England cruise past inocous Sri Lanka to take the T20 series in rain curtailed Pallekelle. Limited contributions from batters cost home team any chance of being competitive. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
England completed a Sri Lanka demolition in the one-dayers and T20s as they rev up their preparation for the T20 World Cup.
Taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series has sealed the home team’s fate and the dead rubber to follow has little consequence but it has lifted England’s hope of having a red hot crack at winning the World Cup.
England have adjusted quickly to Sri Lanka conditions after the initial setback and have clearly been tactically superior to the home team who has been struggling to get their playing eleven right throughout the tour.
The weather in Pallekelle once again played a pivotal role as Sri Lanka batted first and put up a reasonable total of 189 for 5 wickets, which their bowlers sadly couldn’t defend.
A revised target under the DLS method had England set a target of 169 off 17 overs. They raced to it in 16.4 overs, scampering home with two balls remaining.
Tom Banton smashed a unbeaten 54 off 33 balls, Josh Buttler 39 off 29, skipper Harry Brook 36 off 12 and Sam Curran 20 off 14 to see England past the required target as they enjoyed a memorable success against the Lankans at home.
While England’s preparation is elevating to strong contenders, Sri Lanka has issues with their batters failing to produce innings of substance and puts them low in the pecking order of teams tipped to win the tournament.
Once again Sri Lanka’s batters struggled to make anything close to 50. Newcomer Pavan Rathnayake top scored with 40 off 22 balls, and other useful contributions by Pathum Nissanka 34 off 32, Kamil Mishara 36 off 30, Kusal Mendis 32 off 17and Charith Asalanka 28 off 22 showed a clear lack of temperament and shot selection as they were cut down midstride.
Harry Brook’s men have turned things around quickly after Australia, and the composure and balance of the team strongly suggests they will take some beating.
Australia on the other hand, are teetering on a disastrous campaign on the subcontinent after a three-match thrashing by Pakistan in Lahore.
The third game was the worst performance by Australia when they were bowled out for just 96 in 16.5 overs chasing a target of 207 for 6.
The wickets in India will be different to Sri Lanka offering assistance to both pace and spin. So England will need to tinker with their new conditions and perhaps bigger grounds. They will be reliant on the players in the IPL to impart their vital experience in this respect.
Back to the drawing board and establishing astute leadership is the only way forward for the Lankans, and if Sri Lanka’s selectors and coaching staff are serious about their campaign, they must consider another candidate for captaincy and let Dasun Shanaka concentrate on his cricket.
Whether it helps his game without the burden of captaincy and justifies his selection, it will then reveal his true potential and value to Sri Lanka cricket.
All indications point to the strengthening of the batting by loading the team with batting all-rounders. Sri Lanka’s lower order is a weakness that sticks out like a sore thumb right now.
India, England, Australia and perhaps South Africa appear the front runners fir the World Cup beginning on February 7th in Colombo when Sri Lanka hosts the first game against the Netherlands.
The talented Dutchmen are a formidable opposition on their day and can never be written off
