England v Sri Lanka, Twenty20, Rose Bowl

Sri Lanka edge a last-ball thriller

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller

June 15, 2006

Sri Lanka 163 (Jayasuriya 41, Collingwood 4-22) beat England 161 for 5 (Trescothick 72) by two runs
Scorecard & ball-by-ball details

Kevin Pietersen lofts over the lop during England's chase © Getty Images

It was the end of an epic day's sport-watching for the Rose Bowl crowd, who had packed the stands two hours ahead of the game to watch England's footballers take on Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup. The festive spirit was marred after just two overs of the match, when Ed Joyce landed awkwardly while attempting a catch and had to be taken to hospital for X-rays on his damaged ankle, but fortunately he suffered only soft-tissue bruising and a sprain.

Sri Lanka won the toss, which was held at half-time of the football, and chose to bat first before the floodlights had had a chance to kick in. With England perhaps affected by Joyce's injury, they made a flying start through Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya, racing to 75 for 0 in the eighth over, but the introduction of the slower bowlers turned the innings.

Paul Collingwood was the main destroyer in a superb spell of controlled swing bowling. He took 4 for 22, the best figures in the short history of the shortened game, as Sri Lanka lost four wickets in two overs. Jamie Dalrymple chipped in his first wicket in international cricket, whereupon Sri Lanka moved into tip-and-run mode. Kumar Sangakkara was sparky between the wickets in his 14-ball 21, and Chamara Kapugedera kept the innings alive with an important 22, but their eventual total of 163 was a disappointment after the start they had got.

Geraint Jones points out a spectator to a steward after he took exception to a comment made when Ed Joyce was lying injured © Getty Images

England's response was composed but rarely explosive. As Marcus Trescothick adjusted to the pace of the pitch, Andrew Strauss picked up the tempo of the chase with a carefree assault on Ruchira Perera, whom he swatted for four fours in successive deliveries - two pulls over midwicket followed by two firm drives.

But England's middle-order seldom ignited after that. Kevin Pietersen, for once, was unable to cash in. After a succession of miscues, including one drop in the deep by Perera, he was sensationally caught inside the fine-leg boundary by a diving Lasith Malinga, while Collingwood chipped to midwicket for 5. Dalrymple then muffed an attempted reverse-sweep, and England had slipped to a precarious 114 for 4 with five overs remaining.

Trescothick, however, was still there. He had kept his cool in a 47-ball half-century, but began to reap the benefits of getting his eye in. He swept Dilshan for England's first six of the innings, then clattered Malinga for three fours in a row, all cracked down the ground through the leg-side.

As the crowd got into the mood - rather too much so in the case of one joker who held up play for five minutes - Geraint Jones opened up to strike Dilshan elegantly through long-on, but with 12 runs needed from nine balls, the match swung again as Trescothick attempted a quick single and was beaten, as he changed his mind, by a quick-witted Sangakkara.

He had made 72 from 58 balls, but it was not quite enough. Fernando returned to keep England's tail under control, and Sri Lanka celebrated the win as boisterously as they had done so at Trent Bridge in the third Test a fortnight ago. Even without Muttiah Muralitharan, who rested to make way for the youngsters, they were quite a force to be reckoned with.

How they were out

Sri Lanka

Upul Tharanga b Collingwood 34 (75 for 1)
Expansive drive, inside edge

Mahela Jayawardene run out (Bell-Dalrymple) 0 (75 for 2)
Mix-up, sent back, well beaten by accurate throw from square leg

Sanath Jayasuriya lbw b Collingwood 41 (84 for 3)
Yorker-length and swinging, might have missed leg

Tillakaratne Dilshan c Jones b Dalrymple 2 (84 for 4)
Quicker delivery, thin edge to keeper

Russel Arnold b Collingwood 7 (102 for 5)
Bowled by overpitched yorker

Kumar Sangakkara c Strauss b Collingwood 21 (117 for 6)
Chipped full-toss to midwicket

Farveez Maharoof run out (Bell) 8 (136 for 7)
Beaten by direct hit

Chamara Kapugedera c Pietersen b Mahmood 22 (154 for 8)
Carved to deep point

Lasith Malinga c sub (Bell) b Plunkett 13 (161 for 9)
Short ball skied to midwicket

Dilhara Fernando run out 3 (163)
Beaten in a last-ball scramble

England

Andrew Strauss b Fernando 33 (59 for 1)
Cramped for room by full-length delivery

Kevin Pietersen c Malinga b Jayasuriya 17 (89 for 2)
Intercepted on fine-leg boundary by diving catch

Paul Collingwood c Jayawardene b Dilshan 5 (109 for 3)
Chipped to midwicket

Jamie Dalrymple c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 1 (114 for 4)
Aborted reverse-sweep, steered to keeper

Marcus Trescothick run out (Sangakkara) 72 (152 for 5)
Thought about a single, brilliant pick-up-and-throw by keeper

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

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Stories

Going nowhere fast

Eye-strain and sunburn at The Rose Bowl

Matches

England v Sri Lanka at Southampton

Players/Umpires

Paul Collingwood

Sanath Jayasuriya

Ed Joyce

Marcus Trescothick

Series/Tournaments

Sri Lanka tour of England

Teams

England

Sri Lanka