England win rain-hit 3rd ODI against Lanka

kandy — Captain Eoin Morgan smashed his second half-century in two games and Adil Rashid took four wickets to help England crush Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the rain-marred third one-day international on Wednesday.

Chasing 151 in 21 overs after persistent rain had shortened the match, the visitors rode on Morgan’s unbeaten 58, including seven fours, to reach 153-3 with 15 balls to spare.

Jason Roy (41) and Ben Stokes (35 not out) gave Morgan valuable support as England took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opening game was washed out.

Earlier, Adil Rashid produced a masterful display of spin bowling to claim 4-36 in five overs as Sri Lanka squandered a good start to struggle to 150-9 in 21 overs.

The leg-spinner was assisted by Tom Curran (3-17) who came into the side in place of injured left-armer Liam Dawson and impressed with his seam bowling.

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board has defended the decision to tour Sri Lanka during the monsoon season, saying the hectic international schedule left very little “wriggle room”.

England’s first three one-day internationals in Sri Lanka have been affected by rain with the first match in Dambulla abandoned, while the tourists won the second game by 31 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

“After hosting England, Sri Lanka spend the rest of the 18-19 season touring New Zealand, Australia and South Africa,” the ECB said in a statement. —

morgan, rashid star for visitors 3-0-24-0 (w1), Curran 4-0-17-3, Ali 1-0-6-0, Rashid 5-0-36-4, Stokes 4-0-21-0 (w2)

N. Dickwella c Woakes b Curran S. S’wickrama c Woakes b Rashid K. Mendis b Rashid

D. Chandimal c Rashid b Curran T. Perera b Roy b Rashid

D. de Silva c Roy b Curran D. Shanaka b Rashid A. Dananjaya run out

L. Malinga not out

A. Aponso run out

(b2, lb7, w3)

36 35 0 34 0 3 21 7 2 0 12

1-57, 2-59, 3-94, 4-94, 5-110, 6-138, 7-146, 8-150, 9-150.

Woakes 4-0-37-0, Stone

J. Roy lbw b Dananjaya J. Bairstow c Perera b Aponso J. Root b Aponso

E. Morgan not out

B. Stokes not out

(lb2, w5)

41 4 8 58 35 7

1-18, 2-34, 3-83.

Malinga 4-0-39-0 (w3), Aponso 3.3-27-0-2, Dananjaya 4-0-33-1, De Silva 4-0-23-0, N. Pradeep 2-0-21-0, T. Perera 1-0-8-0

England