1st ODI ENG 247/6 (39) V SL 144 (ENG win by 81 runs on D/L)

Chris Jordan enhanced his growing reputation as England beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in the first match of the one-day series at The Oval.

His unbeaten 38 off 13 balls carried the hosts to 247-6 off 39 overs, which also featured 64 from Gary Ballance, 50 for Ian Bell and 45 from Joe Root.

Jordan, 25, then claimed 3-25 and James Tredwell 3-38 as Sri Lanka - chasing a twice-revised target of 226 in 32 overs - were bowled out for 144 with 4.1 overs unused.

Victory was significant in that it represented England's first against a Test-playing nation since Peter Moores was reinstated as coach last month.

Test Match Special analysis

Michael Vaughan Ex-England captain & TMS summariser

"Chris Jordan's innings really gave England momentum because it gave them an above-average total, and then he bowled really well.

"I think England have found a good death bowler in Harry Gurney, too."

He will also be buoyed by the comprehensive margin of victory over a team that had won their last 10 ODIs.

Jordan, too, deserves credit for the manner in which he responded to a chastening display in Tuesday's Twenty20 defeat by Sri Lanka, when he conceded 22 in what proved to be the game's pivotal over.

Having impressed on England's limited-overs tour of West Indies earlier this year, he seems certain to play a central role in what captain Alastair Cook has described as England's "new era".

"I came in to try to score with a flurry," said man of the match Jordan. "We wanted as many runs as we could because Sri Lanka bat really deep and we were wary of that.

"Malinga finished off the game for them well the other night so it was nice to get one over on him."

If England's batting left room for improvement after they lost the toss - three batsman fell when well set on a largely true pitch - a polished bowling performance augurs well for the rest of the five-match series, which continues at Chester-le-Street on Sunday.

England were thankful for Jordan's late assault with the bat, which yielded 60 off the last four overs alongside Jos Buttler, who made 28 not out off 20 balls.

Their innings began inauspiciously as Cook, advancing to Nuwan Kulasekara, was caught behind via the outside edge.

Bell, batting fluently, and Ballance led the recovery by adding 79 for the second wicket, only for Bell to perish to the last ball before rain arrived when he swept Angelo Mathews to backward square leg.

England v Sri Lanka

20 May: T20 international, The Oval - Sri Lanka won by nine runs
22 May: 1st ODI, The Oval - England won by 81 runs (D/L method)
25 May: 2nd ODI, Chester-le-Street
28 May: 3rd ODI, Old Trafford
31 May: 4th ODI, Lord's
3 June: 5th ODI, Edgbaston
12-16 June: 1st Test, Lord's
20-24 June: 2nd Test, Headingley

A two-and-a-half-hour break shortened England's innings by 11 overs and accounted for Eoin Morgan, who played on to Sachithra Senanayake in the first full over after the resumption.

Having put on 41 with Root, Ballance swung Senanayake to deep midwicket in an attempt to increase the rate, and Bopara was lbw sweeping to reduce England to 152-5 with fewer than eight overs remaining.

Much-needed late impetus was provided by Root before he became Senanayake's third victim.

Jordan then hit five fours and two mighty sixes to leave Lasith Malinga nursing figures of 0-71 off eight overs, his most expensive in ODIs against England.

Sri Lanka's pursuit of an initial target of 259 was undermined by the loss of Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara inside the first six overs.

A second rain delay, which left Sri Lanka - the world Twenty20 champions - needing 166 off 18.3 overs, persuaded Tillakaratne Dilshan to slash Jordan's first ball back to third man.

It sparked a collapse that saw the last eight wickets tumble for 81 runs, Jordan having Dinesh Chandimal and Kulasekara caught behind after Mahela Jayawardene, who top-scored with 35, slicked off-spinner Tredwell tamely to midwicket.

The outcome had long since ceased to be in doubt by the time Ravi Bopara cleaned up Malinga.

Sri Lanka captain Mathews said: "It was a pretty poor performance by our whole team, starting off with our bowlers." 


ENG 247/6 in the 39 overs

Players have been off since 1430 due to rain, re-start at 1700 (39 overs per side) 

WICKET- Cook c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 11 (Eng 22-1)

Cook steps down the pitch, gets an edge and is caught behind! Only he will know whether he was feeling scoreboard pressure, as it was the first time he'd looked to be consciously attacking the bowling.

WICKET- Bell c Malinga b Mathews 50 (Eng 101-2)

Having been reprieved, Bell falls tamely as he helps an easy catch to Malinga at short fine leg.

WICKET - Morgan b Senanayake 3 (Eng 104-3)

Off-spinner Senanayake to continue against England's two left-handers - and he bowls Morgan as he attempts to chop through the off side but gets a bottom edge onto his stumps, having swept the previous ball for two.

WICKET - Ballance c Chandimal b Senanayake 64 (Eng 145-4)

Ballance pulls a shorter ball from Senanayake and it's straight down the throat of the man on the cow corner boundary. Just when it looked as though he could go on for a really big innings.

WICKET - Bopara lbw b Senanayake 3 (Eng 152-5)

Bopara is trapped in front and hit on the back leg as he tries an aggressive sweep, umpire raises his finger and he's gone.

What will make it worse for the Essex man when he gets back to the dressing-room is that replays show the impact was outside the line of off-stump. Had he used England's one DRS review, he would have been reprieved.

WICKET - Root lbw b Kulasekara 45 (Eng 193-6)

Good decision by the ump, the ball-tracker shows it was cleanly hitting the top of the stumps. Root is out, having taken a four and a two off the first two balls of Kulasekara's over.

England Innings 247 for 6 (39.0 overs)

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Cook	c Sangakkara	b N Kulasekara	11	21	23	1	0
Bell	c Malinga	b Mathews	50	88	56	4	1
Ballance	c Chandimal	b Senanayake	64	89	72	5	1
Morgan		b Senanayake	3		3	0	0
Root	lbw	b N Kulasekara	45	55	41	2	1
Bopara	lbw	b Senanayake	3	6	6	0	0
Buttler	not out		26	38	20	1	1
Jordan	not out		38	17	13	5	2
Extras		0nb 5w 1b 1lb	7
Total		for 6	247	(39.0 ovs)

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Malinga	8.0	0	71	0
N Kulasekara	8.0	1	60	2
Lakmal	6.0	0	34	0
T Perera	3.0	0	25	0
Mathews	6.0	0	25	1
Senanayake	8.0	0	30	3

Fall of Wicket
22	Cook
101	Bell
104	Morgan
145	Ballance
152	Bopara
193	Root

Rain reduced SL innings from 39 to 32 overs needed to get 226.

SL 141/9 (Target in 32 overs)

WICKET - Thirimanne lbw b Anderson 0 (SL 0-1)

It pitched on middle, it's umpire's call for hitting the top of the stumps but Thirimanne has gone without a run on the board. Great start by the Burnley Express.

WICKET - Sangakkara b Gurney 8 (SL 19-2)

Sangakkara chops on and Gurney has his maiden ODI wicket. A big scalp for the Notts left-armer, and a key wicket for England.

WICKET - Dilshan c Ballance b Jordan 33 (SL 63-3)

Dilshan swipes at the recalled Jordan and is pouched on the third man boundary. A Dilswipe rather than a Dilscoop, but that's the end of him.

WICKET - Jayawardene c Morgan b Tredwell 35 (SL 88-4)

Oh, big, big wicket as Jayawardene flicks the ball straight to the delighted Morgan at mid-wicket.

WICKET - Chandimal c Buttler b Jordan 8 (SL 108-5)

Chandimal perishes, attempting a pull shot and edging to the keeper the ball after missing with a similar hook shot off a fast bouncer which whistled past his helmet.

WICKET - Kulasekara c Buttler b Jordan 0 (SL 108-5)

Nuwan Kulasekara is the new batsman - I've seen him win a one-day game with the bat before now, but he perishes for a third-ball duck as the hostile Jordan induces Kulasekara to sky one into the night air and Buttler takes the catch.

Safe to say, these wickets mean the D/L par score will be sky-rocketing...

WICKET - Mathews c Cook b Tredwell 18 (SL 114-7)

What a catch! It's all over for Mathews as Captain Cook catches a top-edged reverse sweep over his shoulder, running back towards third man. A great comeback by England, two balls after Mathews had found the boundary with another aggressive reverse sweep. This match is only going one way now.

WICKET - T Perera c Root b Tredwell 2 (SL 118-8)

Now Perera perishes as he lifts Tredwell to Joe Root at long-on as he attempts to hit the ball into the next London borough

WICKET - Senanayake c Bell b Gurney 11 (SL 138-9)

England turn back to Gurney's left-arm seam as they look to wrap up the innings. Despite a couple of no-balls, he captures the ninth wicket when he induces Senanayake to hole out at long-on. Start the tuk-tuk!

WICKET - Malinga b Bopara 10 (SL 144 all out)

Buttler misses a stumping chance, standing up to Bopara's medium pace, but it's all over as Malinga slogs, misses and Ravi hits. England win by 81 runs on Duckworth-Lewis.

Sri Lanka Innings

Thirimanne	lbw	b Anderson	0
Dilshan	c Gurney	b Jordan	33
Sangakkara		b Gurney	8
M Jayawardene	c Morgan	b Tredwell	35
Mathews	c Cook	b Tredwell	18
Chandimal	c Buttler	b Jordan	8
N Kulasekara	c Buttler	b Jordan	0
T Perera	c Root	b Tredwell	2
Senanayake	c Bell	b Gurney	11
Malinga		b Bopara	10
Lakmal	not out		4
Extras		2nb 6w 5b 2lb	15
Total		all out	144

Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Anderson	5.0	1	22	1
Gurney	5.0	0	20	2
Jordan	6.0	0	25	3
Root	1.0	0	7	0
Bopara	4.5	0	25	1
Tredwell	6.0	0	38	3

Fall of Wicket
0	Thirimanne
19	Sangakkara
63	Dilshan
88	M Jayawardene
108	Chandimal
108	N Kulasekara
114	Mathews
118	T Perera
138	Senanayake
144	Malinga

12.38: SL win toss & bowl first

12.41: Teams 

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, James Tredwell, James Anderson, Harry Gurney.

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (capt), Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga.