England vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2007-08

World T20, 2nd Semi-Final

India vs West Indies

at Mumbai, Mar 31, 2016

West Indies 196/3 beat India 192/2 by 7 wickets

England vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2007-08

Comprehensive Cricket News, Latest Information and Live ball-by-ball Commentary.

Cricket Matches Schedule

England vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2007-08

Sri Lanka vs England Third Test at Galle

SL vs ENG, 3rd Test : England Salvage Draw with Sri Lanka, Lose Series (1:0)

Alastair Cook's seventh Test hundred allied with more wet weather helped England rescue the third Test in Galle as the match finished in a draw.
Two heavy afternoon showers foiled Sri Lanka's attempts to seal a 2-0 series victory, the second of which came at 3.20pm after Cook was dismissed for 118. Such was its ferocity, in fact, it left groundstaff facing a hopeless task to cover the playing area before puddles gathered on the outfield. Play was finally abandoned shortly after tea, with England on 251 for six.
Moments earlier, left-hander Cook was dismissed - after being dropped in the same over - when Chanaka Welegedara nipped one back to find the outside edge. It was an intense 40-minute period between the downpours, which included a claim for a low catch at first slip by Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene off Muttiah Muralitharan, from an edge by Matt Prior (19 not out), which was turned down flat by umpire Asad Rauf. Three wickets in four balls during one chaotic Muralitharan over before lunch spiralled England into deep trouble.
But the first spell of rain one hour into the afternoon session allowed Cook - whose innings was the cornerstone of English defiance - and Prior to return to the dressing room. Having followed on 418 runs in arrears, England were 20 minutes short of lunch when the whole complexion of the match changed. Sri Lanka managed just one wicket in the opening couple of hours but Kevin Pietersen fell into the home side's trap to trigger a rapid decline to 202 for five at the interval.
With Murali operating around the wicket, Pietersen picked out Jayawardene, strategically placed at short midwicket. Two balls later, Paul Collingwood was lured out of his ground to be stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene. And then Ravi Bopara completed a pair for the match when he edged wide of slip and fatally took a couple of steps, no doubt thinking of a run. Mahela Jayawardene dived to his right and relayed the ball to his namesake in a flash to beat Bopara's despairing dive by inches.

SL vs ENG, Third Test, Galle: Sri Lanka 499-8 dec drew with England 81 all out & 251-6

Sri Lanka vs England Second Test at Colombo

SL vs ENG, 2nd Test : England deny Sri Lanka win in second cricket test

England captain Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell each scored half-centuries Thursday and held to Sri Lanka to a draw in the second cricket Test.
The visitors were 250-3 at tea on the final day, with Kevin Pietersen (45) and Paul Collingwood (23) at the crease and no further play was possible because of rain. England had a 53-run second innings lead with seven wickets in hand at the stoppage.
Winning the toss and batting first, England made 351 and Sri Lanka declared its innings on 548-9 in reply. When the second session resumed Thursday on 152-1, England lost its second wicket on the first ball when Cook edged part-time legspinner Chamara Silva to Mahela Jayawardene at slip for 62 runs. Cook faced 124 balls and hit five boundaries. Ian Bell made 54 before he was caught at long-on by Michael Vandort off Muttiah Muralitharan to leave the visitors 204-3.
England resumed the final day on 48-0 and scored briskly against pace bowlers in the first hour. Vaughan followed up his first innings score of 87 with a superb 61 from 109 balls, hitting eight boundaries. He efficiently timed and placed the balls into gaps before being caught and bowled by Dilhara Fernando with the total on 107 after a second successive century opening partnership with Cook. The pair combined for 133 in the first innings.
Sri Lanka rode on centuries from Mahela Jayawardene (195) and Michael Vandort's 138 and a defiant 79 from Prasanna Jayawardene to lead England by 197 after the first innings. Muralitharan recorded his 62nd five-wicket haul during England's first innings. Mahela Jayawardene became Sri Lanka's highest scorer and its first batsman to pass 7,000 in test runs but missed out on his fourth double-hundred, after recording his 20th test century. Pace bowler Steve Harmison finished with 3-111 for England.
The second Test starts Tuesday at the Galle International Stadium.

SL vs ENG, Second Test, Colombo: Sri Lanka 548-9 dec drew with England 351 & 250-3

Sri Lanka vs England First Test at Kandy

SL vs ENG, 1st Test : Sri Lanka beat England by 88 runs (1:0)

Muttiah Muralitharan bowled two magical deliveries when it mattered most to hand Sri Lanka an 88-run win over a fighting England in the first Test on Wednesday.
The off-spinner, who became Test cricket's most successful bowler in the first innings, got out Matt Prior and Ian Bell in the space of three deliveries with the second new ball to end England's spirited challenge. The tourists, needing to bat out the final day for a draw after being set an improbable victory target of 350, were bowled out for 261 in the last hour of the match at the Asgiriya stadium.
Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series going into the second Test, which opens at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Sunday. Sangakkara was named man of the match for his match-winning 152 in the second innings.

SL vs ENG, First Test, Kandy: Sri Lanka 188 & 442-8d beat England 281 & 261 by 88 runs

Sri Lanka vs England Fifth ODI at Colombo

SL vs ENG, 5th ODI : Sri Lanka beat England by 107 runs

Dilhara Fernando claimed a career-best six for 27 to propel Sri Lanka to a 107-run win over England in the fifth and final one-day international.
However England won the overall series 3-2. Fernando, coming into the attack as first change, produced an inspired spell to bowl out England for a paltry 104 in 29.1 overs.
England were chasing a modest target after their bowlers had bundled out Sri Lanka for 211 in 48.1 overs. Middle-order batsman Chamara Silva top-scored for the hosts with a fine 73 from 109 balls that included nine boundaries. Sri Lanka were unable to defend an identical target on Wednesday, but England's batsman struggled on Saturday against Fernando, who mixed aggression with clever variations in pace.
However, it was left-armer Chaminda Vaas (2-36) who broke through first as Phil Mustard (one) was acrobatically caught by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara. Fernando, introduced into the attack after a three-over burst from Lasith Malinga, struck early when Ian Bell (11) was deceived by his slower ball and caught at mid-on.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's batsmen showed more positive intent after three consecutive defeats, starting the innings with a 45-run opening partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya (26) and debutante Dilruwan Perera (30). But England's bowlers, as they have done throughout the series, maintained their discipline and chipped away with regular wickets.
Left-armer Ryan Sidebottom, a frontrunner for the man of the series award, was England's best bowler, claiming 2-41 from his 10 overs.

5th ODI Colombo: Sri Lanka 211 (48.1 overs) beat England 104 (29.1 overs) by 107 runs

Sri Lanka vs England Fourth ODI at Colombo

SL vs ENG, 4th ODI : England register historic series win against Sri Lanka

Alastair Cook hit a masterly 80 as England thrashed Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth one-day international here Wednesday to clinch their first series win in the subcontinent for 20 years.
The 22-year-old left-hander shared a 110-run stand for the third wicket with Kevin Pietersen (63 not out) to give England a memorable win in the day-night game. England last won a one-day series in the subcontinent in 1986-87 when they beat Pakistan 3-0. After restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 211-9, England reached the target with 19 balls to spare for an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Earlier, the 29-year-old Sangakkara and Silva batted sensibly to put the innings back on the rails after the early setbacks. The wicketkeeper-batsman reached his 41st fifty in one day internationals with a single off Bopara while Silva followed suit before falling to Broad for a 101-ball 67, including five fours. Silva tried to play an uppercut to a wide bouncer, only for Bopara to take a fine running catch near the third man boundary.
Sangakkara fell to the same combination, with Bopara this time taking the catch near the square-leg fence. His 102-ball innings included four fours. The last match of the series will be played at the same venue on Saturday.

4th ODI Colombo: England 212-5 beat Sri Lanka 211-9 by five wickets

Sri Lanka vs England Third ODI at Dambulla

SL vs ENG, 3rd ODI : England beat Sri Lanka by 2 wickets

Englands lower order held their nerve to edge a thrilling two-wicket win at Dambulla to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
They made hard work of chasing 164, but Stuart Broad again showed his calmness under pressure with an unbeaten 20 as the win came with seven balls to spare. Graeme Swanns outstanding series continued with a Man-of-the-Match display as he followed four for 34 with a vital 25, but when he was bowled with 17 still needed, it was left to Ryan Sidebottom to accompany Broad. It is the second time in six one-dayers that Broad has helped England across the line in a tense scenario after he and Ravi Bopara completed a thrilling chase against India, at Old Trafford, in August.
As in that match, the run rate was never a major issue for England even when they slumped to 107 for seven. It meant Swann and Broad were able to bat time and tick off the runs in ones and twos. Swann hit two crucial boundaries off the extra pace of Lasith Malinga, who was also driven for a four by Broad to take England within two runs of their target. A low, slow pitch became even tougher for batting as the day wore on and Sri Lanka fought hard to defend 164.

3rd ODI Dambulla: England 164-8 beat Sri Lanka 164 by two wickets

Sri Lanka vs England Second ODI at Dambulla

SL vs ENG, 2nd ODI : England defeats Sri Lanka by 65 runs

England recorded their first one-day cricket international win on Sri Lankan soil in 25 years when they beat the hosts by 65 runs in the second game and levelled the five-match series 1-1.
England, who last beat Sri Lanka on the island in a limited overs match in February 1982, set a competitive target of 235 runs in 50 overs helped by a gritty 82 from Owais Shah, and restricted the islanders to 169 in 44.3 overs. Pace bowlers Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad took two wickets apiece, restricting the hosts to 38 for four, then the slower bowlers built on the start and never let Sri Lanka recover. Upul Tharanga's poor form with the bat continued when he was caught by Alastiar Cook at second slip for eight.
Sanath Jayasuriya was later caught at cover by Ian Bell trying to slash Sidebottom. Kumar Sangakkara, who was dropped twice before scoring, made just nine off 37 balls before chasing a wide delivery from Broad to be caught by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard. Chamara Silva fell for a duck in Broad's next over, but Mahela Jayawardene and Tillekeratne Dilshan followed with a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket - providing the only chance of success for the hosts.
Paul Collingwood displayed smart captaincy bringing in his slow bowlers, tasting immediate success when off-spinner Graeme Swann bowled Dilshan through bat and pad for 29 runs in just 21 balls. Dilshan's dismissal triggered another Sri Lankan collapse and only Jehan Mubarak showed some fight toward the end with an unbeaten 44 and added 43 runs for the last wicket with Dilhara Fernando.
Earlier Shah's fighting 82 runs from 92 deliveries helped England to reach a competitive total after winning the toss and electing to bat.

2nd ODI Dambulla: England 234-8 (50 overs) beat Sri Lanka 169 (44.3 overs) by 65 runs

Sri Lanka vs England First ODI at Dambulla

SL vs ENG, 1st ODI : Sri Lanka beat England by 119 runs

Farveez Maharoof's devastating four-wicket spell and a rapid 22 runs guided Sri Lanka to a massive 119-run win against England in the opening limited-overs match Monday.
England, without an one-day international win on Sri Lankan soil for 25 years, failed to put up fight. Maharoof accounted for Phil Mustard, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, and Alastiar Cook to give the hosts total control early, defending a competitive 269 runs from its 50 overs.
Earlier, Maharoof made 22 runs off just 12 balls to boost the team total. Coming in as second change, the right-arm paceman lured debutant Mustard to drive to Lasith Malinga and then struck twice by forcing Bell and Pietersen to nick to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara. The two wickets in the space of two overs was the killer blow for England's run chase as both Pietersen and Bell were key batsmen for them.
Bell had scored a hundred in a warmup game ahead of the series but was dismissed without scoring and Pietersen was out for just one run. Maharoof missed a fifth wicket when he dropped a return catch from Paul Collingwood, the English skipper. Collingwood, however, didn't last long, as he edged a delivery to his opposite number Mahela Jayawardene after making nine.
Lasith Malinga accounted for Owais Shah to leave England in tatters at 91 for five but a 42-run stand in 39 balls between Ravi Bopara and Graeme Swann instilled some hope. Offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan provided the breakthrough by removing Swann, caught by Malinga and the next ball Stuart Broad was run out. England were bowled out for 150 with more than 15 overs remaining.
Earlier Sri Lanka's innings was spurred by captain Jayawardene's fine 66. The right-hander added 71 runs for the third wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (38) and 55 for the fourth wicket with Chamara Silva (33) to give the hosts a defendable total. Taking advantage of a missed caught and bowled chance by Collingwood at 43, Jayawardene reached his 30th half-century with an exquisite drive. Silva's aggressive 33 in 36 balls with a boundary and a six pushed Sri Lanka's score beyond 250 before Maharoof's aggressive batting came. In an unusual move, Sri Lanka opted to go for a four man pace attack without playing even a single specialist spinner. Part time spinners Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan, however, contributed with three dismissals.

1st ODI, Dambulla: Sri Lanka 269-7 (50 overs) beat England 150 (34.5 overs) by 119 runs

England wary of tough times ahead in Sri Lanka

England are aware of the Sri Lanka cauldron when they start the next week's five-match One-Day series, captain Paul Collingwood said here Thursday.
"The hot conditions do favour the local team, it is one of the most difficult places to play cricket due to the weather," Collingwood said, adding that not many England teams had done well in Sri Lanka in the past. The England captain said they had a bunch of young players who were keen to prove themselves. "It is a challenge that most guys want to take on," Collingwood said, expressing confidence in his young team.
England will be without star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff who is out through injury. "He is two players in one, so he will be missed," Collingwood said.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena was not reading too much into his team's 100 percent record in the last six One Dayers between the two teams.
"It is like starting all over again. We have had a few team changes since the World Cup. It's a new series and if we don't do well you will find that the opposition will come harder at you," Jayawardena said. The first of the five matches will be played in the central town of Dambulla on Monday.