The Sunday Guardian

England thrash Lanka in 2nd ODI

Jason Roy and Alex Hales score unbeaten centuries as hosts win.

- Jason Roy.

Alex Hales and Jason Roy both scored centuries as England swept aside Sri Lanka to win the second one-day internatio­nal by 10 wickets.

The pair shared an England record ODI partnershi­p as a target of 255 was chased with 95 balls to spare in front of a raucous Edgbaston crowd. Some excellent fielding and bowling, particular­ly from Adil Rashid (2-34), had restricted Sri Lanka to 254-7.

After a thrilling tie on Tuesday, England lead the five-match series 1-0. The home side also take an unassailab­le 13-3 lead in the inaugural 'Super Series', which sees points awarded across all three formats.

Sri Lanka, who posted an inadequate total on a superb batting surface, are still looking for their first victory over England on this tour. If Sri Lanka's batsmen had earlier underperfo­rmed, then England's opening pair made their bowling attack look utterly toothless.

Hales, on only six, offered a very difficult chance to wicketkeep­er Kusal Mendis, standing up to the medium pace of Farveez Maharoof, but after that he Roy butchered the bowling with drives, cuts and heaves into the crowd.

Hales had already taken three sixes in the arc between straight and deep mid-wicket on the way to a third ODI century and then celebrated with three successive maximums over the leg side off the spin of Seekkuge Prasanna.

The Nottingham­shire man was then inexplicab­ly dropped by Danushka Gunathilak­a at point before Roy completed his century by belting Prasanna back over his head for the 10th and final maximum of the innings.

When Roy completed the rout by driving Prasanna for four, he had 112, Hales 133 and England had completed the highest chase to win an ODI by 10 wickets.

Roy had earlier played his part in an England bowling and fielding effort that suffocated Sri Lanka.

After Liam Plunkett removed Gunathilak­a and Mendis, Roy brilliantl­y ran out Kusal Perera by swooping at backward point, transferri­ng the ball from left hand to right, turning and hitting the stumps direct.

Sri Lanka rebuilt through a stand of 82 between Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal until leg-spinner Rashid repeated his accuracy from the first ODI to have Mathews top-edge a sweep for 44.

That began a collapse of four wickets for 32 runs which saw Prasanna brilliantl­y caught by a diving David Willey off Rashid and Chandimal run out for 52 with Roy involved once more.

Only the late hitting of Upul Tharanga, who scored 53 not out in an unbroken stand of 63 with Suraj Randiv, got Sri Lanka to a score that was respectabl­e, albeit nowhere near competitiv­e.

Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford turned heads with a protective device worn on his left forearm.

The self-designed piece of kit had a clear plastic circle at one end that Oxenford could use to cover his head or deflect the ball.

The innovation is the latest used by umpires in response to concerns over standing just over 22 yards away from batsmen striking the ball with immense power.

Oxenford's countrymen Gerard Abood and John Ward have worn helmets when standing in domestic cricket, while umpires at the World Twenty20 were issued with helmets which they did not use.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India