ENG vs SL

Do join us for that encounter. For now, this is Darpan and Pradeep saying goodbye! Keep following Sportskeeda for more sporting action from around the world. 

With this, it means that the 3rd and the final ODI of the series — which will be played at the Oval on Sunday — becomes the decider. 1-1 heading into it. 

With only one ball in use from both ends post the 34th over, run chases are going to look different — they are going to look more like this. England were cruising till the 37th over and then, could not find a boundary for 10 overs. Eventually, credit must go to Sri Lanka for exhibiting their skills with the old ball and pulling things back. 

Kusal Mendis is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say:  [On his hundred and the team performance] “Honestly, I’m very happy. It was a great hundred for me, and overall, the team performed really well today. Our opening batters supported me a lot, and they started really well. The middle order also batted really well, which is why we were able to put more than 300 on the scoreboard.” [On his partnership with Kamindu] “Yeah, of course. I’m very happy when I’m in the middle with him. He talks a lot, and we discuss the game plan. We just played our own game, nothing special — just basic cricket.” [On the 322 total] “Yeah, I think we had a target in mind. Honestly, I’m very happy with 320. We talked about getting more than 300 on this pitch, and we managed to score more than 300 runs.” [On the bowling effort] “Wella bowled really well throughout the innings, especially after the powerplay. Charith also bowled really well in the powerplay. After 10 overs, the fast-bowling unit did really well. The guys gave 100 percent in today’s game, and I’m very happy.” [On the next game] “Yeah, of course. Today’s game is finished, so now we have to focus on the next game. We have to do the basics well and play very good cricket.”

Harry Brook (England captain): [On the overall game] “To be honest, it was a lot of fun to be a part of and watch. There are so many different areas that you can look back on and dwell on, but that’s not what this team does. We go back to the drawing board and get ready for the Oval.”
[On the bowling effort] “Definitely. I thought we put up a really good fight, especially in the second half of our bowling innings. They got off to a decent start, 180 after 30 overs or so, so to string it back to 320 and have the opportunity to chase that score down was a hell of an effort.”
[On Riyad Ahmed] “Yeah, he bowled very nicely. One thing we’ve asked him to do is keep the stumps in play as much as possible, and he’s done that very well over the last couple of games.” [On the run chase] “The lads got off to an absolute flyer. The way Manson and Ducky played was an outstanding start. You couldn’t really ask for much more. It’s that middle period again where we probably stalled a little bit and lost a few too many wickets, but the fight we showed and the way Jose came back out and gave it an effort was great. It was a great effort from everyone.”
[On the Oval decider] “Definitely, yeah. You want to play in close games, and tight games are always exciting. We’ve got a great opportunity now to try and win this series. It’s not just a good opportunity for us now, but it’s a great opportunity for 12 months’ time as well. In pressure situations like we’re going to find ourselves at the Oval, it’s great to see where we’ll be as a team.”

8:35 PM local time, 1:05 AM IST: England have bottled what looked like a straight-forward run chase about an hour ago. Sri Lanka win by 16 runs and draw the series level 1-1, with a game to go. 

Kusal Mendis 121 (100) | Dunith Wellalage 3/49 (10)
Tom Banton 73 (62) | Rehan Ahmed 2/48 (10)

At 251/4 in 37 overs and needing 71 more off 78 balls, England were in the driver's seat. Jos Buttler was batting like a dream and Will Jacks had just hit a big six. Then, came the turning point. Buttler pulled a hammy and had to walk off. Yet, you thought, England would pull it off.

Rehan Ahmed got out for a duck, caught behind, down the leg side. But with the kind of batting credentials their tail has, you thought, it was still theirs to lose. However, it just kept on getting tougher from there on. The ball started reversing for the fast bowlers and gripping for the spinners. Gus Atkinson found run-scoring tough, Jacks could not find boundaries.

For a 63-ball period beginning in the 37th over, England did not score a single boundary. Eventually, Atkinson's scratchy stay in the middle came to an end. Overton came in, with nearly 11 runs per over required from the last 3. Alas, he could not last long. Jacks finally hit a boundary and then, completed a half-century, only to fall in the penultimate over. They sent the hobbling Buttler back in, but even he could not do it. And Sri Lanka snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Credit must go to left arm spinner Dunith Wellalage — who was the pick of the bowlers and finished with 3/49 off his 10 overs — and seamers Asitha Fernando and Eshan Malinga, who exploited the reverse swing on offer well in the last few overs.

Earlier, Tom Banton and Ben Duckett had got them off to a flyer. The duo stitched a solid 143-run partnership to lay the foundation of the run chase. Both were dismissed by some guileful bowling from Wellalage.

Before that, Kusal Mendis scored 121 to guide Sri Lanka to 321/6. Kamindu Mendis scored a half-century too. 

49.6 Dilshan Madushanka to Jofra Archer, SRI LANKA HOLD THEIR NERVE AND KEEP THE SERIES ALIVE, 1-1! After a long wait on tour, they finally get their first victory. Slower one, length delivery on the leg-stump. Archer swings to the hills, inside edged it into the on-side for another dot.

49.4 Dilshan Madushanka to Jofra Archer, OH! Just short of diving extra-cover now. Length delivery, wide of off-stump. Archer slapped it in the air and it's another dot.

You can count that as a dropped catch, or you can count that as saving a six! In the context of the game, that's well done by Kamindu Mendis. It ends up being a dot ball!

49.3 Dilshan Madushanka to Jofra Archer, OH MY MY! What a save that is! Generational, you can call it! Length delivery on the off-stump, Archer clubbed it down the ground. Kamindu running to his left, almost held on to that catch, but manages to keep it in play in the end. Brilliant, just brilliant presence of mind in the end.

49.2 Dilshan Madushanka to Josh Tongue, full toss, angling into the stumps. Tongue looks to drive, but skews off the outside edge past point for one.