4th ODI ENG 293/8 V SL 300/9 - SL win by 7 runs

Jos Buttler made a superb century but England lost by seven runs to Sri Lanka, who levelled the one-day series at 2-2 with one game to go.

The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman thrilled the Lord's crowd with a scintillating 121 from 74 balls.

His innings, and with it England's hopes, ended unceremoniously when he was run out in the final over.

Kumar Sangakkara set Sri Lanka on their way to 300-9 with a fine 112, which included 14 fours.

Match analysis

Phil Tufnell BBC Test Match Special

"England will be kicking themselves They will feel elated at seeing one of their team-mates play such an innings, but they will be deflated too. Perhaps they need more power at the top; they need to start the chase quicker.

"Sangakkara and Buttler played very different innings. The Sri Lankan just picked the gaps - effortless. But that was absolutely brutal by Buttler - absolutely box-office stuff."

If Sangakkara's innings proved the most important, Buttler's was the most explosive.

From the depths of 111-5, he smashed the fastest ODI century by an England player, hitting 11 fours and four sixes.

He and Ravi Bopara added 133 in 16.2 thrilling overs to keep pace with a required run-rate of more than nine an over.

Although Bopara fell for 51 with 57 needed off 32 balls, Buttler's explosive strokeplay carried England into the final over needing 12 to win.

However, Chris Jordan holed out at long-on off the second delivery and Buttler was comfortably run out chasing an impossible single off the fourth as the brilliant Lasith Malinga limited England to four runs.

Earlier, left-handed Sangakkara showed why he is considered one of the game's greats with a fluent 19th ODI century as he and fellow veteran Tillakaratne Dilshan (71) put on 172 for the second wicket after England won the toss.

They were aided by England's bowling, who struggled to find the movement that helped them bowl Sri Lanka out for 67 in the third ODI at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Fastest England ODI hundreds

Jos Buttler: 61 balls v Sri Lanka, Lord's, 2014
Kevin Pietersen: 69 balls v South Africa, East London, 2005
Ravi Bopara: 74 balls v Ireland, Malahide, 2013
Marcus Trescothick: 76 balls v Bangladesh, The Oval, 2005
Paul Collingwood: 77 balls v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge, 2005

Left-arm seamer Harry Gurney claimed 4-55 in his fifth ODI, while James Anderson and Jordan shared four expensive wickets.

England's chase began sluggishly as captain Alastair Cook and opening partner Ian Bell fell to Malinga inside the first four overs.

Gary Ballance and Joe Root, who made 42 and 43 respectively, were steady but unspectacular as England struggled to build momentum - between the ninth and 31st overs they failed to score a boundary.

Once Eoin Morgan fell for 12 in the 29th over, it appeared England were heading for a forgettable defeat.

But Somerset's Buttler, who made his one-day debut in 2012, and Bopara rescued the hosts with the highest sixth-wicket stand in ODIs at Lord's.

After Buttler smashed Nuwan Kulasekara for two sixes and a four in the 46th over, an improbable victory was in sight with 36 needed from 24 balls.

But Malinga ensured the series would be decided at Edgbaston on Tuesday with an immaculate final over. 

ENG 293/8 (target 301)

WICKET - Cook lbw Malinga 1 (Eng 3-1)

Gone! Lasith Malinga strikes with his first ball. It just looked out, coming back to take middle and off. Maybe umpire Marais Erasmus thought the skipper got outside the line, maybe he thought it was bat first. Neither was correct. When the decision came, Cook threw his head back in disappointment. England's mountain gets a little higher.

WICKET - Bell c Jayawardene b Malinga 7 (10/2)


And another! How do you play Lasith Malinga when he's bowling this well? Well, you could start by not wafting your bat outside off stump. Full and quick to Ian Bell, shaping away and taking the edge of a limp blade. Mahela Jaywardene does the rest at first slip. England in all sorts of trouble.

WICKET Ballance c Sangakkara b Mendis 42 (94/3)

Something had to give and you always suspected it would be an England wicket. Gary Ballance, subdued for so long, looks for the reverse sweep off Ajantha Mendis and can only get a full-face contact through to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, who takes a very good catch. On balance (excuse the pun), a wicket may actually get England moving.

WICKET - Root c Mendis b Mathews 43 (Eng 107-4)


Now, I'm loathe to criticise because Joe Root is an England batsmen and I'm not. However, you have to say this has been a strange knock. Yes, he was asked to rebuild when England were two for nothing, but he has allowed pressure to build and then fallen in a very soft manner. Short from the returning Angelo Mathews, a sloppy pull shot from Root, top-edged to Ajantha Mendis at fine leg. Poor.


WICKET - Morgan st Sangakkara b Senanayake 12 (Eng 111-5)

Words fail me. How do you get stumped sweeping? Can you even call that a sweep? It was more of a cross-bat mow. Shimmy from Eoin Morgan, seen by the adjusting Sachithra Senanayake. Slightly shorter, missed by the Dubliner, Kumar Sangakkara does the rest. Sri Lanka so comfortable, they barely celebrated.

WICKET - Bopara c Thirimanne b Mendis 51 (Eng 244-6)

Gone! Is that the wicket that wins this match for Sri Lanka? Ravi Bopara trying to sweep Ajantha Mendis, getting a top edge to Lahiru Thirimanne at short fine leg. Captain Cook hangs his head, Bopara drags himself off to a wonderful ovation, while Sri Lanka whoop-whoop in relief. Another twist in this remarkable game.

WICKET - Jordan c Dilshan b Malinga 5 (Eng 290-7)

Full, smashed down the ground! Wait, where's he come from? Tillakaratne Dilshan running back from mid on and takes the catch. Chris Jordan goes, Dilshan waves his arms to the crowd. As important as the wicket, it's a dot ball. However, they have crossed, so Buttler will have the strike. 11 needed from four balls.

WICKET - Buttler run out 121 (Eng 292-8)

Absolutely brilliant from Lasith Malinga, the perfect yorker. Jos Buttler started running, but was easily beaten to the non-striker's stumps. After a moment's silence, Lord's breaks into deafening applause to acclaim Buttler. Quite simply, a wonderful knock that dragged England from despair to the brink of victory. Now, with eight needed off two, that chance looks gone. James Tredwell on strike, nine needed off two.

England card

 Cook lbw b Malinga 1
 Bell c M Jayawardene b Malinga 7
 Ballance c Sangakkara b A Mendis 42
 Root c A Mendis b Mathews 43
 Morgan st Sangakkara b Senanayake 12
 Bopara c Thirimanne b A Mendis 51
 Buttler run out Malinga 121
 Jordan c Dilshan b Malinga 5
 Tredwell not out 1
 Anderson not out 0
 Extras 1nb 3w 6lb 10
 Total for 8 293

SL 300/9

WICKET - Perera c Jordan b Gurney 19 (SL 26-1)

England have the breakthrough with one of the strangest caught-at-first-slip dismissals you will ever see. Kusal Perera is once more looking to blast Harry Gurney over the leg side, but the delivery is too wide of off stump. Perera only makes contact with the toe end, the bottom of the bat, with the ball flying to the left of Chris Jordan. The man made of rubber takes off, grabbing the leather in one hand for another blinding catch.

WICKET Dilshan b Anderson 71 (198/2)


Finally England have the breakthrough. The enforced batting powerplay prompts Dilshan to club Anderson wide of mid-on, but he is cleaned up - via his pad - as he is misses an attempted Dilscopp off the next delivery.

WICKET Jayawardene c Anderson b Gurney 7 (217/3)


Jayawardene fails to get enough elevation on a drive and can find only Anderson at mid-off. He never looked like finding any rhythm in that 14-ball knock.

WICKET Sangakkara st Buttler b Tredwell 112 (233/4)


That's the big wicket England needed. Kumar Sangakkara charges at James Tredwell, who fires it a little shorter and faster, beating the batsman and giving Jos Buttler all the time in the world to remove the bails. A wonderful innings comes to an end, it really has been splendid strokeplay by the Sri Lanka left-hander. Lord's rises to acclaim him and maybe you should afford him a little round of applause too.

WICKET Thirimanne c Ballance b Anderson 16 (261/5)


Gone. James Anderson accounts for Lahiru Thirimanne once more, the third umpire confirming that Gary Ballance completed some good work by diving forward to grasp the ball millimetres above the green. Taking wickets is the best way to slow the scoring.

WICKET Mathews c Anderson b Jordan 30 (SL 279-6)


Wickets are less of an event in the late-innings silly season, but they do at least slow the scoring. Angelo Mathews looking to hit Chris Jordan to a different suburb, only finding James Anderson at mid on. 11 balls to go.


WICKET Kulasekara b Jordan 0 (280/7)



England are finishing well here. Chris Jordan softens up new man Nuwan Kulasekara with a short ball, then spears in a yorker to remove leg stump. Only one run has come from balls of the penultimate over so far.

WICKET Priyanjan c Morgan b Gurney 9 (292/8)


Single, heave for two, then a wide from the, erm, gurning, Gurney. When the left-armer serves up an off-stump full toss, Priyanjan looks to give it the beans, but only finds Eoin Morgan running back from point. Three balls to go.


WICKET Senanayake c Cook b Gurney 12 (296/9) 

And another. As club bowlers will tell you, bad balls get wickets. Yet another full toss, this time with Senanayake chipping to Alastair Cook at mid-off. Lasith Malinga must stroll out for only one delivery.

 SL batting card

Dilshan b Anderson 71 
 K Perera c Jordan b Gurney 19 
 Sangakkara st Buttler b Tredwell 112 
 M Jayawardene c Anderson b Gurney 7 
 Mathews c Anderson b Jordan 30 
 Thirimanne c Ballance b Anderson 16 
 Priyanjan c Morgan b Gurney 9 
 N Kulasekara b Jordan 0 
 Senanayake c Cook b Gurney 12 
 Mendis not out 4 
 Malinga not out 0 
 Extras 1nb 16w 3lb 20 
 Total for 9 300






England: 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Joe Root, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Jordan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 James Anderson, 11 Harry Gurney.

Sri Lanka: 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Ashan Priyanjan, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga.