England continued their great run in the Twenty20 International format as they beat Sri Lanka in a rain-affected game in Cardiff to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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England continued their excellent start to the home international summer in grand style as they beat Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International in Cardiff. Mark Wood and Adil Rashid took two wickets each to restrict Sri Lanka to 111/7. However, a rain break in the second innings reduced England’s innings to an 18-over affair. England was in trouble at 36/4. But, Liam Livingstone’s calm knock and contributions from Sam Curran and Sam Billings gave England a five-wicket win and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Just like in the first match, Sri Lanka’s batsmen failed to notch up big scores. The visitors chose to bat but they lost Avishka Fernando and Danushka Gunathilaka cheaply. Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis stitched a 50-run stand but they found the going incredibly tough. England‘s bowlers bowled with discipline and did not allow them to get away. When Perera and Mendis fell in quick succession, Sri Lanka struggled.
The rest of the batting failed and it took some big hits from Isuru Udana to take Sri Lanka’s total past 100.
England’s top order made a disastrous start with Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Isuru Udana and Wanindu Hasaranga all chipping in. Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and Dawid Malan all fell cheaply.
At one point, with England reeling at 36/4, it looked like Sri Lanka would pull off an upset win. Livingstone and Billings were making steady progress when the rain came. After a 40-minute rain break, the match was reduced to 18 overs. Billings and Livingstone took toll on Chameera as they hit him for a four and a six.
Billings became Hasaranga’s second wicket but Livingstone and Curran ensured England got over the line in style. It was not a clinical performance as witnessed in the first game at Swalec. Dasun Shanaka’s fifty in the earlier game was crucial in Sri Lanka reaching 129/7. Adil Rashid and Sam Curran were the stars in that game as well. But, Jos Buttler’s 68 and an 80-run stand with Roy propelled England to a big eight-wicket win.
The third match will take place at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. After the end of the three Twenty20 International series, Sri Lanka will play three ODIs starting from June 29 till July 4. The first match will take place at Durham. The Oval will host the second ODI while the final match will take place at Bristol. In Sri Lanka’s last tour of England, they did not win a single game in any format as they were blanked out. However, in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka beat England in Leeds thanks to a superb spell from Lasith Malinga.
After the end of the Sri Lanka series, Pakistan will come to England for three ODIs and three T20Is. England are scheduled to tour Pakistan for the first time in 16 years. This comes as a token of appreciation for Pakistan who were among the first teams to play in England amidst the first coronavirus pandemic wave.
