Morgan’s grit secures DLS win for England in Sri Lanka
Rain brought a premature end to the second ODI in Dambulla just as it had done the first but this time enough cricket had been played for England to be awarded a 31 run DLS win over Sri Lanka.
England couldn’t quite execute their usual aggressive start losing Jason Roy (0) early after being inserted by Sri Lanka and Jonny Bairstow struggled to 26 off 40 before he was castled by Thisara Perera.
Joe Root (71) was able to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the tourists though and shared a 70 run stand with Bairstow before being joined by skipper Eoin Morgan for a 72 run third wicket stand.
Dhananjaya de Silva would eventually induce a leading edge to send Root packing but Morgan (92) would add another fifty with Ben Stokes (15) an 28 with Jos Buttler before the skipper’s wicket prompted an England collapse.
Lasith Malinga (5/44) delivered his first ODI five-fer in four years to peg England back at the death restricting them to just 278 for 9.
Adil Rashid (19*) and Olly Stone (9*) did well as the last pair to ensure England used up their fifty overs.
England’s opening bowlers delivered what proved to be knockout blows to the Sri Lanka cause.
Chris Woakes (3/26) took on the strike bowler role while Stone (1/23) made a miserly start to his international bowling career, he went for just seven runs from his first four overs as the Sri Lanka top order gave way.
Sri Lanka slipped to 74 for 5 but would rally to 140 for 5 with De Silva (36*) and Thisara (44*) showing plenty of fight to get the hosts back into the game before the rain ended their bid for a comeback.
Morgan’s runs were the difference between the two sides and he was named the man of the match.
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