 Sri Lanka win a cliff hanger against England
5th Apr 2007 12:56 IST
Agencies
India-born Ravinder Bopara came tantalisingly close to lead England to a memorable win but Sri Lanka survived the sting in the British tail and clinched the Super Eight humdinger by two runs in the World Cup at St. John’s in Antigua on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest 235 runs for all out in 50 overs by the English seamers. Upul Tharanga (62) and Mahela Jayawardene (56) chipped in with half centuries even as their teammates struggled against the pace duo of Sajid Mahmood (4/50) and Andrew Flintoff (3/35).
Defending the total, Sri Lankan bowlers held their nerve to restrict the opponents and England could make 233/8 in their 50 overs.
Though Kevin Pietersen (58) top-scored for England, it was the 87-run stand between Bopara (52) and Paul Nixon (42) which brought them so near to an improbable win. Dilhara Fernando was the pick of the Lankan bowlers, claiming 3/41, besides bowling that marvellous last over.
England needed 12 runs from the last over and Dilhara's first five deliveries yielded 1,4,2,1,1 runs respectively, to leave Bopara at strike with three runs required off the last ball.
Charging down at full speed, Dilhara first pulled out of the delivery at the last moment and then returned to bowl the final delivery which escaped Bopara's wild swish and hit the off-stump to silence the boisterous British crowd.
Chasing a chaseable target of 236, England had earlier got off to a horrendous start with both the openers – captain Michael Vaughan (0) and Ed Joyce (10) – cooling their heels in the pavilion with the side reeling at 11/2 inside six overs.
Pietersen and Ian Bell (47) steadied the boat and pushed the score past the 100-mark before Pietersen's drive brushed bowler Sanath Jayasuriya's fingers and hit the stumps at non-striker's end to complete Bell's unfortunate dismissal.
England, however, suffered the biggest jolt when Muttiah Muralitharan, held back for some time, unleashed a vicious doosra and then stooped to pouch the low catch offered by a puzzled Pietersen. Pietersen's 58 came off 80 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.
For England, the game seemed as good as over with Flintoff's (2) subsequent cheap dismissal but Bopara and Nixon had other ideas.
Both played some cheeky shots, ran their singles hard and often found the gaps to inch closer to the target. Nixon even reverse-swept Murali for a six before falling to Lasith Malinga.
In the end, it turned out to be a so-near-yet-so-far story for England. Bopara's 53-ball knock of 52 included four hits to the fence and earned him the Man of the Match award.
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