 146/9 successful 20 overs (Phil Salt 62; Dunith Wellalage 3/26, Maheesh Theekshana 2/21)Sri Lanka 95 each retired successful 15.2 overs (Dasun Shanaka 30; Will Jacks 3/22, Jofra Archer 2/20)