England ahead as rain halts second T20I

England edged ahead of Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff before rain halted play early this morning.

Chasing a small target of 112 to take the three-match series, having won the opening match by eight wickets on Wednesday, hosts England were on 69 for 4 when rains hit.

Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone snuffed out Sri Lanka’s bowlers who had reduced the hosts to 36 for 4 in the seventh over.

Binura Fernando struck in the second over, Jonny Bairstow bowled by a delivery that shaped in, before Dushmantha Chameera trapped Dawid Malan in the next as England slid to 8 for 2.

England captain Eoin Morgan was caught by Wanindu Hasaranga off the bowling of Isuru Udana in the final over of the powerplay, with Hasaranga deceiving Jason Roy to have him caught in the deep nine balls later.
But Billings and Livingstone stitched a budding partnership together, taking the initiative back from Sri Lanka, before rain brought the stoppage in play.

Earlier, Sri Lanka showed little initiative after electing to bat first, reaching a below par 111 even on the seemingly two-paced Cardiff wicket.

Sam Curran showed a nifty piece of footwork off his own bowling to run out Danushka Gunathilaka in the game’s second over, and his opening partner Avishka Fernando followed him back soon after caught off Curran’s next over.

It didn’t help Sri Lanka’s cause that they managed just 47 runs off the first ten overs, 26 of those runs coming in the first six overs.

Captain Kusal Janith Perera and his deputy Kusal Mendis put on the best partnership of the innings, for 50 in 54 balls, but both were dismissed in the space of eight runs as Sri Lanka stumbled to 76 for 4.

Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga all fell cheaply, and Sri Lanka would not have reached the three-figure mark had it not been for some big hits from Isuru Udana at the death, contributing 19 off 14 balls, seeing the visitors to 111 for 7 in their 20 overs. 

(AGENCIES)