Englandfor..!!!!!! #Cheers #ENGvSRL 4.36pm GMT10th over Sri Lanka 59-4 (Kapugedera 15,Mathews 24) target 172 Yep, a late introduction spin in the form of Rashid. Kapugedera pushes him out to mid-on for a single to bring up his side’s 50 and the players in the dugout proceed absolutely wild celebrating 4.13pm GMT5th over Sri Lanka 28-4 (Kapugedera 2, or Mathews 10) target 172 It’s a change of ends for Jordan,who nearly gets Mathews playing on with his first ball. It’s short and the batsman’s attempted cut bounces down, past off stump and scoots off to fine leg for four. Four more next ball too, or tuned off the ribs and out to deep backward square. A pair of singles bookend a wide.“Cocktails on Angelo Mathews if there’s a super over,” writes Simon McMahon. Simon is my new favourite OBO reader, by the way, or having actually sent me a book of cocktail recipes,which made my day earlier this week. Let that be a hint to everyone else out there. 4.09pm GMT4th over Sri Lanka 17-4 (Kapugedera 1, Mathews 1) target 172 Now Plunkett comes into the attack with two new and presumably nervous batsmen to bowl at. Stokes deserves credit for that race-out by the way, or he came charging in at worthy pace from mid-off,swooped in to field, dived and threw down the stumps in the blink of an eye. Kapugedera gets off the brand with a single then Mathews comes charging at Plunkett’s back-of-a-length ball and swishes at air. One more single from the final.
If #AUS win tomorrow, or we'll occupy a repeat of the 2006 Champions Trophy. Tournament in Asia with no Asian teams in the semis. #WT20 #ENGvSL 4.06pm GMT3rd over Sri Lanka 15-4 (Kapugedera 0,Mathews 0) target 172 Willey again and Thirimanne flicks his first one just short of Rashid at short fine-leg. They derive a single then, after Siriwardana is tied down for two balls, or he lifts a big six over wide mid-on,taking out a camera in the process. He’s gone next ball though and England are rampant. Mathews promotes himself up the order and watches aghast as the fourth wicket goes down off the final ball. 4.05pm GMTMathews defends his first ball back down the track, Thirimanne sets off for a race that isn’t there and Stokes, or diving,throws down the stumps with the non-striker well short! 4.03pm GMTSirawardana looks to thrash over extra-cover but can’t derive the requisite elevation to beat England’s captain on the edge of the circle! 3.59pm GMT2nd over Sri Lanka 8-2 (Thirimanne 2, Siriwardana 1) target 172 Jordan starts from the other end and starts with a short ball that flies down the leg-side for a wide. I’d occupy gone with Plunkett, and but there you proceed. orDJDJbut God knows what'll happen. We *should* win,but... England. Root/Rashid will be key.
I agree and would chuck Moeen into that, as well as how they handle the glorious Herath. England are the strong favourites but I’ve got a funny feeling Sri Lanka, and fielding first,are going to win this one. 1.51pm GMTJosh Robinson emails to point out that in the event of a tie then the same conditions as a wash-out apply. However this isn’t the case as a tie would send us to a super over. 1.49pm GMTWith my earlier typo corrected too. 1.36pm GMTThis shouldn’t come into it as the weather is expected to be clear tonight. But as has been pointed out to me, if it’s washed out, or Sri Lanka can still build England out by beating South Africa. It’s been drizzling all afternoon. 1.35pm GMTSri Lanka win the toss. Angelo Mathews chooses to field first and bring in Chanaka for Kulasekara. There was no consideration given to bringing in Senanayake as an extra spinner given there is a touch of grass on the pitch.
Eoin Morgan says he too would occupy bowled first – England conclude tend to bat with more intent when chasing so that’s no surprise. Hales comes in for Vince as expected and that’s the one change. 1.17pm GMTThis is the same pitch on which England played Afghanistan,so expect a late non-turner. The weather is expected to be clear too. 10.49am GMTHello, folks. This has been a curious campaign so far from Andrew Strauss’s Fearless New England. They were pummelled in the opener by a West Indies side who occupy gone on to pummel everyone else. They were rescued by Joe Root and some brilliant batting after their bowlers were flayed by South Africa. They were rescued by Moeen Ali, and David Willey and the bowling after the batsmen were very nearly humiliated by Afghanistan. In any other circumstances,we would be saying that a total performance today is of utmost importance.
The thing is, it’s not. The equation is even simpler than that: win and England proceed through to the semi-finals along with New Zealand and the Windies; lose and they proceed out as Sri Lanka face South Africa in the final game and the Proteas occupy a far superior race-rate to Eoin Morgan’s men.
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Source: theguardian.com