A week after the run fest in Rawalpindi, England and Sri Lanka played out another high-scorer, in Lahore. This time England’s 386 for 5 prevailed, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 331 in the 45th over.
Ben Duckett scorched his way to a career-best 167 off 132 balls to lead England to their second successive mammoth total against Sri Lanka. Pavan Rathnayake then marshalled the chase, hitting 118 off 77, having also struck a match-winning 130 in the last match against England. But in the 43rd over, the pursuit began to fall apart, and Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 16 runs.
Before that nosedive, they had needed 72 runs off 46 balls. They had been roughly on track. But England held their nerve. Debutant Henry Crocombe sparked the collapse by having Sahan Arachchige caught at long-on. The run out of Dunith Wellalage – resulting from a huge mix-up – then left Rathnayake with no good batters at the other end. When Rathnayake was then dismissed, caught off the top-edge off the bowling of Liam Dawson, Sri Lanka’s hopes plummeted. They were all out in the 46th over.
Dawson could in fact have been the difference between the sides. Where Sri Lanka’s spinners had struggled, he took four for 49 in his 10 overs. In addition to Rathnayake, he also dismissed Avishka Fernando – who looked dangerous during his 48 off 50, and Dasun Shanaka, who had hurt England a week ago. Sonny Baker also took two wickets, though he travelled at 8.33 across his nine overs. Among Sri Lanka’s bowlers, Asitha Fernando returned the best figures, taking 2 for 63.
When England were batting, two partnerships had done most of their legwork, Duckett shared a 163-run stand with opening partner Tom Banton, who was the only other batter to make a half century, before putting on a breakneck 107 off 75 with Harry Brook. Those two stands carried England to 270 for 2 in the middle of the 38th over, putting them in the vicinity of another 400-plus total. Although England’s finish was excellent, Sri Lanka’s attack may reflect that keeping England to 94 runs in the last 10 overs was almost as good as they could have hoped for, given the batting mayhem that had defined much of the innings.
Duckett’s innings, though utterly violent, was unusual in its composition. He didn’t hit a six, but struck 24 fours for starters. Of those 24, 17 came on the leg-side, as Duckett’s hook and pull punished a Sri Lanka attack guilty of trying the short ball too many times. And none of those fours came down the ground.
To get himself going, Duckett had struck successive boundaries in the second over, then moved briskly to a half-century off 46 balls, before bringing up his hundred – the sixth of his ODI career – in 89 balls. He moved up gears in the company of Brook, as the pair reaped 80 in a seven-over stretch starting with the 31st over. Brook, who struck the fastest ODI double-hundred the last time these teams met, had promoted himself up the order and reeled off 44 off 34 himself, before getting into a tangle attempting to scoop Asitha. Duckett’s eventual dismissal, in the 42nd over, was also the result of a scoop-gone-wrong, this time against an Eshan Malinga slower ball.
Earlier, Banton had mostly kept pace with Duckett as he hit 74 off 75 deliveries. He was more comfortable hitting down the ground, launching spin for two sixes over long-on and long-off. He was out playing on to a length delivery from Dasun Shanaka, and will perhaps rue having not converted one of his three fifties this series to a triple-figure score.
Sri Lanka lost Kamindu Mendis early, but had a buoyant start nonetheless, Avishka scoring briskly in the powerplay while Kusal Mendis smote his way to 89 off 71. He had been in exceptional touch before he under-edged Joe Root down the leg-side into the keeper’s gloves. England had had to review to overturn the original not-out decision.
Rathnayake’s hundred, like Duckett’s, was heavy on the square boundaries. He hit 15 fours producing brutal pulls, ravishing cuts, and a single, delectable six, off Gus Atkinson, which sailed poetically over deep cover. He batted as a player in the form of his young career, staying low, and frequently nailing expansive strokes and injecting fearlessness again into a Sri Lanka chase. He got to his hundred off the 70th ball he faced, but could not hold the chase together after Sahan Arachchige (with whom he’d shared a 57-run stand) and Dunith Wellalage fell in quick succession. Wellalage’s wicket had been sacrificial – he walked out of his crease to ensure Rathnayake’s survival after both batters ended up at the striker’s end. Dawson then ended any serious Sri Lanka hopes with Rathnayake’s wicket.
The win is only a consolation for England, who will not play the final on Saturday. For what it’s worth Pakistan finished top in this round, claiming three wins from four matches. Sri Lanka won twice and England just this time.
Scores:
England 386 for 5 in 50 overs (Ben Duckett 167, Tom Banton 74; Asitha Fernando 2-63 ) beat Sri Lanka 331 in 45.1 overs (Pavan Rathnayake 118, Kusal Mendis 89; Sonny Baker 2-75, Liam Dawson 4-49)by 55 runs
(Cricinfo)
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