5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

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If no chances of rain then Sri Lanka going to take this series :slflag:

England v Sri Lanka(14:00 local | 13:00 GMT | 17:00 GST)

Unpredictability gives decider edge | Cricket News | England v Sri Lanka | ESPN Cricinfo

England v Sri Lanka, 5th ODI, Edgbaston

Unpredictability gives decider edge

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando
June 2, 2014

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Would it be better if England lost?

Match facts
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Start time 1400 local (1300 GMT)

Big Picture
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Sri Lanka have twice come from behind in the series and victory would further boost morale ahead of the Tests © Getty Images

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England threatened to run away with the ODIs first, then Sri Lanka did. Then England did again. Somehow, the series has wound up at Edgbaston still needing to be decided.
The result may pivot on which version of each team shows up. Will the Sri Lanka that played the first 35 overs at Lord’s outclass the hosts? Or will the England that gathered speed in the last 15 overs of that match, blow the visitors away? Will the Sri Lanka batting that fell apart for 67 surrender once more? Or will the bowlers that dismantled England for 99 three days prior reprise their menace?
What is clear is that whichever team emerges with the trophy will take considerable confidence into the Tests. If England win, they will have snapped a barren streak and Peter Moores’ regime will have some early validation. A Sri Lanka victory would extend their 2014 streak and they could regard big losses at The Oval and Manchester as aberrations. The latter result would also see the teams head into the Tests on more even terms, than if England walk away victors.
Thanks to cloud cover and some moderately helpful surfaces, seam bowling has shaped the series to a large extent. In each match, the team that lost fewer than two wickets in the first 20 overs won, even if that security comes at the expense of the run rate. Sri Lanka have had trouble finding Tillakaratne Dilshan’s opening partner but they have won both matches in which Dilshan has struck up hefty partnerships with Kumar Sangakkara. England have been similarly reliant on Ian Bell to resist the early movement generated by Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga.
Overall, England’s pace attack appears the stronger one but Sri Lanka hold the edge through the middle overs and the death. If the visiting batsmen can survive the early bursts from James Anderson, Harry Gurney and Chris Jordan, they may tilt the game in their favour. England played Sachithra Senanayake better at Lord’s, but they had been unsteady against him earlier in the series (Senanayake has been reported for a suspect action, but it will not affect his availability for the final ODI). Lasith Malinga, meanwhile, has occasionally been expensive but showed at the death that his ability to rattle chases is undiminished.
Form guide
(last five matches, most recent first)

 England: LWLWW
Sri Lanka: WLWLW
In the spotlight
Jordan has had the limelight in this series, but Harry Gurney has been almost as effective for England, delivering sprightly left-arm pace, adorned with a little movement off the seam. Crucially, he has been accurate early in the innings. Sri Lanka’s top three like early boundaries and, by denying them the length and width they desire, Gurney has kept them on edge, and played a major role in the collapses that have ensued.
Sri Lanka drafted in Ashan Priyanjan to the lower middle-order in place of Thisara Perera but, following a valuable 43 in Durham, he has had two less impressive outings. Priyanjan will hope he can be in the mix when Sri Lanka look to firm up their combination for the World Cup and, given the competition for middle-order spots, he may need another good knock in England to announce he is ready for an extended stint in the playing XI.
Teams news
England’s players were all fit on the eve of the match, and the team is likely to be unchanged.
England (probable): 1 Alastair Cook (capt.), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Jordan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 James Anderson, 11 Harry Gurney
Sri Lanka have tried two opening combinations in the series so far and, while they will be tempted to send Mahela Jayawardene up the order to partner Dilshan, Kusal Perera will probably keep his place atop the innings. They may also be minded to rest Senanayake, given the added pressure and scrutiny an impending biomechanical test can stir up, but will more likely play him, in order to suggest he has nothing to hide.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Lahiru Thirimanne, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Ajantha Mendis/ Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga,
Pitch and conditions
The Edgbaston surface tends to be slightly slow and given to modest turn, which will suit Sri Lanka. The forecast is for cloud and rain, however, which may mean the England seamers will enjoy bowling with the new ball for as long as precipitation holds off.

Stats and trivia

  • Since 2000, Sri Lanka have won one bilateral ODI series in England and lost one.

  • The wicket of Kumar Sangakkara at Lord’s gave James Tredwell his 50th ODI scalp, in his 35th game. He is the fastest ever England spinner to the milestone, with five seam bowlers ahead of him.

  • Mahela Jayawardene has only crossed 50 once in 18 ODI innings.

Quotes
“So far through the series, we haven’t quite put the complete game together. I hope we’ll do that tomorrow.”
Peter Moores, England’s coach, wants his players to finally click
“It is good to see all these younger guys thinking out of the box and playing the conditions and situation. It is all good for the game.”
Mahela Jayawardene didn’t mind watching Jos Buttler bat at Lord’s, despite the close finish

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando](http://www.twitter.com/andrewffernando)
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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

It looks like rain will come to the rescue of SL.

Mera England Mahan.

It is raining currently and sky is heavily overcast.

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

Oh so chances for Sri Lanka rare :frowning: yea rain is always there to rescue Eng :barbie:

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

England **46/0 (10.0 ov) :emmy: **

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

They will pay for it!

8.3
Kulasekara to Bell, no run, dropped, a pretty simple chance from Jayawardene at midwicket. A slower ball, Bell was through his shot and flicked it at head height. Mahela had to jump a little, but timed it right yet still couldn't hold on

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

Eng 219 all out

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

SL 68/3

mera England Mahan

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

EngLOLand!

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

English players whining as usual. Buttler was warned twice, this and last game yet walks out of his crease.

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Re: 5th ODI: England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, Jun 3, 2014

**Another Big 3 Down :aejaz: Now InshaAllah last one Aussiess will be down in UAE :jhanda:

Please tell us, why these people cry a lot after losing a match or series in their home ? **

England v Sri Lanka, 5th ODI, Edgbaston

SL claim series amid Senanayake controversy

The Report by Alan Gardner
June 3, 2014

Sri Lanka** 222 for 4 (Thirimanne 60*, Jayawardene 53) beat England 219 (Cook 54, Malinga 3-50) by six wickets*
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Mankad masks England’s one-day failings

Anyone who thought that Sachithra Senanayake being reported to the ICC for a suspect bowling action might be a cue for Sri Lanka to excuse him from duty, and the added attention it would bring, did not reckon with the player himself. Figures of 1 for 36, including the wicket of England’s top-scorer, Alastair Cook, were just one thread of Sri Lanka’s series-clinching six-wicket win but, by running out Jos Buttler while the batsman was backing up, Senanayake ensured that the narrative would be wound around him.
Mahela Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirimanne scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka kept cool in an atmosphere that was simultaneously heated and damp. England’s bowlers, in particular James Tredwell and James Anderson, managed to ratchet up the asking rate but some business-like thumping from Angelo Mathews, who had to contend with a commentary from the fielding side over his role in Buttler’s dismissal, sealed victory and another fortifying series triumph ahead of the Tests.
Mathews had earlier expressed his disappointment over Senanayake’s situation - he is required to undergo biometric testing within the next 20 days - but Sri Lanka’s capacity for turning adversity in their favour is well known. A comparable incident came during the triangular Carlton & United series in 1999, when Arjuna Ranatunga led his players off at Adelaide Oval after Ross Emerson no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. England were again on the losing side, Sri Lanka chasing down a target of 303 with one wicket and two balls to spare.
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Sachithra Senanayake’s impact on the match stretched far beyond his bowling figures © PA Photos

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As then, an offspinner with a controversial action was central to the drama. Having twice stopped in his delivery stride during the 42nd over to warn the batsmen - both Buttler and Chris Jordan - for backing up too far, Senanayake followed through on the threat in the 44th, turning slowly to break the wicket with Buttler a yard or so down the pitch.
The umpires consulted Mathews, Sri Lanka’s captain, and he nodded his assent in upholding the appeal. That meant the first instance of ‘Mankading’ in international cricket since Peter Kirsten’s innings was ended by Kapil Dev in such a manner during an ODI between South Africa and India in 1992.
There was predictable hostility from the crowd, even without suspicions over the legality of his bowling, but Senanayake was within his rights to make the appeal; the ICC changed its playing conditions in 2011 to allow bowlers to run out a batsman backing up at any point prior to releasing the ball, rather than before entering his delivery stride, as the MCC Laws state.
Buttler’s dismissal, alongside creating a potential flashpoint, deprived England of their firestarter-in-chief for the closing overs of the innings. Although each of the top eight made it into double figures, no one could go beyond Cook’s stodgy 56, as they were bowled out for 219 with 11 deliveries remaining. Despite losing 3 for 7 in 21 balls and having to contend with the threat of rain throughout, Sri Lanka were not greatly taxed in overhauling their target.
The openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera, raised 50 together in the seventh over but Tredwell’s introduction briefly threatened to turn the match. His second ball was crashed by Dilshan to cover, where Joe Root took a fabulous diving catch, before a pearler two overs later straightened on Kumar Sangakkara to clip the outside edge and be taken at slip. Kusal’s dismissal, lbw to Anderson, left Sri Lanka 62 for 3 but England were left to regret a missed opportunity off Jayawardene when the batsman had 8 - a thick edge flying between Buttler and Jordan at slip - as a fourth-wicket stand of 98 carried the game away from them.
Cook reversed one of the trends of the series on winning the toss at Edgbaston, becoming the first captain to choose to bat. The innings began in watery sunlight, though gloom enveloped the ground as the afternoon wore on and the floodlights were required earlier than expected. The start of Sri Lanka’s innings was then delayed by drizzle.
A 76-run opening stand provided England with the foundation they set so much store by but no other partnership was worth 30 , as the batsmen battled to score on a surface that was tackier than a velour leopard-print tracksuit. Cook hauled along the tumbrel of England’s innings in familiar, dogged fashion, scoring his first ODI half-century in almost a year but, having reached 50 from 69 balls, he throttled back even further, partly in response to wickets falling, before being caught behind trying to sweep Senanayake for 56 from 84.
As England subsided, doddering to a premature end from an initially promising position of 98 for 1, a player they have so far overlooked in one-day cricket was making a more positive statement elsewhere. Alex Hales’96-ball Championship hundred for Nottinghamshire, which he extended to 167 from 133, may turn out to be the most significant knock of the day, should England finally decide their World Cup strategy needs revision.
With the series locked at 2-2 and both sides in search of a decisive advantage, Mathews turned to Senanayake in the sixth over, perhaps as a public show of support for the unorthodox spinner. His first ball was toe-ended for four through gully by Cook but his composure and control did not desert him, even with the additional scrutiny, a five-over spell costing just 18 despite coming during the period of fielding restrictions.
Mathews was able to get through a few cheap overs from Dilshan and Ashan Priyanjan, the latter picking up Root, and the captain later brought himself on to good effect, having Eoin Morgan caught in the deep as wickets fell regularly.
England took the batting Powerplay at the earliest opportunity, suggesting a show of intent, but Mathews, fronting up in turn, bowled his spinners throughout and he was rewarded when Ian Bell chipped a return catch to Ajantha Mendis. Bell’s innings was something of a curate’s egg and he should have been taken on 18, when Mahela Jayawardene seemed to misjudge a straightforward catch above his head at midwicket, off a Nuwan Kulasekara legcutter.
Lasith Malinga was the next to strike, with England making seemingly comfortable progress at around five runs an over. They had hit the buffers long before Senanayake stepped into the full glare of the spotlight but that did not stop words being exchanged between the captains at the end. The Test series could be interesting.

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick](https://twitter.com/alanroderick)
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