Root guides Lions to series victory

A quick-fire unbeaten 110 by Joe Root along with a calypso style batting by Jos Buttler laid the foundation for a convincing 117-run win over Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the fifth and deciding encounter played at the R. Premadasa Stdium yesterday helping England Lions to seal the five-match limited over series 3-2.

Root’s first ever limited over ton came off 118 balls which included 12 boundaries while Buttler who made a brisk 64 in only 31 balls had five boundaries and five towering sixes. The duo added 97 runs for the fifth wicket with Buttler dominating the partnership. The bowling of the host side was pathetic as the visitors had things their own way with the last ten overs yielding 129 runs. Earlier openers Alex Hales and Samit Patel gave the England Lions a sound start putting on 51 runs. This was followed by a third wicket stand of 87 runs between skipper James Taylor and Root before posting a formidable 330 for 6 in their allotted 50 overs.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ in their run chase, apart from an quick opening wicket stand of 44 in 31 balls between Dimuth Karunaratne and Mahela Udawatte and a 53 runs third wicket stand between Udawatte and Ashan Priyanjana, failed to make any impression.

After right arm pacie Jack Brooks made the early breakthrough the left arm spin combination of Danny Briggs and Samit Patel cleaned off the tail to bundle out the host for just 213 to give the England Lions victory with over nine overs to spare.

England Lions 330 for 6 in 50 overs (Jos Buttler 64, Alex Hales 46, James Taylor 41, Jonny Bairstow 27, Samit Patel 19, Joe Root 110 n.o.; Tharanga Lakshitha 2 for 64, Malinga Bandara 2 for 65)

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 213 (Mahela Udawatte 52, Ashan Priyanjan 35, Thilina Kandamby 29, Bhanuka Rajapakse 24, Dimuth Karunaratne 23, Kusal Janith 23, Danny Briggs 3 for 27, Samit Patel 3 for 55, Jack Brooks 2 for 54)