Curran is down the track and into the stands! That'll sort it out. High and handsome, and sealed with a flourish. A good all-round performance for the rising star of the English game
England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I at Cardiff, ENG v SL, Jun 24 2021 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Bo, that'll do for tonight. A bitty sort of contest, but England prevail in the end, and take the series 2-0 with a game to spare. From Miller, Alan, Venkat, Matt in Cardiff and the rest of the ESPNcricinfo team, good night!
Eoin Morgan: "Our bowling was right on point, both batting sides struggled to take aggressive options which is a shame, but it ended up being a tight game. Took risks and lost wickets, which is disappointing, but Liam showed the class he's shown for Lancashire and Sam for Kent. Juggling DLS, and being challenged by the Sri Lanka bowlers.
"DLS crept up on us, it was clear all morning. We were thankful we managed to reduce Sri Lanka so that it didn't jump up on us. Two big areas for us is fielding, you play on smaller grounds with high value on boundaries - out, or dropped catch and six - and our death bowling away from home is an area to improve on."
Sampath has the killer stat: "England-Sri Lanka match run rate of 6.05 is the fourth lowest in a completed T20I hosted by England, and the worst in nearly ten years." What a spectacle for the free-to-air masses!
J I Pearce: "England needed to be put under pressure and reminded that it's not always possible to score 10 RPO on a used pitch. This will be great for England going forwards." Very true. Finding a way is every bit as important as winning it your way.
Mickey Arthur: "Not enough runs, they are a No.1 ranked bowling attack, we're ranked No.9 and you can see the difference, for us it's about learning from every game, every experience and getting better as we go along.
"We are consistently talking about freedom and taking the handbrake off but you can only bat as well as you are allowed to. We can be more proactive, try and do different things, but we are learning all the time. We bowled really well, and the fielding has gone up another level. Excited by the bowling unit, and our batters are excited in our own conditions. It's about transferring those skills to other environments."
Mark Wood: "I'll keep charging in and giving what I can. Junior kicking it on the stumps gave us great energy, CJ leads the bowlers from mid-off, and I keep whacking the wicket and make it as difficult as I could."
10.12pm Well, that was a curate's egg of a contest. England made a bit of a meal of an innocuous target, but won at a canter in the end, their huge batting depth ensuring that they could afford a wobble but still kept their foot to the floor. Curran was solid, but Liam Livingstone made the biggest strides among the batters, a nice red-inked 29 made a big difference in a low-scoring grind. Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers, he confounded Sam Billings, whose 24 was an important hand too.
Isaac Marshall: "Also, Will Jacks get a call up? *See what I did there*" No? What?
banged in short, pulled to deep midwicket. Curran keeps the strike as he brings the scores level
wider line on a full length, open-faced drive down to third man
low full toss, chiselled to long-on to bring up the 100
onto the front foot, tapped to midwicket, thoughts of the second but no need for risks
Isaac Marshall: "I think it's becoming more well known that Hasaranga is only behind Rashid in world leggies (and not by loads) and he's far ahead of the 3rd best."
nudged off the toes, out to the leg side
Stuart : "Is this English (and Welsh) cricket proving they can do it on a cold night in Cardiff?" Prezactly that
a hint of width, and flogged off the back foot through the covers! Fast hands, good feet, belted
Isaac Marshall: "I think Pakistan will be licking their lips at playing this England team! Bowling is better than SL and the batting will get runs on any surface with Babar and Rizwan, not to mention the power and form of Maqsood!" England have struggled on bowler-friendly surfaces at times, it is true. This will have taught them some lessons
skidding onto the back foot, nudged to leg, another single. 10 to win and England are nearly home
out of the crease, thrashed out to deep midwicket, where a misfield gifts a second. 11 needed now
googly to the left-hander, Curran is forward to smother the spin
Out comes Sam Curran. He's seen this scenario before
bowled him! What a trio from Hasaranga. Billings had no answer to any of them. Keeps low as he backs away, looking for a cut through the covers, and off come the bails!
missed stumping! Drawn down the pitch, beaten by the turn down the leg side, Dickwella's gloves can't respond to the googly, and that's bonus runs
a swipe across the line, and yikes that's close to off stump! Topspinner from Hasaranga, and the extra bounce leaps over the bails
hardik: "@Malik If the ICC stops taking feedback on how entertaining the game is from keyboard warriors who have never played even gully cricket, it might survive a little longer"
crunched out to the covers, a good over for England
ramped into the stands! That's got the score moving, Livingstone presents his chest down the pitch, flicks up and over his shoulder, and nails it over fine leg
Brian: "I don't want to be contrary, but surely the overs for bowlers should be '3 bowlers can bowl 4, anyone else 3" Yeah, valid... it's not a complicated adjustment either way
short, and clawed out to the leg side
fenced into the gully, opening the face on a tight line, back of a length
too short and wide, and that's thrashed through the covers off the back foot, fast hands from Billings, met at the top of the bounce, that's a quality strike
Majid: "@saik come to think of it , cricket survived for over eternity itself is baffling " Troo dat
nudged off the legs out to deep midwicket
clubbed off the front foot, not quite timed as Billings' 'urgh' telegraphs, back over the bowler to mid-off