Sri Lanka 297 for 3 (Sangakkara 134*, Kulasekara 58*) beat England 293 for 7 (Trott 76, Root 68, Cook 59,) by seven wickets
Kumar Sangakkara has never got his hands on a major ICC one-day trophy. Neither have the other outstanding players of this Sri Lanka era - Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga or Tillakaratne Dilshan. But they will believe there is still time after Sangakkara's magnificent unbeaten 134 from 135 balls pulled off an improbable run chase against England by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare at The Oval.
Only India had ever pulled off such a daunting target on this ground and, if Sri Lanka had failed to hit such heights, they would have been eliminated. But, as the clouds cleared, the pitch was encouraging and Sangakkara, driven by the vision that his redoubtable career need not go unrewarded, summoned a shrewd and inspired response.
England now face New Zealand in Cardiff in their final match on Sunday and Sri Lanka are pitted against Australia at The Oval the following day with Group A in the balance.
ODI batting England style, a methodical, statistically-justified policy that involves stripping as much risk out of the game as possible, setting up an appropriate base and then staking much on havoc at the end had been found wanting, and as Sangakkara drove Sri Lanka towards victory, its chief architect, Jonathan Trott, who had made 76 from 87 balls in inimitable style, watched in forlorn mood from the dressing room, ice pack pressed to a strained thigh.
Sangakkara marshalled Sri Lanka's response superbly despite the initially distracting, and ultimately inspired, presence of the promoted tail-ender, Nuwan Kulasekara, who was sent in to No. 5 to have a swing in the Powerplay and who for a prolonged period was about as useful to Sangakkara as a loose horse in the Grand National.
His promotion looked ill-judged as he struggled against James Anderson, but when he launched Graeme Swann's offspin for two successive leg-side sixes, and continued to thrash his way to an unbeaten 58 from 38 balls it abruptly became a masterstroke and long before the end had left England looking demoralised.
Kulusekara also knew his place. Shortly after Sangakkara reached his 15th ODI hundred, and his first against England, he stumbled in mid-pitch and, recognising the danger of a run out, Kulusekara ran alongside him to ensure that he would be run out if anybody would be. In his instantaneous recognition that he must protect his partner at all costs, it spoke volumes for his good sense.
When Sangakkara responded by hoisting Anderson's slower ball for six, it communicated that he was worth preserving. Anderson was impressive, and England's ground fielding, led by the sub Jonny Bairstow, was exceptional at times, but three overs from Joe Root, England's insurance bowler, cost 27, and Stuart Broad had an expensive night. Jayawardene and Dilshan also played their part for Sri Lanka with a couple of 40s and Malinga was Sri Lanka's biggest threat with the ball: the star players had found a response.
Sri Lanka must have feared the game was up when Ravi Bopara struck 28 from the last over, from Shaminda Eranga, including three sixes and two fours, leaving Angelo Mathews mentally rewriting his close-of-innings speech in the Sri Lanka huddle as Bopara left the ground to rousing cheers.
Three England wickets had fallen in six balls at the death, including Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, the latter second ball for 0 - the batsmen they look to for the final flourish both silenced. But Bopara tore into Eranga, depositing him for sixes over long-on, extra cover and long-on again. He even took two runs off the only ball that Eranga managed to get into the blockhole.
That was the excitement; the rest belonged to Trott. His uncanny ability to turn a one-day international innings into an algorithm might not thrill cricket crowds around the world, but when he bats through, it requires something special in return for England to lose.
He worked the leg side with alacrity and, by the time he fell lbw, sweeping at Rangana Herath's left-arm spin, his time had been served. His one-day record is proven, his method brings victory more often than not, and many of those who rail against his methodical ways are railing, in part, about the fact that he is limiting the spectacle.
Alongside Trott, Root provided the perkiest of half-centuries, built on an appreciation of quick ones and twos and occasional inventiveness. If Root was shaken by his altercation with David Warner in the Walkabout bar in Birmingham on Sunday, he did not show it for a moment. Root fell to a slower offcutter from Malinga and left with a wink. Perhaps he winked at Warner, in his green and gold wig, and rued the consequences?
Sri Lanka dropped four catches in all, the most embarrassing of the lot from their eventual saviour, Sangakkara, who dashed from behind the stumps to claim Root's skier to midwicket, and shouted loudly enough, but then feared Mathews was about to collide with him and fumbled the ball in the process.
Dilshan also had the sort of afternoon that befalls this celebrated fielder so rarely. He dropped three catches in all, reprieving Alastair Cook twice, the first a tough diving chance to his right at backward point and the second an easier return catch when again he dived to his right but the ball eluded him. His third mishap, against Root, was a swirler as he dashed back from backward point. At the end of the night, all that was forgotten. A lively tournament had been brought alive.
England 293/7 (50 overs / 50 overs)
FOW: Bell c Perera b Eranga 20 (48/1), Cook lbw b Herath 59 (131/2),
Trott lbw b Herath 76 (213/3), Root c Jayawardene b Malinga 68 (249/4),
Morgan lbw b Malinga 13 (249/5), Buttler c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0 (249/6),
Bresnan b Eranga 4 (254/7),
England 293 for 7 (Trott 76, Root 68, Cook 59) v Sri Lanka
For a while, Sri Lanka came back into the match at The Oval, but then came Ravi Bopara. He struck 28 from the last over, from Shaminda Eranga, including three sixes and two fours, leaving Angelo Mathews mentally rewriting his close-of-innings speech in the Sri Lanka huddle as Bopara left the ground to rousing cheers.
England would have regarded their 293 for 7 with contentment at halfway. Victory would take them into the semi-finals; Sri Lanka need to conjure up a win just to keep their hopes alive. There were few doubts which side was the happier.
Three England wickets fell in six balls at the death, including Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, the latter second ball for 0 - the batsmen they look to for the final flourish both silenced. But Bopara tore into Eranga, depositing him for sixes over long-on, extra cover and long-on again. He even took two runs off the only ball that Eranga managed to get into the blockhole.
That was the excitement; the rest belonged to Jonathan Trott. Trott's uncanny ability to turn a one-day international innings into an algorithm might not thrill cricket crowds around the world, but once again he underlined his worth.
Trott's 76 from 87 balls concreted the base - and indeed he must be admired as you admire some decent concreting, recognising the smoothness and stability, grateful for the decent foundations, but liable to attract suspicious looks if you become overly excited by it.
He worked the ball repeatedly through the leg side, invited to do so by Mathews' defensive captaincy in stationing a long-on throughout most of his stay, and by the time he fell lbw, sweeping at Rangana Herath's left-arm spin, his time had been served.
There was a blip: he ran one short on one occasion and a replacement microchip will be inserted in the morning. His one-day record is proven, his method brings victory more often than not, and many of those who rail against his methodical ways are railing, in part, about the fact that he is limiting the spectacle.
Alongside Trott, Joe Root provided the perkiest of half-centuries, built on an appreciation of quick ones and twos and occasional inventiveness such as when he scooped a low full toss from Eranga over fine leg for four. If Root was shaken by his altercation with David Warner in the Walkabout bar in Birmingham on Sunday, he did not show it for a moment.
Root fell to a slower offcutter from Malinga and left with a wink. Perhaps we will be surprised to learn one day that he winked at Warner, in his green and gold wig, and rued the consequences? His 68 from 55 balls, an innings of only five boundaries was a refreshing contribution.
Bopara rounded off a frustrating afternoon for Sri Lanka. They dropped four catches in all, the most embarrassing from the wicketkeeper, Kumar Sangakkara, who claimed Root's skier to midwicket, on 56, loudly enough, but who feared Mathews was about to collide with him and half pulled out of the catch, fumbling the ball in the process.
Tillakaratne Dilshan also had the sort of afternoon that befalls this celebrated fielder so rarely. He dropped three catches in all, reprieving Cook twice, the first a tough diving chance to his right at backward point and the second an easier return catch when again he dived to his right but the ball eluded him.
His third mishap came with Root on 33, a devilishly difficult catch, dashing back from backward point on a gusty day and failing to locate the ball. Add a glimmer of a chance of a run-out at backward point, when Cook sent back Trott but Dilshan failed to hit direct, and it was a disagreeable experience
At least the rain had stayed off, but it was a cold, miserable day and The Oval crowd hunched forward to watch ODI batting England style, a safety-first policy that involves stripping as much risk out of the game as possible, setting up an appropriate base and then staking much on havoc at the end.
The pitches have also justified England's methodical approach: two new balls and a prolonged period of below-average temperatures have inhibited even grass growth and made it hard for groundsmen to get hardness and pace into the wickets. Caution for the first 30 overs and then a T20 game with wickets in hand has become the policy.
England have not quite stripped all irregularities from their play. If they had, Ian Bell would not keep chipping the ball to short midwicket. But this frailty again brought about his dismissal in the 12th over as he worked a poor delivery from Eranga, this time in front of square, where Kusal Perera held an easy catch.
England's ability to see off Malinga's new-ball spell left them in a sound position by halfway. Bell drove and pulled him off the back foot in his second over, but a challenging next over to Cook convinced England that they had to proceed cautiously against him.
They again cut their cloth wisely against him when the Powerplay was taken after 34 overs - this was the bowler, after all, who had finally wrecked their ambitions under the Pallakele floodlights at the World Twenty20 last year.
Cook fell for 59 from 85 balls, sweeping Herath and unsuccessfully reviewing the decision, presumably in the forlorn hope that he was outside the line. Morgan, who got a flawed decision from umpire Billy Bowden later, could have done with that review. But once Bopara had had his say, few were talking about that any longer.
Alastair Cook, his authority building by the over, and Jonathan Trott, with the composure that needs no second introduction, have England a solid base midway through their innings at The Oval as Sri Lanka fought for the victory they sorely need to reawaken their chances of reaching the Champions trophy semi-finals.
At least the rain had stayed off, but it was a cold, miserable day and The Oval crowd hunched forward to watch ODI batting, England style, not as much a game of risk as an exercise in probability, a safety-first policy that involves stripping as much risk out of the game as possible, setting up an appropriate base and then relying on the likes of Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler to provide the necessary impetus in the closing overs.
The pitches have also justified England's methodical approach: two new balls and a prolonged period of below-average temperatures have inhibited even grass growth and made it hard for groundsmen to get hardness and pace into the wickets. Caution for the first 30 overs and then a T20 game with wickets in hand have become the policy.
England have not quite stripped all irregularities from their play.
If they had, Ian Bell would not keep chipping the ball to short midwicket. But this frailty again brought about his dismissal in the 12th over as he worked a poor delivery from Shaminda Eranga, this time in front of square, where Kusal Perera held an easy catch.
The rest was left to Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, their ODI records there for all to see, their ability to set up England victories proven.
England's ability to see off Lasith Malinga left them in a sound position by halfway. The pre-match knockabout stuff had concerned whether Buttler would dare to reverse scoop Malinga at the death - good harmless fun it was too - but the immediate task was to see him off with the new ball.
Bell drove and pulled him off the back foot in his second over, but a challenging next over to Cook convinced England that they had to proceed cautiously against him.
He swung one back into the left-hander to come close to an lbw decision and then rasped one past Bell's outside edge. After eight overs, his threat was seen off, temporarily at least, and, at 30 for 0, England turned their mind to quiet acceleration.
Cook was dropped on 23, off Angelo Mathews, when Tillakaratne Dilshan, although getting two hands to the ball, did not quite make smart enough progress to his right to hold the catch at backward point.
But Trott remained thoroughly unperturbed. As he proceeded calmly along, his admirers nodded with approval and his detractors cried out for something more exciting. Sri Lanka had a chance to run him out when Cook sent him back, but it needed a direct hit from backward point and Dilshan was unable to oblige. Add a couple of loose overs and Dilshan had endured an unsatisfying start to the game.
Sri Lanka won the toss & will bowl 1st
TEAM LINE-UPS
England: Cook (capt), Bell, Trott, Root, Morgan, Bopara,
Buttler (wk), Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Anderson.
Sri Lanka: K Perera, Dilshan, Sangakkara (wk), M Jayawardene, Chandimal, Mathews (capt), Thirimanne, N Kulasekara, Herath, Eranga, Malinga.
Sri Lanka: K Perera, Dilshan, Sangakkara (wk), M Jayawardene, Chandimal, Mathews (capt), Thirimanne, N Kulasekara, Herath, Eranga, Malinga.
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