Key events
1st over: Sri Lanka 5-1 (Nissanka 1, Kusal Mendis 4) It’s a good over from Wood, the only boundary a thick inside edge off a yorker.
“Excellent fightback by England,” says Colum Fordham, “and hats off to Sam Curran for making a match of this ‘dead rubber’ which is actually a useful warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup. An excellent knock. England have strength in depth when it comes to batting, as Dawson showed. Let’s hope the spinners, Rashid first and foremost, can capitalise.” Good to see those quote marks. In cricket, no rubber is ever really dead – the sub-plots see to that.
WICKET! Mishara c Duckett b Wood 0 (Sri Lanka 1-1)
Luke Wood strikes with his third ball, taking tha pace off and luring the dangerous Mishara into a chip to mid-on. And something finally goes right for Ben Duckett, who takes a good low catch.
Post-collapse reading
Something from our Sydney office.
England close on 128
20th over: England 128-9 (Rashid 7, Wood 1) England finish with their lowest T20 total against Sri Lanka – but quite a few more than looked likely just after drinks, when they were 60-6. Sam Curran was England’s best batter by far. hitting a career-best 58 with a mixture of grit and flair. Liam Dawson kept him company for long enough to ensure that England at least used all their overs. But the star of the show was Dushmantha Chameera, who took five for 24 in his four overs.
WICKET! Curran c Nissanka b Chameera 58 (England 127-9)
After driving for four, Curran tries to waft for six! And only succeeds in presenting third man with an easy catch. But he has held England together.
England beat Australia!
We interrupt this final over to inform you that England U-19s have beaten Australia by 27 runs in their World Cup semi-final. It was a tale of two captains: Thomas Rew of England made 110, Oliver Peake replied with 100, but Rew had better support and how biolers held their nerve as Peake launched a late onslaught.
19th over: England 118-8 (Curran 54, Rashid 2) Curran celebrates with a flick for four. His 50 came off 44 balls with four fours and a six. And he got a hat-trick earlier in the series … as Ed Smith used to say, he makes things happen.
Fifty to Sam Curran!
Curran pushes a single down the ground to reach an excellent fifty – and equal his highest score in T20 internationals. In September 2023 his batting average in this format was 11; since then it’s been 34.
18th over: England 109-8 (Curran 48, Rashid 0) So, after that solid partnership of 47 between Curran and Dawson, the collapse resumes with two wickets in the over. And Chameera already has 4-14, with one over still to come.
WICKET! Overton c Liyanage b Chameera 2 (England 109-8)
Well, Overton did bring a big hit – but it went straight up in the air, before descending into the safe hands of Liyanage at backward point.
WICKET! Dawson c Kamindu Mendis b Chameera 14 (England 107-7)
Dawson falls on his sword! He went for the big hit too and didn’t get enough on it, allowing Kamindu to take a fine diving catch at deep square.
Meanwile, in Bulawayo, England U-19s need one wicket to beat Australia and reach the World Cup final. But the Aussie captain, Oliver Peake, is still there on 99 …
17th over: England 107-6 (Curran 48, Dawson 14) The latest batter to chip a slower ball up in the air is Liam Dawson. Facing Shanaka, he gets away with it as it plops to the ground in no-man’s-land on the leg side, when it might have been better for England if he’d been out. No offence to the admirable Dawson, but Jamie Overton is waiting to play some big hits. Curran, seeing the problem, finishes the over with a controlled slog for six. At last, a Curran boundary that’s not a pull!
16th over: England 96-6 (Curran 39, Dawson 12) Theekshana comes back for his final over. He it was who bowled Buttler, in the single biggest blow to England’s hopes of a decent total, and now he has Dawson playing at thin air. Curran, using his nous, turns a single into two by playing it with soft hands, and still there are only four runs off the over. It’s T20 cricket, but not as we know it.
15th over: England 92-6 (Curran 36, Dawson 12) Curran is getting ’em in pull shots. Wellalage returns, drops short, and for the fourth time Curran cashes in by crunching the ball into the gap.
14th over: England 85-6 (Curran 30, Dawson 11) Pathirana returns and restricts the batters to four singles. But this is now the longest partnership of England’s innings: it’s lasted a full three and a half overs.
13th over: England 81-6 (Curran 28, Dawson 9) On comes Kamindu Mendis, with his licorice allsorts, and for once the change doesn’t bear immediate fruit. Curran finds the boundary with another pull, his third I think. He is England’s top-scorer tonight, with 28 off 28 balls, and if I had my way, he’d be their next captain.
“I checked in earlier to see teams and toss info…” says Rob Knap. “Just came back to find the score at 55-5! Somehow a collapse in this form doesn’t quite emote the same despair or nostalgia for the 1980s and 1990s as it would in others. But it’s still that reassuring feeling of what-the-hell’s-happened-here-then that cricket matches seem to provide better than other sports.
“I’m also following the U19s semi-final. How long till Farhan Ahmed gets called up to a senior England squad do you think?” Good question! He looks a better cricketer than Shoaib Bashir.
12th over: England 72-6 (Curran 21, Dawson 7) Dawson celebrates not being run out by hitting his first four, a shovel round the corner to fine leg. The commentators reckon England still have a chance here, as the pitch is slow and taking turn. “They just need to have something to bowl at,” one of them says, “maybe 125.”
11th over: England 65-6 (Curran 20, Dawson 1) Dasun Shanaka can do no wrong. He brings back Chameera, who again strikes in no time, taking the pace off and bamboozling Jacks, who pops a dolly to midwicket. When Chameera tries a bouncer, Curran produces another powerful pull. But then he nearly runs Liam Dawson out by sending him back. Nine overs left, but can England last that long?
“Good afternoon Tim,” says Geoff Wignall. “And there I was thinking it takes a strong batting lineup to have Dawson at no.9.” Ha. He’s been sent in at 8 to shore things up!
WICKET! Jacks c Nissanka b Chameera 3 (England 60-6)
Another slower ball, another simple catch.
10th over: England 59-5 (Curran 15, Jacks 3) Another good over from Theekshana, who starts with three dots and a howling LBW appeal against Curran. Shanaka reviews again, but without success as there may be an inside edge. After that England can only manage three singles, so at the halfway stage Sri Lanka are well on course for a consolation victory.
9th over: England 55-5 (Curran 12, Jacks 2) Curran, such a competitor, will relish the chance to mount a rescue operation. He takes the first step by pulling Wellalage for four.
8th over: England 49-5 (Curran 7, Jacks 1) Just because you’ve played 403 games for your country, doesn’t mean you can’t play down the wrong line. Buttler is befuddled by an off-break from Maheesh Theekshana and England have lost the only batter who made it into double figures.
WICKET! Buttler b Theekshana 25 (England 47-5)
… but now he’s gone too!
7th over: England 46-4 (Buttler 25, Curran 5) Buttler, who has played more times for England than anyone else ever, has seen it all before. He hits Wellalage for the first six of the match and it’s a cracker, driven inside-out over extra-cover.
6th over: England 35-4 (Buttler 18, Curran 1) Pathirana kept on slinging and Brook, after tucking one slower ball away for four, was deceived by another, popping a dolly to short extra and departing in disbelief. As Buttler plays and misses and very nearly loses his off bail, the powerplay ends with all the power in the hands of the Sri Lankans. On the plus side, Sam Curran is in so early that he has time to make his first international hundred.
WICKET!! Brook c Liyanage b Pathirana 4 (England 34-4)
Fooled by a slower ball!
5th over: England 28-3 (Buttler 17, Brook 0) Shanaka’s bowling changes keep on working. He turned to spin, brought on Dunith Wellalage, saw him make a good tight start, and got another wicket as Banton picked the wrong ball to try and slog for six. It’s our old friend, an England collapse!
WICKET! Banton b Wellalage 7 (England 28-3)
So much for Banton’s form!
4th over: England 25-2 (Buttler 16, Banton 5) The batters decide that attack is the best form of defence, and it works. Shanaka’s second over begins with Buttler dabbing for four and ends with Banton, still in form from the other night, cover-driving for four more. A few singles in between and, without much effort, they’ve got 11 off the over.
3rd over: England 14-2 (Buttler 10, Banton 0) Chameera’s reward for grabbing an early wicket was to be taken off, but it worked. On came Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka’s slingshot, bearing yorkers. He nearly bowled Buttler and could have broken his toe, before switching to a good length and a wide line to dismiss Bethell. Buttler, deciding that attack is the best form of defence, gets aa streaky four from a Harrow drive. SL well on top.
WICKET! Bethell c Kusal Mendis b Pathirana 3 (England 14-2)
Another one! Pathirana dishes up temptation, well oustide off, and Bethell takes the bait.
2nd over: England 7-1 (Buttler 4, Bethell 2) Dasun Shanaka starts well too – dot dot dot, a single for Buttler, and then two deliveries that beat the bat of Bethell, the first a shout for LBW (pitched outside leg), the second whistling past the outside edge. Even Buttler’s single was mistimed. Advantage Sri Lanka!
1st over: England 6-1 (Buttler 3, Bethell 2) The travelling fans were still singing Jerusalem, at a rather dirge-like tempo, when Ben Duckett faced his first ball. It was a beauty from Dushmantha Chameera, curling back into the left-hander, trapping him on the crease and looking a very plumb plumb. For some reason it wasn’t given on the field, but the review brought up three reds and poor old Duckett had to go. His miserable winter continues.
No such bother for Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell, who pick up a few singles.
WICKET! Duckett LBW b Chameera 0 (England 2-1)
Duckett gets a golden duck!
Sri Lanka team: no Hasaranga
The Sri Lankans make three changes. After losing Eshan Malinga to a dislocated shoulder, they also have to do without Wanindu Hasaranga, who has gone down with an abscess in the armpit. Painful for him and disappointing for the spectators, who haven’t seen him at his explosive best. His place goes to Maneesh Theekshana, Malinga’s to Dushmantha Chameera. The ODI captain, Charith Asalanka, is rested in favour of Kamindu Mendis, who wasn’t in the original squad for this series. A hat-tip for all these facts to our friends at Cricinfo, as our friends at TNT have been replaying the last match rather than filling us in on this one.
Sri Lanka 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kami Mishara, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Pavan Rathnayeke, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Janith Liyanage, 8 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Mahessh Theekshana, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Matheesha Pathirana.
England team: Duckett in for Salt, Wood for Archer
Phil Salt is ruled out by a sore back, so Ben Duckett sneaks into the XI without having to dislodge Tom Banton. Jofra Archer is rested to keep him fresh for the World Cup, so England’s spare seamer, Luke Wood, gets an overdue outing. He may have been eyeing Jamie Overton’s economy rate and thinking he could do better.
England 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Luke Wood.
England win the toss and … bat!
Harry Brook gets his call right for the third time out of three – like Ben Stokes, he seems to be a top-class tosser. He opts to bat first, presumably to give his team some practice at setting a target.
Pre-match reading
Pakistan’s cricketers have been ordered by their government not to play against India in the T20 World Cup. Our man in the subcontinent, the talented Taha Hashim, looks at the ramifications of this.
Preamble
Afternoon everyone and welcome to something you don’t come across very often: a game that has little riding on it because England’s white-ball team have been playing too well. With their calculated hitting on Sunday, Tom Banton and Harry Brook won the match and spoiled the series.
Sri Lanka played much better in that second game, only to find that the weather was not on their side. If they had won, we’d be looking forward to a fascinating finale today. Instead the main question is whether England are ruthless enough to complete a whitewash or whether the Sri Lankans can give the scoreline the respectability their efforts deserve. There’s a World Cup starting on Saturday and both teams will want to go into it with a win in their sails.
As usual in this game of many layers, there are plenty of sub-plots to keep us interested. Can Banton, brought in as a replacemewnt for the injured Ben Duckett, make that No.4 spot his own? Can Pavan Rathnayeke, who has still faced only 233 balls in his international career, carry on playing like a prince? Can Sri Lanka’s other young guns find a way to cope with England’s elderly spinners, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson? Can Jamie Overton and Sam Curran go for fewer than ten runs an over? Can Brook refrain from saying something silly? Will Brendon McCullum say anything at all?
You never can tell if a match will be exciting. But it’s unlikely to be as dull as the last day of the transfer window.