Sri Lanka record a historic victory
ThePapareNews article
Sri Lanka's players pulled off a 2-wicket win in a Sri Lanka – England ODI that ended with the second-highest run chase in the history of one-day international cricket, along with a host of other records.
Winning the toss in this match played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the 22nd, Sri Lanka handed the opportunity to bat first to their opponents. England, taking the crease accordingly, went on to make 429 for 4 – the highest total ever scored against Sri Lanka in a one-day international.
In reply, Sri Lanka managed to overhaul their opponents' target with a ball still to spare, losing only 8 wickets. It was the highest total Sri Lanka have made against England in their ODI history, and it also became the highest run chase in Sri Lanka's one-day history.
In the triangular one-day international tournament featuring Sri Lanka, England and hosts Pakistan, both these sides came into this match on the back of defeats against the host Pakistani players. A win in this game was all the more important for them to stay alive in the tournament.
Coming into a match that began against such a backdrop, Sri Lanka brought in Dunith Wellalage in place of Sachindu Colombage, who had played in the defeat against Pakistan.
England had made two changes to the side that played in their earlier defeat against Pakistan, bringing in Liam Dawson and Josh Tongue in place of Adil Rashid and Sonny Baker.
Sri Lanka squad
Kusal Mendis (captain and wicketkeeper), Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Pawan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Janith Liyanage, Sahan Arachchige, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.
England squad
Harry Brook (captain), Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jordan Cox (wicketkeeper), Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue.
Batting first for England, captain Harry Brook made 202 off 116 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. It was the first-ever double century by an England batter in one-day international cricket, and reached in 114 balls, it also became the fastest double century in the history of world one-day cricket. He bettered the double-century innings recorded by India's Shubman Gill in 117 balls against the West Indies last month.
During that innings he added a 159-run stand in 127 balls for the 3rd wicket with Joe Root, and a 185-run stand in 77 balls for the 4th wicket with Will Jacks.
In those partnerships Joe Root made 69 off 66 balls with 8 fours, while Will Jacks was unbeaten on 66 off 30 balls with 3 sixes and 8 fours when the innings ended.
In addition to them, opener Tom Banton also made 50 off 51 balls with 9 fours.
With the ball, Dunith Wellalage recorded the best bowling figures of the innings with 2 wickets for 56 runs, while Janith Liyanage and Asitha Fernando took a wicket each.
Sri Lanka's reply was begun as usual by Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando, and that opening stand was broken when Kamindu Mendis fell for 18 off 16 balls with 3 fours and a six.
On the 2nd ball after his dismissal, captain Kusal Mendis too was run out without scoring, leaving Sri Lanka's innings at 24 for 2.
With the innings in that difficult position, Avishka Fernando and Pawan Rathnayake came together to add a 166-run stand in 137 balls for the 3rd wicket. That fine partnership was broken by the dismissal of Avishka Fernando, who fell 3 runs short of a century. He had made 97 off 83 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes when he was dismissed.
After that successful stand, Dasun Shanaka joined Pawan Rathnayake to add another productive partnership to the Sri Lankan innings. The pair put on 133 runs in 79 balls for the fourth wicket, bringing victory into sight.
That partnership was broken by the dismissal of Pawan Rathnayake. In this match he played the best innings of his 11-match one-day international career, making 130 off 106 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes.
When he departed, Sri Lanka's victory was still 107 runs away, with Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage at the crease. They had only 58 balls left to get there.
Of those, 40 runs came in 22 balls before Dasun Shanaka too fell 3 runs short of a century. Dismissed as the 5th wicket of the innings, he had made 97 off 50 balls with 8 sixes and 6 fours.
Sahan Arachchige then joined Janith Liyanage to add 43 runs in 18 balls for the 6th wicket, fighting to keep the match in their grasp.
With Sri Lanka needing 24 runs in 18 balls for victory, the dismissal of Sahan Arachchige (13) made that situation somewhat shaky.
Sri Lanka entered the final over of the match still needing 8 runs to win. But after the first ball of that over, Dunith Wellalage (8) and Eshan Malinga (0) fell off two successive deliveries.
On the fourth ball of the over, the new batter Asitha Fernando took a single to give Janith Liyanage the strike, and with the six he struck – leaving the final ball of the innings unused – he set the stage for Sri Lanka to celebrate a historic victory.
At the end of the match Janith Liyanage was unbeaten on 61 off 27 balls with 3 sixes and 7 fours.
With the ball, Josh Tongue recorded the best figures of the innings with 3 wickets for 79 runs. In addition, Sam Curran took 2 wickets, while Liam Dawson and Jamie Overton claimed one each.
Match scorecard in brief
- England – 429 for 4 (50.0) Tom Banton 50, Ben Duckett 29, Joe Root 69, Harry Brook 202, Will Jacks 66 not out, Dunith Wellalage 2/56
- Sri Lanka – 430 for 8 (49.5) Avishka Fernando 97, Pawan Rathnayake 130, Dasun Shanaka 97, Janith Liyanage 61 not out, Josh Tongue 3/79, Sam Curran 2/103
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets.
Player of the match – Pawan Rathnayake (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka's 3rd match of the tournament is scheduled to be played against Pakistan once again on the 27th of this month, as a day/night fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
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Based on ThePapare reporting