Tag: England

Cricket: Sri Lanka restore two game lead with well-timed chase

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The result seemed inevitable throughout much of the game, however, the closeness of the finish was slightly unexpected.  After England made a total that, to the majority of critics, was twenty runs below par, the classy Sri Lankan lynchpins guided a chase effortlessly but didn’t quite close it out until two balls to spare.

Kumar Sangakkara (84) led most of the chase for 266 and it seemed likely he would go on to register a 20th international ODI cricket century.  His surprise exit though, sent a few ripples through the local batsmen; needing captain Angelo Matthews (51*) to steer them home, and in the process record a half-century of his own.

The win, Sri Lanka’s third of the cricket series, was finally delivered by Matthews and Lahiru Thirimanne who enjoyed a stand of 53 that reinforced the good work of Sangakkare and Mahela Jayawardene (44).

In all honesty Sri Lanaka should have been chasing more than 266.  England overcame the early loss of Alex Hales (0) to find themselves in a strong position at 164/3 at the beginning of the batting power play.  That proved the downfall for England who then failed to press on and put the game beyond doubt.  18 from the bat of Eoin Morgan was needed off Tillakaratne Dilshan’s final over just to make the target competitive.  The return to form for Eoin Morgan was one of the bright spots for England.  We anticipated / hoped for his return to form earlier in the week.

The other bright spot was undoubtedly the innings of diminutive right hander James Taylor (90).  After a two year one day cricket hiatus and a nervy start, Taylor settled in for an excellent knock where he manipulated the field nicely and challenged the bowlers to find a length that fit his small stature.  Amongst his and Morgan’s efforts Joe Root added a useful 36 but the others failed to find a suitable scoring method off the stifling Sri Lankan spin.  Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes in particular continue to look like fish out of water against spin.

Looking more comfortable against the spin of Moeen Ali and Joe Root is the entire Sri Lankan order.  Even the short of runs Kusal Perrera (31)  was able to find some form.  They’re also not struggling against seam either.  Steven Finn continues to struggle and only Chris Jordan (2-35) was penetrating in these Colombo conditions.

Significant improvement is needed from England when cricket returns for game 5.  While publicly they will claim they are still in the series, they’re not, and the remaining games will mainly be used to test top order combinations when Alastair Cook’s returns.

England are now at $13 to win the series at Bet365.  A 6-1 series score is at $3.50.

Sri Lanka 267 for 4 (Sangakkara 86, Mathews 51*) beat England 265 (Taylor 90, Morgan 62, Herath 3-36) by six wickets

Cricket: Cook’s ban a blessing in disguise?

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As far as one match cricket bans go Alastair Cook’s is actually quite convenient.  The captain has been forced to sit the fourth match of the one day series against Sri Lanka out after a slow over rate, but England fans may see a silver lining in the unfortunate ban.  Firstly, Cook’s exit gives Eoin Morgan a chance to lead the side.  He’s in desperate need of some form with the blade and the hope is that the added responsibility will allow him to play with the type of accountability that will also bring runs.  The second hope is that the Alex Hales and Moeen Ali at the top of the order will bring a far greater early impetus and set the the tone for a positive approach and a big total.

The Last Time These Two Met

England recorded a much needed win the last time the two sides met.  Joe Buttler and Joe Root crafted a superbly timed chase to beat the rain and the Sri Lankans.  If the visitors fell 3-0 behind the series would have lost all of its appeal, therefore, the win was vital for keeping the Barmy Army full of voice.  England will look to build on the game three win, and level the series on a dry and dusty pitch Colombo surface.

The Teams

Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Ajantha Mendis

Jayawardene should return in a straight swap for Kandamby in the only change for Sri Lanka.  Although some thought might be given to dropping Ajantha Mendis after his spin was destroyed at Hambantota.

England (likely): 1 Moeen Ali, 2 Alex Hales, 3 James Taylor, 4 Joe Root, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Steven Finn

James Taylor and Ian Bell (fitness permitting) will battle it out for the number three spot in Cook’s absence.  First class phenomenon Taylor deserves the chance after piling on runs in all forms of cricket over the past few years.  James Tredwell could also return at Ben Stokes’ expense.

The Key Players

Tillakaratne Dilshan – The all-rounder has already won a man of the match award after his performance in game one.  He’s also threatened with both bat and ball to do it again.  Look for the 38 year old to have a big impact on this one too.  BetEasy have him at $4.50 to top score.

Joe Root – David Warner’s punching bag is already a shoe-in for Englands World Cup Cricket squad.  The right hander is a stable of the middle order, and also provides a useful parti time bowling option in these spin friendly conditions.  Scores of 2, 42 and 48* could mean he’s improving in each innings and could go big in this one.  Jump on him at $6.20 with BetEasy.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.54

England – $2.48

*International Cricket odds courtesy of BetEasy.

The Prediction

The dry conditions will not suit the England side that traditionally struggle against accurate spin bowling.  Nevertheless, the odds offered for this one are too good to overlook.  Expect England to sneak another win in unlikely circumstances.

Cricket: Buttler and Root deliver much needed win

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Buttler and Root sounds a bit like a law firm, but instead of saving clients, this twosome saved their country from utter panic, and did an excellent job at rejuvenating the one day international cricket series against Sri Lanka.   Facing a difficult target in a rain-reduced match England desperately needed to avoid going three nil down in the best of 7 series.  They achieved that thanks to a calm Joe Root innings (48 off 48) and a rapid Jos Buttler cameo (57 off 37).  Also deserving of a mention is Moeen Ali who again provided early impetus to the England innings by racing to 58 from 39 balls before being dismissed.

Earlier in the day Sri Lanka had responded well to early wickets (and early rain delays) as they amassed a challenging total of 242/8 from 35 overs.  The total was constructed around a patient 63 from Kumar Sangakkara with support from Thirimanne and Prasad.  The latter pair piled on 62 runs from the final five overs to set up the challenging total; a total that could have been more imposing but for Duckworth-Lewis.  Chris Jordan justified his inclusion in the side, playing his first cricket for some time the seamer took 2 important wickets (Sangakkara and Angelo Matthews).  Chris Woakes (3-41) also ensured that Sri Lanka’s total was not completely out of sight and a series lifeline was on offer.  The one downside to England’s fielding effort was a potential slow over rate penalty incurred by captain Alastiar Cook.  The under-pressure skipper could miss the next game of cricket, which will make things super interesting if his replacement makes runs.

The tone of England’s chase was again set by Moeen Ali.  The left hander made his fifty from 29 balls; slightly slower than his feat in game one but still quick.  Hales and Cook contributed too to a balanced pace before Hales contributed to Ali’s demise, running him out when the score was 103.  Mid chase wobbles threatened to derail the England momentum when series star Ravi Bopara and the out of sorts Eoin Morgan were out.  However, the unbroken 84 run partnership between Buttler and Root settled the match and saw England home by 5 wickets.

Hopefully you got in on our prediction with Centrebet paying out an England win at $1.95.

England 236 for 5 (Moeen 58, Buttler 55*, Root 48*) beat Sri Lanka 242 for 8 (Sangakkara 63, Thirimanne 62*, Woakes 3-41) by 5 wickets (D/L method)

Cricket: Wet game three to add to England’s woes

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Chaos vs. consistency is the theme for game three today. Sri Lanka are enjoying their turn to dish out the punishment after being whipping boys in India, and have developed a nice consistent tempo to their game. On the other hand, the chaotic English side is within touching distance of a complete meltdown.

Loses in the first two matches of the cricket series have again subject their captain to speculative media attention, and the batsmen’s frailties against spin are becoming glaringly obvious.   Too many of their players are out of form. Cook, Bell, Morgan, and Butler are all quality players in their own right, but England need a lot more productivity out of them if they are going to compete in this series or the Cricket World Cup.

Sri Lanka just need to keep winning and prepare themselves for sterner tests.

The Last Time These Two Met

The second one-day international cricket match was the opposite of the first. Dull, one sided and timid would have all featured on the synopsis of the highlights package as England slumped to an eight-wicket loss.

The Teams

Sri Lanka: Dilshan, Kusal, Sangakkara, Thirimanne, Mathews, Kandamby, T Perera, J Mendis, Prasad, Herath, A Mendis.

Kandamby replaces the unavailable Jayawardene.

England: Cook, Moeen, Hales, Root, Morgan, Bopara, Buttler, Stokes, Woakes, Jordan, Finn

Three changes for England. Hales, Stokes and Jordan to replace Bell, Gurney and Tredwell. Hales is officially the best T20 batsmen in the World (ICC Cricket Rankings). He opens in every format he plays, but is strangely being asked to bat three here, or not so strangely if you consider Alastair Cook the England captain also prefers to open.

The Key Players 

Ajantha Mendis – He may not make it into the final XI for Sri Lanka’s crucial Cricket World Cup games but boy does he love playing against England. After already taking five wickets in the two matches thus far his average against England has lowered to 26 with an RPO of under 5. Expect him to take wickets again.

Alex Hales – Hales is a destructive cricketer. He averages an impressive 37 from his 33 international T20 games at a strike rate of 138. The unwritten rule of T20 cricket is that a batsman is reasonable if his strike rate and averages totals over 160. Hales achieves that, and some. The test will be whether he can start well against spin if asked to.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.85

England – $1.95

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Centrebet.

The Prediction

Rain is predicted to wreck havoc on this one so the toss could be quite crucial. England can’t get it done on the field so maybe a bit of luck will help them here. I’m going for them to win the toss and to win the match. Jayawardene’s absence a big factor in the decision.

Cricket: Sri Lanka go two up after emphatic win

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England’s one-day international cricket woes continued with a second loss in game two of their bi-lateral series against Sri Lanka.   The Colombo hosted encounter contrasted significantly from game one, where a flat pitch made for a high scoring encounter. Game two on the other hand was played on a much tackier, much trickier surface, and England’s flailing batsmen struggled to a limp 185 all out.

The sticky pitch was the perfect platform for the Sri Lankan spin attack to strangle and frustrate an England lineup grappling with the balance between aggressiveness and recklessness.  Of their top order, only Joe Root (42) and Ravi Bopara (51) displayed any staying power. Bopara particularly, backing up his strong effort in the first cricket game, crafted a nicely paced half-century without any boundaries. This was after Alastair Cook and Ian Bell both failed again, heaping further pressure on their places in the side. Eoin Morgan too is under increasing pressure. He has failed to pass 50 in any of his last 14 innings.

England’s meek effort reeked of uncertainty and an inability to adapt their gameplan to reach a respectable target.   Hard hands were never going to be suitable for this wicket as Bopara and Root proved as they executed deft flicks and deflections.

Sri Lanka’s response was classy. Cricket run machines Kumar Sangakkara (67) and Mahela Jayawardene (77) effortlessly manipulated bowlers and fielders to chase down England’s modest total for the loss of just two wickets.  Jayawardene was man of the match for his match winnings knock, although the bowling of Tillakaratne Dilshan (2-32) and Ajantha Mendis (3-33) was also deserving of significant praise.

The sleepy run chase was conducted with that much ease it at times look nothing more than an open wicket practice for the veterans. Only Ali and Steven Finn, who was returning from injury, took wickets in an otherwise untroubled and clinical lesson in chasing a cricket total.

As the on day international cricket series heads to Hambantota, England need a confidence building win, whereas Sri Lanka will look to keep the foot firmly down on the throttle in their languid, handsome way.

Cricket: Second ODI set to act as sombre tribute

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As the outpouring of support for Phillip Hughes continues, England and Sri Lanka have planned to make their second one-day international cricket match an event of remembrance.   In addition to partaking in the #putoutyourbats Twitter campaign the players will wear black armbands and observe a minute silence for their fellow cricketer.

While the cricket will take a back seat, there is still plenty to play for players looking to press World Cup claims or looking to fine tune tactics. Seeking consistency the most is undoubtedly an England team that has struggled in limited overs cricket and are often criticised for a lack of intent. With Ian Bell and Alastair Cook not known for their expansive games pressure is often heaped upon Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ravi Bopara. It would be nicer for them if Cook and Bell could up the ante with a more attacking mindset.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, we be looking to develop all three aspects of the game. A hint of improvement across the board is all that’s needed for a side that scored 302 in first game of the seven game cricket series, and bowled and fielded adequately.   The early start won’t favour any of the sides, but if the pitch does dry out the Sri Lankans have four spinners at their disposal.

The Last Time These Two Met

Game one was a quality game of cricket featuring a close finish and terrific individual performances. Sri Lanka prevailed in a high scoring thriller that turned when Moeen Ali’s genius innings came to a soft end.

The Teams

Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wkt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda Eranga

No changes predicted for the Sri Lanka cricket side.

England (likely): 1 Moeen Ali, 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Jos Buttler (wkt), 7 Ben Stokes / Chris Jordan, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

As the English seek cohesion they may give Chris Jordan a run in place of Ben Stokes. Steven Finn is still unfit.

The Key Players

Kusal Perera – The return to form of Perara was shinning light in game one. After flicking between a number of openers in recent series’ a firing Perara is a massive bonus for the hosts. He’s paying $5.50 to top score.

Alastair Cook – For a player with as many test centuries as he has, cricket has not always been the kindest game to Cook. Especially in the one-day cricket arena (aside from a nice run of form in around 2011/12), the 29 year old has struggled for an acceptable strike-rate. Game two will provide another intriguing look at his game and potentially, his place in the side.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.53

England – $2.50

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Sportingbet Australia.

The Prediction

Sri Lanka will be too strong again in our view. A win by 4 wickets or 50+ runs.