SCOREBOARD
PALLEKELE: England beat Sri Lanka runs (D/L Method)
They actually didn’t play their best cricket in another rain-affected clash, but still managed to triumph by 18 runs.
A big part of that was down to captain Morgan himself, who was 31 not out to continue his fine form on this tour – not just as a world- class batsman, but a skipper who is in total control of his team and the way they play.
Never before have an England side won nine series in a row – their only blip coming in a one-off match against Scotland in the summer – and much of that is down to Morgan and the strength in depth at his disposal.
Sam Curran, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett are all itching for a runout in Tuesday’s final ODI and Morgan admitted he will make the most of the 3-0 lead.
He said: “There’s an opportunity in Colombo to make some changes, particularly with guys who haven’t played yet.
“There are guys who have played and haven’t had much chance, but just because we’ve won the series it doesn’t mean we don’t want to win the next game.
“I am pleased with the win, but we have to be honest with where we are at. Our fielding wasn’t anywhere near where it should be and we haven’t played great cricket on this tour.”
Morgan has been the standout performer across three matches squeezed in between the rain, and the way he and Joe Root added an unbroken 56 for the third wicket to stay ahead of the Duckworth-lewis target was masterful.
Root should have been out on 22 when he was caught at short fine leg, only for the umpire to call a no-ball due to not enough fielders being in the 30-yard circle.
Alex Hales was given another chance to impress at the top of the order due to an ankle injury to Jonny Bairstow – picked up during a football warm-up – but could only make 12.
Bairstow will go for a scan, and with his right foot in a surgical boot, his white-ball involvement seems over, with a race now on to be fit for the three-match Test series next month. by 18
52 1 33 5 17 66 44 32 4 19 273
D Dickwella lbw Ali W Samarawickrama c Buttler b Woakes L Chandimal b Ali B Mendis lbw Rashid D de Silva c Buttler b Curran M Shanaka run out N Perera run out M Dananjaya not out S Malinga not out Lb10 w9 Total (7 wkts., 50 overs) Fall: 19, 89, 102, 102, 154, 212, 268. Bowling: Woakes 10-0-45-1, Stone 7-0-50-0, Curran 9-1-50-1, Ali 10-0-55-2, Rashid 10-036-1, Stokes 4-0-27-0.
45 12 32 31 12 132
J Roy lbw Dananjaya A Hales st Dickwella b Dananjaya J Root not out E Morgan not out B8 w3 nb1 Total (2 wkts., 27 overs) Fall: 52, 76. Bowling: Malinga 5-0-15-0, Aponso 6-0-370, Rajitha 5-0-27-0, Dananjaya 7-0-27-2, de Silva 4-0-18-0. P Reiffel & L Hannibal.