20/05Result
Only T20I (D/N), Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland at London, May 20 2014
Sri Lanka won by 9 runs
Player of the Match
Thisara Perera
Thisara PereraSri Lanka
20/05Result
Only T20I (D/N), Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland at London, May 20 2014
Sri Lanka won by 9 runs
Player of the Match
Thisara Perera
Thisara PereraSri Lanka
2121dThe Report by Andrew McGlashan at The Oval

Thisara, Malinga script Sri Lanka win

The world champions, Sri Lanka, began their T20 life without Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara by securing a nine-run victory at The Oval

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

AD Hales
AD Hales
66(41) 7x4 - 2x6
Control %67%
  • Productive Shot
  • off drive
  • 23 runs
  • 2x4 - 1x6
7 4 7 5 18 11 11 3
NLTC Perera
NLTC Perera
49(20) 7x4 - 2x6
Control %55%
  • Productive Shot
  • off drive
  • 23 runs
  • 5x4 - 0x6
0 12 0 0 7 14 9 7

Best performances - Bowlers

SL Malinga
SL Malinga
O4
M0
R28
W3
Eco7.00
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
HF Gurney
HF Gurney
O4
M0
R26
W2
Eco6.50
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Match Details

Kennington Oval, London

Series

Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland

Toss

England , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Sri LankaThisara Perera

Series result

Sri Lanka won the one-off match

Match number

T20I no. 401

Season

2014

Hours of play (local time)

18.00 start, First Session 18.00-19.15, Interval 19.15-19.30, Second Session 19.30-20.45

Match days

20 May 2014 - day/night match (20-over match)

T20I debut

undefinedMichael CarberryundefinedHarry GurneyundefinedKithuruwan Vithanage

Umpires

EnglandRob BaileyEnglandMichael Gough

TV Umpires

EnglandTim Robinson

Reserve Umpire

EnglandDavid Millns

Match Referee

New ZealandJeff Crowe

END OF OVER:
20 | 14 Runs | ENG: 174/7 (10 runs required, RR: 8.70)

  • Chris Woakes2 (2b)
  • Ravi Bopara28 (15b)
  • Suranga Lakmal4-0-44-1
  • Lasith Malinga4-0-28-3

So the international summer is underway and Sri Lanka have begun their tour with a victory. Monty and I shall be back on Thursday for the first one-day international, also at The Oval, that's a day-nigher so see you then, bye for now...

The stand-in England captain is Eoin Morgan. Now what would Stuart Broad say in valiant defeat? "I think we were outplayed. It cost us towards the end of the first innings, it fell away towards the end, things were quite controlled for the first 15 overs. It's disappointing having got so close. We've dropped three catches which is inexcusable here. Bowling we were just a little bit off our skill level. Harry Gurney played very well, you don't often see that on début so it's pleasing to see. We probably left a bit much to do at the death with the bat."

Lasitha Malinga: "In the last couple of years the captain has used me in pressure situations and I've really enjoyed that. I enjoy the pressure. I say to the captain, no matter whatever the situation give me the ball. In the last couple of years I've realised my slower ball is my wicket-taking ball. Perera can hit the ball hard, he can clear the fielder. He did a really good job for us and is looking forward to this tour." Man of the Match is Thisara Perera for his 49 in just 20 balls which proved the difference.

The World T20 Champions begin their new post-Jayawardene/Sangakkara with a win and England kick off their new era under Peter Moores with a very English close defeat. Jolly well played chaps but hard luck. This is the only T20 of the tour with the first of five one-day matches on Thursday before the two Tests, so a heart-warming start for the tourists.

So not for the first time, it's close but no cigar for England. Another credible effort but not quite getting over the line. But we've also seen this before from Sri Lanka, defending a score really well thanks to the master Lasith Malinga, he was incredible just at the right time here and closed out the match just when England were bubbling.

19.6
1
Lakmal to Woakes, 1 run, full at the pads, Woakes can only dab it to midwicket for a single
19.5
1
Lakmal to Bopara, 1 run, full outside off but Bopara can only run it down to long-off for a single
19.4
4
Lakmal to Bopara, FOUR, leg side again, met on the full and gets four past long leg, it was a ball to go large with but Bopara go it all along the floor, still alive though England
19.3
6
Lakmal to Bopara, SIX, length ball at the pads, swung leg side and Bopara clears the rope, big strike
19.2
2
Lakmal to Bopara, 2 runs, yorker-length, swung down the ground, easy two to long-on
19.1
0
Lakmal to Bopara, no run, full at the stumps, Bopara across his stumps swinging leg side misses and got an inside edge which saved the lbw

Well England have been waiting for a big over this innings, what better time to find one. Lakmal to bowl with 24 to defend. Short boundary leg side...

Match Coverage

All Match News

KP's successor?

32

Alex Hales equalled Kevin Pietersen's record for the fastest to 1000 T20 runs - in 32 innings