ICC Cricket World Cup, 22nd Match, Pool A: England v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Mar 1, 2015

ICC Cricket World Cup, 22nd Match, Pool A: England v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Mar 1, 2015

England 309/6 (50.0 ov)                                                                      Sri Lanka RR 6.59
                                                                                                           Last 5 ovs 42/0 RR 8.40

Sri Lanka 312/1 (47.2 ov)                                                                   England RR 6.18

Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets (with 16 balls remaining)

Current partnership 212 runs, 28.2 overs, RR: 7.48 (Sangakkara 117, Thirimanne 88)

---

Last bat TM Dilshan c Morgan b Ali 44 (81m 55b 4x4 2x6) SR: 80.00
Fall of wicket 100/1 (18.6 ov); Partnership: 100 runs, 19.0 overs, RR: 5.26 (Dilshan 44, Thirimanne 51)

---

This was easy, wasn't it? Not for one moment since Thirimanne was dropped early - technically by Root but in spirit by Buttler - did England look like threatening this chase. A walk along Galle Face, really. All three batsmen who batted today looked comfortable. England never looked like getting a wicket. Their batting was pre-modern once again, putting up - as usual - what was par in the last World Cup given similar conditions underfoot and overhead. If there are no more upsets in the rest of the league matches, we have India v England locked in for the MCG quarter-final. Sri Lanka all but there in the quarters now, but if they can beat Australia, they can avoid South Africa. All this assuming there are no upsets in the other group. Don't let the mind race, though. Let the World Cup unfold itself day by day. That's all we have for you from this game. Cheers
"Brilliant performance," says Angelo Mathews. "310 was a bit too much but brilliant batting by Sangakkara and Thirimanne. Two of the greatest knocks I have seen. If the bowlers fail, the batters need to step up. That's what we want. Two of the areas we need to improve on is the fielding and bowling at the death."
"We certainly lost it with the ball," says Eoin Morgan. "We had a par score on the board. Joe Root batted beautifully. I was happy at half time. Sri Lanka had seven or eight overs where they bowled really well, but we ended well. We were happy with the score. We were flexible in our batting order, but we thought it was right to send James when he went in. Today we bowled a bad ball every over. Which you get punished for. We have got variations. two tall bowlers, two swing bowlers. When we are bowling well, it is a good attack. You can pick it apart when they are not. Today they didn't."
"Pretty good," says Kumar Sangakkara, the Man of the Match. "Credit should go to the openers. They had a great start. Thiri batted out of his skin. We were getting 5.5-6 an over throughout. It was just a case of batting long. It is always imposing when someone scores 300. Joe Root batted beautifully, but then again there are days like this. Getting old. Quite quickly. Still enjoying the game [About retiring after the Cup]. Thiri has batted from No. 1 to No. 9 for us. To watch him get that hundred was quite special."

47.2

Woakes to Thirimanne, SIX, all over with a six. Thiri gets a length ball outside leg, he opens the front leg a touch and lofts him over wide long-on for a six to finish a comprehensive chase of 310 with consumnate ease

47.1

Woakes to Sangakkara, 1 run, pushed to mid-off for a quick single

47.1

Woakes to Sangakkara, 1 wide, wide outside leg as he pre-empts a move away from the stumps

Ribhav Bansal: "Stat Alert : Sangakkara (1258*) becomes the third highest run getter in World Cup matches overtaking Lara (1225). Only Ponting (1743) and Sachin (2278) are in front of him."

End of over 47 (4 runs) Sri Lanka 304/1 (6 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.46, RRR: 2.00)

• • HDRL Thirimanne 133 (142b 13x4 1x6)
  • KC Sangakkara 116 (85b 11x4 2x6)
• • ST Finn 8-0-54-0
  • CR Woakes 9-0-64-0

46.6

Finn to Thirimanne, no run, slower short ball, looks to cut it over cover, but is beaten

46.5

Finn to Sangakkara, 1 run, full, can't get under it, driven to deep cover for one

46.4

Finn to Sangakkara, no run, wide yorker, dug out to point

46.3

Finn to Thirimanne, 1 run, slower ball, on the pads, chipped away for a single

46.2

Finn to Sangakkara, 1 run, cramps him up with a shortish delivery, pulled away for a single

Marcus: "I've got four word to describe this result- com pre hen sive!"

46.1

Finn to Thirimanne, 1 run, hsort ball, pulled away to deep midwicket for one

Partnership is worth 200 now. Here is Finn. This could be the last over

End of over 46 (10 runs) Sri Lanka 300/1 (10 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 6.52, RRR: 2.50)

• • HDRL Thirimanne 131 (139b 13x4 1x6)
  • KC Sangakkara 114 (82b 11x4 2x6)
• • CR Woakes 9-0-64-0
  • SCJ Broad 10-1-67-0

45.6

Woakes to Thirimanne, 1 run, full outside off, driven to the left of mid-off for one

45.5

Woakes to Thirimanne, no run, well bowled as he sees him make room and slips this wide outside off

45.4

Woakes to Thirimanne, no run, drives this back to him

45.3

Woakes to Thirimanne, FOUR, short of a length, no room, but he arches back to make room and ramps it fine of third man for four

45.2

Woakes to Thirimanne, FOUR, slower ball, beats his shot, Thiri is early into the shot, lofts this wide of deep midwicket, Taylor makes good ground, gets both hands to it, but can't hold on. Also it trickles over the rope for four

Over the wicket

45.1

Woakes to Sangakkara, 1 run, follows him as he backs away, clipped away to deep square

End of over 45 (11 runs) Sri Lanka 290/1 (20 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 6.44, RRR: 4.00)

• • HDRL Thirimanne 122 (134b 11x4 1x6)
  • KC Sangakkara 113 (81b 11x4 2x6)
• • SCJ Broad 10-1-67-0
  • CR Woakes 8-0-54-0

44.6

Broad to Thirimanne, 2 runs, mis-hit over mid-on for two more

44.5

Broad to Thirimanne, 4 byes, all falling apart for England. Broad beats him but Buttler fails to collect it as the ball dips on him down the leg side and then goes for four byes

44.4

Broad to Sangakkara, 1 run, slower short ball, pulled away to deep midwicket. That man has been busy this over

44.3

Broad to Thirimanne, 1 run, pulled away this time, gets a single to deep midwicket

44.2

Broad to Sangakkara, 1 run, makes room, Broad follows him, plays this to deep midwicket for one

44.2

Broad to Sangakkara, 1 wide, wide down the leg side even though Broad is appealing

44.1

Broad to Thirimanne, 1 run, short, angling in from round the wicket, pulled away to deep midwicket for one

End of over 44 (6 runs) Sri Lanka 279/1 (31 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 6.34, RRR: 5.16)

• • KC Sangakkara 111 (79b 11x4 2x6)
  • HDRL Thirimanne 118 (130b 11x4 1x6)
• • CR Woakes 8-0-54-0
  • SCJ Broad 9-1-60-0

43.6

Woakes to Sangakkara, no run, slower ball, defeats his attempt to make room and hit through covers. Hits the toe end of the bat

43.5

Woakes to Sangakkara, 2 runs, full, middle and leg, driven between long-on and long-off for two

43.4

Woakes to Thirimanne, 1 run, sharp short ball, Thiri beaten by the pace again, gets a single off the top edge into the crest on his helmet

43.3

Woakes to Sangakkara, 1 run, nearly a yorker, dug out to long-on for one

43.2

Woakes to Thirimanne, 1 run, looks to pull but the ball hits the bat as opposed to the other way around. Gets a single to cover

Manoj: "The best thing about Sanga's inning is that he didn't slog at all. Just played proper shots in the gap. Of course English bowlers overdid the short ball. You don't do this to a player of Sanga's caliber"

43.1

Woakes to Sangakkara, 1 run, low full toss, on the pads, worked away for an easy single

Matt: "20 straight balls scored off might be a record. AB had a 19 & a 20 this week, but didn't score off more than 10 consecutive balls in his 149 last month."

End of over 43 (8 runs) Sri Lanka 273/1 (37 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 6.34, RRR: 5.28)

• • KC Sangakkara 107 (75b 11x4 2x6)
  • HDRL Thirimanne 116 (128b 11x4 1x6)
• • SCJ Broad 9-1-60-0
  • JM Anderson 8-0-48-0

42.6

Broad to Sangakkara, 1 run, short of a length, angling in, helped around the corner for a single

42.5

Broad to Thirimanne, 1 run, full, middle and leg, he makes room to drive this to long-on