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29 March 2024

World T20 champions Sri Lanka avenge loss to England

Alex Hales of England reacts after being bowled by Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka during the NatWest International T20 match between England and Sri Lanka at The Kia Oval on May 20, 2014 in London, England. (GETTY)

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By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

World champions Sri Lanka held off an England fightback to win by nine runs in a Twenty20 international at the Oval on Tuesday helped by an explosive innings from Thisara Perera and superb bowling from Lasith Malinga.

Perera's quick-fire 49 runs from 20 balls, having survived a dropped catch by Michael Carberry, enabled the tourists to post a total of 183-7 from their 20 overs while Malinga's figures of 3-28 kept England at bay in response.

"The last couple of years I've been used to bowling in pressure situations, I'm used to it and I work hard in those situations," Sri Lanka captain Malinga told Sky Sports.

"I really enjoy it, it doesn't matter, I used to say to captains to give me the ball."

Sri Lanka's innings had been ticking along at a steady pace with Kithuruwan Vithanage's 38 runs from 26 balls and Lahiru Thirimanne, who was eventually dismissed for 40, helping them to 122-5 when Perera came to the crease.

By the time he was run out on the final ball of the tourists' innings he had added rocket fuel to an average total and propelled them to 183, with 22 runs coming from the penultimate over bowled by Chris Jordan.

England start poorly in reply with opening batsman Carberry, making his Twenty20 international debut, falling for seven runs in the second over and Ian Bell, playing his first T20 since January 2011, following soon after for 13.

England needed opener Alex Hales to repeat his batting heroics from the World Twenty20 in March when his scintillating 116 off 64 balls helped them beat Tuesday's opponents and eventual winners.

But after moving to 66 from 40 balls, his off stump was sent tumbling by the brilliant Malinga.

With England edging towards their target, Malinga effectively snuffed out their hopes with a superb penultimate over in which he took Jordan's wicket and conceded four runs.

"Lasith Malinga is world class, we have come up against him many times and he normally comes out on top," England captain Eoin Morgan said.

ENGLAND INNINGS

Sri Lanka defeated England by nine runs in the only Twenty20 at the Kennington Oval in London on Tuesday.

Needing 184 to win, England kept losing wickets at regular intervals as they fell short by nine runs in the end to finish at 174 for sevevn in 20 overs.

Alex Hales top scored with a 41-ball 66 while Joe Butler (26) and Ravi Bopara (28 not out) were the other significant scorers.

For Sri Lanka, Lasith Malinga bagged three wickets in his four overs.

Earlier, a 20-ball 49 from Thisara Perera after Lahiru Thirimanne's 40 ensured Sri Lanka posted a superb 183 for seven in 20 overs.

Put in to bat, the visitors were given a fine start from Tillakaratne Dilshan (14) and Kusal Perera (10).

Kithuruwan Vithanage (38) and Thirimanne then accelerated the momentum sharing a fine 54-run stand for the third wicket.

Perera provided the late fireworks as his innings was studded with seven hits to the fence and two over it.

A difficult one for England as they need 24 from the final over. Bopara is on strike and he should get some big shots going if England were to cross the line. Eng 160-7 in 19 overs.

Malinga gets another one as Jordan plays on to this stumps. Trouble for England. Eng 158-7 in 18.3 overs.

Chris Jordan b Malinga 5 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Bopara steps up the chase as he reaches 13 ball from seven balls. Eng 156-6 in 18 overs.

England are 143 for six in 17 overs.

Malinga ratttles the stumps of Hales as a brilliant knock comes to an end. SL 139-6 in 16.4 overs

Alex Hales b Malinga 66 (41b 7x4 2x6)

England lose their fifth wicket as Butler holes one to Dilshan at deep midwicket. Eng 132-5 in 15.5 overs.

Jose Buttler c Dilshan b Kulasekara 26 (16b 4x4 0x6)

England putting a strong fight as boundaries coming frequently. Both Hales and Butler get one each in Perera over. Eng 122-4 in 15 overs.

Butler is raising England's hopes. Two back to back boundaries off Lakmal. Eng 111-4 in 14 overs.

Butler starts well but he needs to give Hales company. Hales is on 46. Eng 98-4 in 13 overs.

Perera strikes to remove Morgan. That's another setback for England. Eng 85-4 in 11.3 overs.

Eoin Morgan c Lakmal b T Perera 5 (11b 0x4 0x6)

Malinga gave away five wides but otherwise a tidy over. Required run rate goes up to 11 for England. Eng 74-3 in 10 overs.

It's getting difficult for England and a wicket loss further adds to the woes. Root departs offering a catch wicketkeeper. Eng 58-3 in 8 overs.

Joe Root c Chandimal b Lakmal 5 (11m 7b 0x4 0x6)\

England need 130 runs from 78 balls. It's not easy but Hales is looking promising batting on 23 from 13 balls. Eng 54-2 in 7 overs.

Everything happening with Ian Bell. He survives after a drop in the slip but is gone immediately as Malinga removes him. Eng 45-2 in 5.5 overs.

Ian Bell c K Perera b Malinga 13 (17b 2x4 0x6)

Another good over for England as Hales and Bell score a boundary each. 14 runs from the over of Senanayake. Eng 44-1 in 5 overs.

Hales fires a six and a boundary to give England a boost. Eng 30-1 in 4 overs.

Bell chips one to mid-on boundary but England need more of that. The hosts need 167 runs from 17 overs. Eng 17-1 in 3 overs.

Bell joins Hales as England need a partnership going. Eng 11-1 in 2 overs.

A fine catch from Kulasekara as Carberry is gone. Early trouble for England. Eng 9-1 in 1.2 overs.

Michael A Carberry c Kulasekara b Mathews 7 (7b 1x4 0x6)

England make a fine start with Carberry getting a boundary. Eng 9-0 in 1 over.

A big target for England to chase. Carberry and Hales open.

SRI LANKA INNINGS

Perera unlucky to miss out on his half century as he is run out of the last ball. SL 183-7 in 20 overs.

Thisara Perera run out 49 (20b 7x4 2x6)

Perera in stunning form as he blasts four boundaries and a six off Jordan's bowling. 22 runs coming off that over as Perera reaches 48 from only 18 balls. SL 174-6 in 19 overs.

Two boundaries for Perera as Sri Lanka reach 152 for 6 in 18 overs.

Gurney gets his second wicket as Thirimanne also departs offering a simple catch at deep-midwicket. SL 141-6 in 17.1 overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne c Hales b Gurney 40 (32b 3x4 1x6)

With just three overs to go, Sri Lanka batsmen need some big hits and eye a good total. SL 141-5 in 17 overs.

Perera gets going as soon as he arrives smashing a boundary and a massive six. He is on 14 from just five deliveries. SL 137-5 in 16 overs.

There's another batsman who departs after scoring a six. Mathews had just opened up and he is gone offering a catch in the deep. SL 122-5 in 15 overs.

Angelo Mathews c Root b Tredwell 13 (13b 0x4 1x6)

Thirimanne is keeping the scoreboard going. Another fine boundary to his account. SL 108-4 in 14 overs.

A fine six off the last ball from Thirimanne eases things for Sri Lanka. He reaches 24 off 21 balls. SL 999-4 in 13 overs.

The run rate slowly dipping. Mathews can hit big and his team will hope he comes good today. SL 90-4 in 12 overs.

That's a disappointing end for Chandimal. Hammered a big six and two balls later offers a high catch to Hales. SL 85-4 in 10.3 overs.

Dinesh Chandimal c Hales b Root 7 (5b 0x4 1x6)

Half way through the innings, Lanka are 79-3.

Sigh of relief for England as Vithanage departs. He was looking good. SL 78-3 in 9.4 overs.

Kithuruwan Vithanage c Carberry b Woakes 38 (26b 7x4 0x6)

Vithanage continues to do well with another impressive reverse sweep boundary. He is on 37 already. SL 76-2 in 9 overs.

Brilliant over for Sri Lanka as Vithanage gets three successive boundaries off Bopara. He races to 31 from just 19 balls. SL 68-2 in 8 overs.

Sri Lanka need this partnership going and Vithanage looking confident already with three boundaries. SL 53-2 in 7 overs.

Two boundaries from the over; one each from Thirimanne and Vithanage. SL 43-2 in 6 overs.

A fine over from Gurney as he concedes only six runs from the two overs. SL 31-2 in 5 overs.

That's the second one for England as Sri Lanka are in a state of bother. Perera departs offering a simple catch to Bopara. SL 24-2 in 3.3 overs.

Kushal Perera c Bopara b Jordan 10 (10b 1x4 1x6)

England taste early success as Dilshan departs bowled by Gurney. SL 24-1 in 2.4 overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan b Gurney 14 (9b 3x4 0x6)

Both Dilshan and Perera are going great guns with the former slamming a boundary and the latter getting the first six of the innings. SL 20-0 in 2 overs.

Dilshan and Perera get a boundary each as openers made a confident start. SL 9-0 in 1 over.

England have won the toss and elected to bowl in the only T20 international against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Tuesday.

England have handed a debut to Harry Gurney as well as Michael Carberry.

Sri Lanka have opted for Lakmal over Ajanta Mendis.

PLAYING XI

England: Alex Hales, Michael Carberry, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Ravi Bopara, Chris Jordan, James Tredwell, Harry Gurney, Chris Woakes

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kithruwan Vithanage, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal

PREVIEW

Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga is looking forward to maintaining his perfect record as captain when his Twenty20 world champions face England in cricket's shortest format at The Oval on Tuesday.

Malinga has enjoyed three wins from three matches since replacing the out-of-form Dinesh Chandimal during the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh two months ago

Under the fast bowler, Sri Lanka won their last group match before seeing off West Indies in a semi-final and defeating India in the final.

However, they lost their only fixture of the tournament against England - a match where Alex Hales's whirlwind innings saw him become the first England batsman to score a Twenty20 international hundred.

"We are a really happy unit, because we won the (Twenty20) World Cup," Malinga told reporters at The Oval on Monday. "We are a young side, looking forward to assessing these conditions as soon as possible.

"We are confident we can handle all the pressure in Twenty20."

England will take some confidence from a win that was a rare highlight during a wretched your programme that also featured a 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia.

But Malinga said a more important factor on Tuesday would be England's knowledge of home conditions.

"We had a tough match against England in that World Cup. But the past is past," he insisted.

"These conditions favour the home team. But we'll look to put them under pressure.

"In Twenty20, one over can change the match," added Malinga, who has done precisely that on numerous occasions.

"(But) whoever makes the fewest mistakes in the 40 overs will win, I think."

As well as being known for his distinctive 'slingshot' action, from which he can generate thunderbolt yorkers or disguised slower balls, Malinga also kisses the ball before he runs in to the crease.

"I really worship, respect the ball," Malinga said by way of explanation. "That's why I do it.

"I like it when batsmen come in and want to hit me. I really enjoy thinking how I can stop them?"

England captain Eoin Morgan, reflecting on the teams' last meeting, said: "There's huge confidence to take from the game we played in the group stages of the (Twenty20) World Cup.

"They're are a notable T20 team - they have great variations. To turn them over in the World Cup was a great effort," added Morgan, leading the team in the absence of injured paceman Stuart Broad.

This time around Morgan's team will be looking to utilise the inside knowledge of former Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace, in charge of the islanders in Bangladesh but now back with his native country after being appointed as an assistant to the recalled Peter Moores.

"He (Farbrace) has been key in our preparation," said Morgan. "He knows their guys inside out, as he should do, and his knowledge and applying our skills in countering things they will do has been really good.

"He has gone through the majority of their players and probably given us a bit more background than we would be able to access, which is brilliant."