Sri Lanka cricket recrudesced to winning ways beating England by 25 runs regardless of a Moeen Ali century in the 1st ODI worked out at R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka successfully defended a formidable 317 after Moeen Ali cracked a resplendent century and Ravi Bopara’s late surge helped England come close to 292 as all-round Sri Lanka took the early lead in the 7-match ODI series.
The start of the match was delayed due to rain yet the ground staff did a fantastic job as the game got underway at 3.30pm without any deduction of the playing overs. The visiting skipper Alastair Cook won the toss of coin and elected to field first giving his seamers the chance to extract the best out of the surface which had been under the covers. Sri Lanka fielded a spin-heavy bowling attack with 3 specialist turners in the playing XI.
The Lankan openers got their act together finally together after failing in the Indian tour as TM Dilshan and Kusal Perera slammed 57 runs in the mandatory Powerplay. Kusal smashed three boundaries off Ben Stokes’ 2nd over while Sri Lanka started to shift gears and dominate the proceedings as both dashers batted with ease against an in-experienced English bowling attack. Kusal got to his 4th half-century in the 18th over silencing many critics after a forgettable tour to India. England got their first breakthrough in the 23rd over when both batsmen were involved in a mix-up and Kusal was stranded in one side of the wicket attempting a 2nd run.
Kusal’s enterprising knock lasted 74 deliveries and made 59 runs. Kumar Sangakkara failed to make an impression as he was dismissed LBW by Moeen Ali for only 2.TM Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene resurrected the innings steadily as they maneuvered the strike perfectly and got the odd boundary to keep the scoreboard ticking. Both batting stalwarts played elegant and crisp strokes to delight the average Wednesday evening crowd.
Sri Lanka opted to use the batting Powerplay earlier than usual and they made sure they used it conservatively but Dilshan’s superb innings of 88 in 98 balls came to an end when he was caught by Chris Woakes off his own bowling to end a 76-run stand for the 3rd wicket.
In-form skipper Angelo Mathews came in and batted like a man with intent as he took on the bowling to speed up the run-rate. Mathews hammered two mammoth sixes off Tredwell but he perished attempting the 3rd successive hit in the 43rd over for a 24-ball 33. Angelo and Mahela scored 49 runs in 34 balls but Sri Lanka suffered a double blow when Mahela was also dismissed by the off-spinner in the very next ball as Buttler took a sharp catch down the leg side. Mahela continued his good form with a responsible knock of 55 in 58 balls. Hard-hitting Thisara lowered his mediocre batting average as he top-edged a Woakes delivery which was snapped brilliantly by Cook for only 4 as the hosts were restricted to 263/6 with less than 5 overs remaining.
7th-wicket pair of Jeewan Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne played two important cameo knocks as they pushed the total beyond 300. The unbroken 54-run partnership in 29 balls regained momentum towards Sri Lanka going into the break. Mendis scored 2 sixes and 2 fours in his 14-ball blitz of 30 while Thirimanne chipped in with 27 off 22. Tredwell and Woakes took 2 wickets apiece for the visitors.
Chasing a daunting target of 318 in 50 overs, England got two early scares when Alastair Cook was given out two times off Angelo Mathews in the very first over but the DRS saved the English skipper on both occasions. Moeen Ali justified his selection ahead of Alex Hales as he flawlessly set the tone hammering 4 consecutive boundaries off Dhammika Prasad in the 6th over as England racked up 51 runs for the 1st wicket.
The golden arm of TM Dilshan gave a crucial breakthrough when he trapped Cook in his first ball for 10. Moeen Ali got to his half-century in 25 balls to register the 2nd fastest half-ton for England. Ali and Ian Bell were taking the game away from the Lions before Thisara Perera produced an improved quick burst of seam bowling to remove Ian Bell and Joe Root in quick succession as both were caught behind. The right-arm seamer hit the good areas of the deck and constantly reached mid 130s. Eoin Morgan chopped one straight onto his stumps off Ajantha Mendis for zero as the visitors were restricted to 124/4 after being 107/1 at one stage.
Long Bearded Moeen Ali punished the Lankan bowling at will which reminisced the recent Indian thrashing. He slammed two giant sixes off Rangana Herath and always kept England in the hunt.
Jos Buttler’s run-a-ball 21 ended when he too chopped one back to the woodwork off Prasad.
Moeen reached his maiden ODI hundred in 72 balls to become the 3rd fastest centurion of English cricket but took the long walk to the pavilion in the 31st over when he gave a simple caught & bowl chance to Jeewan Mendis after a terrific 119 which consist of 11 fours and 5 sixes as England were 6 down for 203. Ravi Bopara and the tail threatened to take the game away but Herath combined well with Sangakkara’s accurate glove work to remove Stokes and Woakes for 16 and 7 respectively to halt the late English charge.
The hosts showcased few glimpses of excellent fielding as they threw themselves around which fortified few dropped chances and mis-fields. Bopara kept the chase alive with a brilliant counter-attacking 65 off 62 shepherding the late order cleverly and scoring one boundary per over, but he ran out of partners as Thisara Perera rightfully claimed the final wicket, which ended on an impressive spell of 3 for 44.
The 2nd ODI will be played on 29th Saturday at the same venue and it will be a day game.
Full Scorecard :
