Only T20 ENG (174/7 V SL (183/7) SL win by 9 runs

Another excellent innings from Alex Hales against Sri Lanka could not prevent England from slipping to a nine-run defeat in the one-off Twenty20 International at the Oval.

Having made England's first - and only - century in the shortest format of the game against the same opponents at the ICC World Twenty20 earlier this year, opener Hales managed a top score of 66 for the hosts.

However they still fell short in their bid to overhaul Sri Lanka's total of 183-7 that owed much to Thisara Perera's brutal knock of 49 in the closing stages.

Although some desperate late hitting by Ravi Bopara (28 not out) left the equation at 12 needed off the last two balls, Suranga Lakmal conceded just two singles to finish.

England will look back and lament a costly miss in the field, Michael Carberry, who was not helped by the close presence of skipper Eoin Morgan, spilling a skier that would have seen off Perera when he had 20 to his name.

It did not take long for the all-rounder to make them pay, Chris Jordan going for 22 from the final five deliveries of his spell. The left-hander was denied recording the fastest T20 half-century for Sri Lanka when he was run out off the final ball of the innings, just the 20th he'd faced.

Still, his power hitting gave his team just the finish they needed to an innings that had seen them lose wickets just when they seemed to be gaining momentum.

Tillekaratne Dilshan (14) swept the first ball of the match from Joe Root for four but both he and fellow opener Kusal Perera, who managed a six and a four in his 10, perished with the score on 24.

Dominated

Twenty20 debutant Kithuruwan Vithanage dominated a third-wicket stand of 54, taking Ravi Bopara for three successive boundaries before cutting Chris Woakes out to Carberry to depart for 38.

Lahiru Thirimanne had contributed just 15 runs in the partnership but did begin to blossom as his innings progressed, hitting a six and three fours as he made 40.

Yet when he hit impressive debutant Harry Gurney (2-26) out to the bowler's Nottinghamshire team-mate Hales in the deep, England had reduced Sri Lanka to 141-6 with just 17 deliveries remaining.

Perera, though, hit five fours and a six in the closing stages and with Nuwan Kulasekara also managing a late boundary, their total always looked competitive.

So it proved, with the home team's new-look top order struggling up front. Carberry - the fourth oldest T20 debutant for England - mustered seven, while Root and Morgan contributed just five runs apiece.
Ian Bell did reach double figures batting at No 3, though he used up 17 deliveries to make 13 before falling to the exceptional Lasith Malinga (3-28).

The paceman then returned to devastating effect in the closing stages; he cleaned up Hales with a superb slower ball and then leaked just four runs from the penultimate over, in stark contrast to England's earlier efforts.

Jos Buttler blazed 26 and Bopara at least kept the contest alive for as long as possible. In the end, though, Malinga and Sri Lanka held their nerve. 

They will hope to use the result as a springboard for success in the five-match one-day series, the first game of which takes place at the same venue on Thursday.

ENG 174/7 (target 184)

WICKET Carberry c Kulasekara b Mathews  7 (9/1)


One down. Michael Carberry takes a step forward to Angelo Mathews but slices a steepling catch to a diving Nuwan Kulasekara at third man. Don't worry though, Ian Bell's the next man in.

WICKET Bell c K Perera b Maliinga 13 (45/2)


It's third time lucky for the Sri Lankans, who catch opportunity number three presented by Ian Bell. The opener miscues one straight to Kusal Perera who recovers from a little slip and a slide to pouch the catch in the covers

 

WICKET- Root c Chandimal b Lakmal 5 (Eng 58-3)

England have really stalled now and Joe Root is strangled down the leg side by Suranga Lakmal. The hosts now need 126 runs from 12 overs as Eoin Morgan strides to the crease.

WICKET- Morgan c Lakmal b T Perera 5 (Eng 85-4)

A big, big wicket for Sri Lanka as Eoin Morgan chips the ball down the ground and Suranga Lakmal, diving forward, takes a superb, tumbling catch at long-off.

WICKET- Buttler c Dilshan b Kulasekara 26 (Eng 124-5)

Jos Buttler is gone, finished, out. He goes for another almighty blow into the leg side but doesn't quite middle it and picks out the safe hands of Tillakaratne Dilshan on the boundary. Ravi Bopara is the new batsman.

WICKET- Hales b Malinga 66 (Eng 139-6)

Alex Hales slaps one Lasith Malinga slower ball to the boundary for four, but from the next one he's bowled. Another sparkling 41-balls knock comes to an end. Get him in the one-day team? I would...

WICKET - Jordan b Malinga 5 (Eng 158-7)

Lasith Malinga. A slower-ball cutter. Chopped on. Out. Enter Chris Woakes.

SL 183/7 (20/20 overs)

WICKET Dilshan b Gurney 14 (24/1) 

One Dilscoop for four and Tillakaratne is sent packing by England debutant Harry Gurney. The left-armer gets one to clip the right-hander's off stump. Lovely stuff.

WICKET Perera c Bopara b Jordan 10 (24/2)


England are flying now. Dangerous opener Kusal Perera tries to help one around the corner off Chris Jordan but picks out the safe hands of Ravi Bopara at short fine leg. Good field placement by England there.

WICKET Vithanage c Carberry b Woakes 38 (78/3)


England peg back Sri Lanka just as they looked to be racing away from them. After being given a second chance when Chris Jordan dropped him low down at backward point, the impressive left-handed Kithuruwan Vithanage lifts the ball into the off side to the boundary rider, Michael Carberry. The debutant's 26-ball cameo comes to an end.

WICKET Chandimal c Hales b Root 7 (85/4)


Golden-arm Joe strikes again. The Yorkshire offie, who was slog-swept for six by Dinesh Chandimal from the first ball of the over, gets his revenge when the wicketkeeper holes out to Alex Hales at long-on.

WICKET Mathews c Root b Tredwell 13 (122/5)


Angelo Mathews gets carried away with that massive six straight down the ground and, in going for another maximum, he picks out Joe Root just inside the ropes at long-on. James Tredwell's final figures? 4-0-41-1.

WICKET - Thirimanne c Hales b Gurney 40 (SL 141-6)

A crucial wicket at a crucial time. Sensing the need to put his foot down, Lahiru Thirimanne clobbers one down the throat of Alex Hales at deep midwicket.

WICKET - T Perera run out 49 (SL 183-7)

The final delivery of the innings is smashed straight at the stumps at the non-striker's end by Thisara Perera, who is one mighty blow away from recording the fastest ever 50 by a Sri Lankan batsman. He tries to scamper through for a single, but Harry Gurney's quick thinking sees him pull one of the remaining stumps out of the ground and Perera is left stranded on 49 from 29 balls.

1741: England: 1 Alex Hales, 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

Sri Lanka: 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kithuruwan Vithanage, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Lasith Malinga

17.34: ENG win toss & bowl first.