Sydney: Pathum Nissanka sizzled with a fine half-century but England bowlers roared back to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 141 for eight in their must-win T20 World cup match here on Saturday. Nissanka provided the perfect start as he blazed his way to a 33-ball fifty after they elected to bat.
The stylish opener took the English attack to cleaners and slammed five sixes and two fours, but legspinner Adil Rashid (4-0-16-1) brilliantly turned it around taking his maiden wicket of the tournament in Nissanka (67; 45b). Seamer Sam Curran (4-0-27-1) also bowled a tidy spell in the middle overs as Sri Lanka, who were going at eight-run plus an over at the halfway mark, went into a quiet phase in the back-end.
Lack of powerhitters down the line cost the Lankans dear as boundaries dried up and they could manage just 25 runs in the last five overs, a phase where they also lost five wickets. England pacer Mark Wood also overcame a woeful start and hit his straps at the back end to return with 3 for 26 as England denied their opposition about 15-20 extra runs.
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On a dry SCG wicket, the struggling English Test skipper Ben Stokes began the proceedings with the new ball as the Sri Lankan opening duo of Kusal Mendis and Nissanka were off to a cautious start. Skipper Jos Buttler brought in his pace ace Wood in the third over and Mendis took him down the very first ball with a six over deep square leg. Taking a cue from his opening partner, Nissanka finished the over with another maximum as the over yielded 17 runs.
Just when the Lankan openers were getting into the groove, Liam Livingstone grabbed a superb sliding catch to dismiss Mendis (18; 14b; 1x4, 1x6). Rashid's entry slowed down their run-rate and wickets kept on falling at the other end but Nissanka kept on his counter-attacking approach en route to a 33-ball fifty, his second in this World Cup and ninth overall.
But Rashid and Curran brilliantly pegged Lankan back with their smart variations. The English legspinner also claimed the prized-scalp of Nissanka just at the start of the crucial slog overs' stage. Nissanka tried to charge Rashid down the ground only to mistime it and was caught by substitute Chris Jordan. England also seemed to have suffered an injury setback when their batter Dawid Malan walked off the field with a suspected groin injury.
