Ben Stokes saved his composure to guide England into the T20 World Cup semi-finals after they flirted with capitulating to Sri Lanka’s band of spinners at Sydney.
England wanted to win their closing Super 12s contest to pip Australia to second place of their group and attain the final 4 however, chasing 142, they slipped from 75 for none to 129 for six with 12 balls left.
But Stokes discovered the gaps and ran arduous to complete unbeaten on 42 off 36 balls earlier than Chris Woakes’ lower for 4 obtained England over the road with 4 wickets and two balls to spare in a nail-biting end.
Stokes, batting at three after Dawid Malan tweaked his groin throughout Sri Lanka’s innings, was averaging 10.25 with the bat in 5 matches since his T20 recall however was as soon as once more England’s saviour right here.
On a used pitch, Jos Buttler (28 off 23 balls) and Alex Hales (47 off 30) had taken the assault to Sri Lanka’s quicks however the harmful Wanindu Hasaranga and Dhananjaya de Silva took two wickets apiece.
Hasaranga, Dhananjaya and fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana leaked simply 69 runs in 12 mixed overs after Adil Rashid had impressed for England with 4-0-16-1 in Sri Lanka’s 141 for eight.
Pathum Nissanka focused one shorter sq. boundary with ruthlessness, hitting two fours and 5 sixes, in his 67 off 45 balls however Sri Lanka pale after reaching 65 for one from seven overs.
Nissanka was up and working second ball after turning a free supply from Stokes over lengthy leg whereas the Sri Lanka opener used Mark Wood’s 90mph-plus tempo in opposition to him with a terrific uppercut for six.
Kusal Mendis perished for 18 when making an attempt to clear the longer sq. boundary off Woakes’ slower ball, however Nissanka properly waited to free his arms when the shorter possibility was there on the leg-side.
But England adjusted their techniques, dragging their lengths again with tempo off.
Sam Curran’s off-cutter did for Dhananjaya whereas Charith Asalanka sliced Stokes excessive into the evening air to be caught at level. Nissanka introduced up a 33-ball fifty earlier than clubbing Stokes over deep midwicket.
Nissanka was out in Rashid’s closing over because the leg-spinner equalled the file for many T20 wickets by an Englishman, transferring degree with Chris Jordan, who took the catch working in from the boundary having come on to the sector when Malan gingerly walked off after pulling up whereas working for the ball.
Despite conceding 17 in his first over, Wood was entrusted to bowl the 18th and twentieth of the innings and leaked simply 9, additionally claiming three wickets as Dasun Shanaka feathered by way of to Buttler whereas Bhanuka Rajapaksa miscued a 94mph supply to mid-on and Chamika Karunaratne skewed to deep third.
Sri Lanka misplaced 5 for 25 within the final 5 overs however had aces up their sleeve in Hasaranga, the event’s main wicket-taker, and fellow spinners Theekshana and Dhananjaya on a sporting floor.
Theekshana bowled the primary and third overs, with England’s openers watchful, however Hales lower free off Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara, crashing two fours apiece off the seamers after they’d overpitched.
Buttler obtained caught into Hasaranga with a mighty straight six whereas Hales was dismissive as Rajitha missed his lengths in an over that yielded 20 and took England to 70 for none after the powerplay – nearly midway to their whole.
Sri Lanka caught nearly completely with their coterie of slower bowlers till the ultimate few overs, stifling the run-rate and squeezing England, who noticed Buttler and Hales each perish to Hasaranga.
Karunaratne’s diving catch noticed off Buttler and ended a 75-run opening stand in 7.2 overs whereas Hales peculiarly toe-ended a slog sweep and had a wry smile on his face because the ball looped again to Hasaranga.
Stokes got here out at quantity three and performed the anchor position as Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone went cheaply, with the latter holing out off Kumara once they wanted simply 36 off the final 42 balls.
Moeen chipped to cowl however Stokes relieved some strain by thrashing by way of the covers for the second of his two fours as Sri Lanka turned to part-time spinner Asalanka.
Stokes continued to maintain taking ones and twos however Curran hit down the throat of long-off to go away England with work to do. But Stokes obtained the equation down to 5 off the final over after which handed over the baton to Woakes to seal a win that dumped out Australia.
England will now head to Adelaide for his or her semi-final, possible in opposition to India on Thursday.
Source: www.unbiased.co.uk