It’s a belated happy birthday for Harry Brook as England begin Super Eights with a win
NEVER start a match report until both sides have batted.
After England scored a paltry 146-9, a total that looked well below-par, the working introduction to these ramblings was this …
“On his 27th birthday, Harry Brook lost the toss for the first time in nine attempts, failed with the bat, and then saw his side lose their opening Super Eights game against Sri Lanka by (insert result). If Carlsberg did birthdays, they would not look like that.”
Er, not so fast …
Less than six overs into Sri Lanka’s reply, the score was 34-5, the Kandy crowd as silent as a funeral congregation. Neither they nor the home team would find their voice again, Sri Lanka dismissed for a sorry 95 to lose by 51 runs, a thrashing in T20.
Perhaps those dream-makers from Carlsberg were toying with Brook, telling him at the halfway stage of proceedings to “hold our beers”. In reality, and as well as England bowled, with Will Jacks taking three wickets and Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson two each, it was a masterclass by Sri Lanka in how not to chase a target, with most of their wickets carelessly thrown away.
Still, a win is a win is a win, as they say – England’s 12th on the spin against Sri Lanka in T20. Another win, against Pakistan on Tuesday, or against New Zealand on Friday, should seal a semi-final berth.
Brook, who has had a lot more on his plate lately than birthday cake, was part of a poor start as England slipped to 68-4 after ten overs.
Jos Buttler’s poor competition continued as he followed scores of 26, 21, 3 and 3 with one of 7, lbw reverse-sweeping the left-arm spin of Dunith Wellalage, the most successful bowler with 3-26.
Buttler faced twice as many balls as he scored runs this time and, for whatever reason, it is not happening for him.
Phil Salt, his opening partner, has been similarly out of sorts but he played the innings of the day - 62 from 40 with six fours and two sixes. Conditions were humid after overnight rain and Salt seemed to be struggling with the heat, which made his performance more impressive.
He hit Wellalage for six over long-off early in the piece – and later another when Dushmantha Chameera was helped behind square-leg. Salt was sixth out in the 15th over when he holed out to long-off off Wellalage, after which Jacks played another useful hand of 21 from 14 en route to winning his third player-of-the-match award in five games.
After Buttler fell in the fourth over, amid a fine opening burst from left-arm pace man Dilshan Madushanka, England also lost Jacob Bethell (miscuing to short-third) and Tom Banton (run-out by a direct hit from mid-off) in the powerplay.
Brook, pushing forward, was lbw to Wellalage, then Sam Curran caught at long-on. Dawson skied into the covers before Jacks picked out deep point and Archer mid-off.
Maheesh Theekshana, the off-spinner, returned 2-21 and Madushanka 2-25, the Sri Lanka attack threatening and varied.
Perhaps the key moment of the match was when Pathum Nissanka, the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, fell to Archer in the third over. He had hit the previous two balls for four only to then inexplicably flick to the fielder on the mid-wicket boundary, an utterly needless shot.
Kusal Mendis patted back a soft return to Jacks; Pavan Rathnayake insanely tried to launch his first ball from Jacks into the middle of next week and skied into the covers; Kamil Mishara edged Archer to short-third, and Sri Lanka were in their 34-5 pickle when Wellalage lobbed Jacks to mid-on.
There was no way back as Kamindu Mendis then got a leading edge back to Dawson; Dushan Hemantha hit his own stumps; Dasun Shanaka heaved Rashid to deep mid-wicket, where Jacks flipped the ball back to Banton; Chameera was bowled by Dawson, and Madushanka undone by a Rashid googly.
Job done. Happy birthday, Harry. Eventually.