TOURISTS LEAVE WITH 30-RUN VICTORY
ENGLAND signed off the limited-overs leg of their Sri Lankan tour with a return to winning ways in Colombo as Joe Denly ended an eight-year exile in style.
England have played 384 international matches since Denly last appeared on the big stage – a low-key outing against Pakistan in February 2010.
He did more than enough to justify his second chance as the tourists reasserted themselves with a 30-run victory just four days after a record one-day defeat on the same ground.
Having scored 20 of England’s 187-8, the 32-year-old took the spotlight with his reborn leg-spin, topping and tailing the innings to finish with 4-19 – the best figures of his professional career.
His bowling was little more than an afterthought when in his early England days but Denly has worked hard on it and may now join Rashid and Moeen Ali in a three-strong spin attack in Galle.
England might still have struggled without Jason Roy’s 69 – a devil-maycare knock which included six sixes, four fours, four dropped catches and all the fun of the fair. After kicking off with a flurry of burly blows, it seemed Roy might be at his domineering best and although that was not the case he provided fine entertainment.
The first reprieve came on 21 when Roy checked a drive and gave a return chance to Isuru Udana, who flung out a hand but failed to hang on.
Within a matter of seconds Sri Lanka were appealing in vain for obstructing the field, Roy abandoning a risky single and charging back when the attempted run out him on the back of the leg.
There were dollies on 34 and 41, grassed at deep-midwicket and long-off, and a trickier fingertip chance via the toe end of the bat on 53.
Even at the non-striker’s end Roy was in the thick of it, unwilling or unable to persuade Alex Hales to review a poor lbw and involved in the mis-communication which saw Eoin Morgan run out.
When the end came it was fitting, a thin nick off a shudderingly awful Lakshan Sandakan long hop.
Rain arrived moments later and when play resumed almost an hour later England added 74-4 in the remaining 8.4 overs to close on 187-8.
Morgan surprisingly tossed the new ball to Denly, who has done the job well domestically but was barely a part-time option when he last wore Three Lions.
It took six balls to pay off, Kusal Mendis playing inside one whch took off stump, and after five more it looked a masterstroke when the dangerous Niroshan Dickwella fell in similar fashion.
With his googly in rude health and a clever change in pace Rashid was near impossible to get hold of, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis both tried and failed, Hales on hand to catch them in the deep. Much-hyped debutant Mendis had earlier showcased his remarkable ability to bowl right and left arm spin and will surely be seen again.
Dhananjaya de Silva was Rashid’s third victim, trapped lbw.
Denly returned for the final over the match and, with the result in hand, he picked off Thisara Perera and Malinga to end his day in delight.