By Rob Barnett
Kumar Sangakkara’s assured third straight fifty guided Sri Lanka to a tense, six-wicket win that puts them 3-1 up with three games to go.
Sangakkara, the top-scorer in one-day internationals this year, made a measured 86 to see the hosts to the brink of a victory they completed with two balls to spare at a sultry R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The wicketkeeper added 96 with fellow veteran batsman Mahela Jayawardene before sharing another substantial partnership alongside captain Angelo Mathews.
Sangakkara fell to Chris Jordan, England’s outstanding bowler with 2-35, in the 42nd over, when 52 runs were still needed. Mathews picked up the mantle and ended with an unbeaten 51 to his name.
With the series now moving to Kandy for matches five and six before returning to the Premadasa, another success for Sri Lanka will give them an unassailable lead.
James Taylor’s well-paced 90, his first international half-century, helped to set 266 to win, a target that could have been higher had it not been for a flurry of late wickets.
Taylor, playing his third ODI and making his first England appearance for more than a year, batted expertly on a slow pitch in intense heat while occasionally riding his luck.
He initially put on 93 for the third wicket with Joe Root before suffering cramp in his left hand and left leg during a stand of 48 with Ravi Bopara, who like Taylor was out in the batting powerplay.
Those two scalps came during a late-innings slide as Sri Lanka’s spinners struck frequently. Stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan resisted with 62 from 47 balls and was last out as the tourists batted out their overs.
Spin trio Rangana Herath, whose 10-over allocation cost just 36, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis all struck thrice.
Morgan, standing in as captain for the banned Alastair Cook, had earlier won the toss. Taylor replacing Cook was England’s sole change while Sri Lanka also showed one alteration with Jayawardene, as expected, returning in place of Thilina Kandamby.
Alex Hales, promoted to his customary position at the top of the order in place of Cook, fell for nought in the first over, edging the threatening Dhammika Prasad to slip.
Hales’ opening partner Moeen Ali showed more of his fluent form, only to be caught behind off Dilshan in the mandatory powerplay when the left-hander went for an uncharacteristic heave.
Taylor overcame early nerves and announced himself by flicking Thisara Perera for a nonchalant six over midwicket.
The right-hander overturned an lbw verdict from Jeevan Mendis on 35 before launching Ajantha for a maximum over mid-off. Root, the junior partner, immediately followed suit, slog-sweeping Jeevan over the rope.
Taylor’s fifty arrived from 69 balls and he then enjoyed more fortune when a caught-behind referral proved inconclusive and he could have been run out twice either side of inside-edging Prasad narrowly past the stumps.
During that time Herath bowled Root for 36 and, soon after, Taylor was twice treated for cramp although he still found regular boundaries.
The batting powerplay proved Taylor’s undoing when he sliced Ajantha to point and Bopara then went in the second over of the fielding restrictions, undone by low bounce from Dilshan.
Sri Lanka’s spinners, bowling the last 21 overs of the innings, continued to make regular breakthroughs. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes holed out before Chris Woakes and Jordan perished to slower balls.
Yet Morgan’s slog-swept six off Dilshan kept England ticking and he repeated the shot in the innings’ last over to reach a 42-ball fifty. He then hit a straight six and skied a catch from the scheduled final delivery of the innings.
In the reply Woakes importantly removed Dilshan during the powerplay, forcing the right-hander to loop a catch to mid-off.
Kusal Perera shortly followed his opening partner back for 31, edging a beautifully flighted Moeen ball to slip.
Like before in the series, Sangakkara and Jayawardene played themselves in and then gradually accelerated, their half-century alliance arriving in the 25th over.
Sangakkara’s fifty followed just before Jayawardene surprisingly played on to Jordan for 44.
With the batting powerplay yielding 23, the same as England’s, Sangakkara softly chipped Jordan to deep point to end an alliance of 49 with Mathews.
The captain was then crucially spilled on 33 when Hales could not hold a tough, low chance at third man off Jordan.
That left 24 needed at a run a ball, which Mathews and Thirimanne knocked off despite England’s valiant efforts.
Match scorecard / Live ball-ball commentary
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Post-match reaction
Angelo Mathews saw his side home with an unbeaten 51, but was relieved to get the win, saying:“We had to fight really hard to win that game but overall the bowlers did brilliantly – especially the spinners after the start they got.
“I was a bit nervous and had to fight really hard as I said, but it was a good team effort.”
England’s stand-in captain, Eoin Morgan, praised the batting efforts of James Taylor and Joe Root. He said: “To score runs in the way that they did, and front up like that was outstanding but in patches we weren’t at the races today, we lost wickets in clusters and probably didn’t finish as well as we would have liked."
He added: “If we had broken up that big partnership (between Jayawardene and Sangakkara) we didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t win the game.”
Sri Lanka innings
12.43pm – SRI LANKA WIN BY SIX WICKETS TO GO 3-1 UP IN THE SERIES! Sri Lanka 267/4; Mathews 51, Thirimanne 19 – Thirimanne chips the first ball from Finn towards long-off for one but the seamer then bowls two dots to Mathews, who guides the fourth through midwicket and to the rope despite Jordan’s valiant dive. The skipper goes to a 60-ball fifty in the process. What a game that was! Full report to follow.
12.39pm – Following a dot ball, Thirimanne advances to Woakes and drives four through the off side. After exchanging singles with his captain, he then miscues into the covers but the ball somehow falls safe. Two from the last delivery leave four runs needed from the final over.
12.33pm – Jordan pleads for an lbw appeal against Thirimanne that is declined before Mathews backs away and smacks four through extra-cover. The seamer finishes with fine figures of 2-35 but the statistic that matters is the hosts needing 13 from 12.
12.28pm – Mathews makes room to cut Woakes for four in an otherwise tight over. Sri Lanka want 19 from 18.
There's a glorious light this time of evening in Colombo pic.twitter.com/YZrhHWTQOw
— Tim Peach (@TimPeachBBC) December 7, 2014
12.22pm – CHANCE! Mathews, on 33, outside-edges the last ball of Jordan’s over high towards third man where Hales can’t hold a tough, low chance. Jordan started the over with two wides but pulled it back only to be frustrated at the end. It’s 24 from 24 now.
12.16pm – Finn concedes 15 from the next, Thirimanne pulling a four and Mathews helping a short ball to the long-leg rope. Sri Lanka require 28 from 30 deliveries.
12.11pm – Jordan delivers a tidy over. The equation is 43 from 36 balls now.
12.06pm – Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne rotate the strike neatly. Sri Lanka need 45 from seven overs.
4 - Kumar Sangakkara has become the 4th player after Tendulkar, Ganguly & Ponting to score 1,000+ ODI runs in a calendar year 6 times. Club.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) December 7, 2014
11.55am – WICKET! Sangakkara c Woakes b Jordan 86; SL 214/4 – After Moeen completes his 10-over allocation at a cost of 44, Sangakkara can’t believe it when he uppercuts a short Jordan ball to Woakes a few yards in from the cover boundary. Can England yet pull this out of the fire?
11.49am – An economical Woakes over limits Sri Lanka to 23 runs in the batting powerplay. That’s what England scored in theirs, albeit they lost two wickets. The hosts need 58 from the last 10 overs.
200 up for Sri lanka, SL 200/3 in 37.3 ov #SLvENG#GOLIONS Sangakkara 80*, Mathews 16*
— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) December 7, 2014
11.37am – Jordan and Bopara show impressive commitment in the field to stop fours before Sangakkara finds the rope behind the keeper when he deftly nudges a Woakes bouncer high over Buttler.
After 36 overs: England were 182-5 Sri Lanka are 188-3 #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/vjbm1vydbH
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
11.26am – The batting powerplay is enforced at 185 for three but, after one ball, Woakes needs treatment following a collision with Jordan in the previous over.
11.19am – Finn replaces Moeen, and Mathews gloves four down leg just past diving wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Later in the over Sangakkara dives to make his ground at the non-striker’s end when Alex Hales shies.
11.14am – Jordan and Moeen keep Sangakkara and new man Angelo Mathews under wraps, but the tourists really need another breakthrough.
11am – WICKET! Jayawardene b Jordan 44; SL 165/3 – Jayawardene plays on to Jordan, giving England what they wanted. Can they turn this game round? Halting an alliance worth 96 is a good start.
10.55am – Moeen and Jordan are back into the attack but the veterans continue to rotate the strike at will. Sri Lanka are 161 for two from 30 overs and need 105 more for victory.
10.44am – FIFTY! Sangakkara (63b 6x4 0x6) – The left-hander gives himself a little room and lofts Root through the covers to bring up his third consecutive half-century.
10.41am – Jayawardene twice pierces the off-side in-field for fours in a Ben Stokes over costing 13. A breakthrough can’t come fast enough for England.
10.33am – REVIEW! England ask for another look at Root’s shout against Jayawardene, but the ball was sliding down leg.
10.30am – A fifty partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene arrives in the 25th over, at the end of which the hosts are 125 for two. England were 122 for two at the same stage but faltered somewhat in the second half of their innings.
10.23am – Jayawardene punctuates a quiet spell by sweeping Bopara’s low full-toss for four and Sangakkara chips Root over extra-cover for another boundary. England need to quickly break this stand.
10.10am – There’s a double bowling-change, Joe Root starting well but Ravi Bopara conceding a tickled four down leg to Sangakkara.
10.02am – Jordan and Moeen continue to keep Sri Lanka, who are 85 for two from 17 overs, in check. Taylor is now on the field, his cramp having eased.
9.46am – WICKET! Kusal c Jordan b Moeen 31; SL 69/2 – A little pressure created by Moeen and Jordan pays off when the former flights a beautiful delivery that Kusal edges to slip. That brings in Mahela Jayawardene, who later in an over ending in four byes sweeps for four.
9.40am – Moeen concedes his first four, to Sangakkara’s chip over extra-cover, but responds with a tighter over after Chris Jordan enters the attack.
9.29am – Kusal pulling Finn for four ushers Sri Lanka to 52 for one at the end of the mandatory powerplay, Sangakkara having cut Woakes to the boundary before another economical Moeen over.
9.19am – Kumar Sangakkara announces himself by on-driving Woakes for four. Spinner Moeen then replaces Finn and starts with a decent over.
9.09am – WICKET! Dilshan c Morgan b Woakes 16; SL 28/1 – Kusal clubs Finn for four over mid-off the ball before Dilshan miscues a short Woakes delivery to mid-off where stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan holds on and celebrates passionately.
9.03am – Following a tight Finn over, Dilshan straight-drives Woakes past Moeen Ali’s dive at mid-on. By the way, Ian Bell is on as a substitute fielder for James Taylor, who suffered from cramp during his innings.
8.54am – Chris Woakes concedes an off-side four to Dilshan and Kusal Perera in his opening over.
8.45am – We are back under way with Tillakaratne Dilshan soon driving Steven Finn down the ground for four. There is a little cloud cover and the possibility of rain later.
England innings
8.06am – ENGLAND 265 ALL OUT! WICKET! Morgan c Sangakkara b Dilshan 62; Finn 1 – The stand-in skipper adds a four over extra-cover before skying the scheduled last ball of the innings, allowing Sangakkara to take a catch. Morgan’s 47-delivery innings has lifted England to a decent total, albeit short of what they wanted when Taylor was in.
8.04am – FIFTY! Morgan (42b 3x4 2x6) – Morgan starts the last over with two consecutive sixes, the first slog-swept to raise his half-century and the second down the ground.
7.58am – WICKET! Jordan c Thisara b Ajantha 1; Eng 245/9 – Another slower delivery does the trick, Chris Jordan cutting his second ball aerially to backward point. Between those breakthroughs Morgan swept Herath for four.
7.54am – WICKET! Woakes b Herath 6; Eng 238/8 – Chris Woakes is undone by a slower ball from spinner Herath, unable to connect with an attempted sweep.
7.52am – England are 237 for seven with three overs to go, latterly boosted by Morgan slog-sweeping Dilshan for the fourth six of the innings.
7.44am – WICKET! Stokes c Thisara b Ajantha 6; Eng 219/7 – After he and Morgan each get a four earlier in the over, Ben Stokes goes for another big shot with a slog-sweep but holes out to deep square-leg. Taylor’s good work is being undermined somewhat.
7.34am – WICKET! Buttler c Jayawardene b Herath 15; Eng 203/6 – Buttler, seeking to force the pace, holes out to long-on where Jayawardene takes a regulation catch. Sri Lanka’s spinners are pegging England back here.
7.31am – Buttler and Morgan collide mid-pitch, with no serious damage, during the 42nd over, at the end of which England are 200 for five.
7.23am – After Morgan sweeps Ajantha for four, Dilshan delivers an over costing just two. Buttler responds by freeing his arms against Ajantha for a mighty maximum over long-off. That seemed effortless for Buttler. The batting powerplay yields 23 for two.
Well played @jamestaylor20 who made an excellent 90. #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/9In3PFOfmW
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
7.13am – WICKET! Bopara b Dilshan 22; Eng 173/5 – Bopara gives himself a little room but fails to connect with one that keeps low and England lose a second scalp in two overs. Jos Buttler joins Eoin Morgan at the crease.
7.07am – WICKET! Taylor c Kusal b Ajantha 90; Eng 170/4 – What a shame for Taylor, who tried to go aerial in the first over of the powerplay only to slice a catch to point. Even though he’ll be gutted not to reach three figures, Taylor has set England up for a big score.
7.03am – Taylor, who has 89, gets treatment for cramp to his left leg as England take the batting powerplay at 168 for three from 34 overs.
6.59am – Buzzers! Bopara gets five runs when he takes a single to mid-on, whose throw clears the keeper and goes to the boundary. Sri Lanka are feeling the heat here.
6.51am – Taylor again excels aerially down the ground, this time lofting Dilshan for a one-bounce four over mid-off. In the all-rounder’s next over Taylor advances to crisply sweep four more.
From earlier...@jamestaylor20 celebrates his 50 but look at his old haircut in the pic on the scoreboard. #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/BLxbRJb0eb
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
6.40am – Taylor uses his quick hands to good effect by pulling Thisara for four, advancing his score to 72. Midway through the next over Taylor is treated for cramp in his left hand, so the scheduled drinks break is taken two balls early. England are 138 for three in the 30th over.
6.33am – Taylor again could have been gone with a direct-hit, this time from his own sharp single. He ran straight down the pitch in an attempt to make his ground. He does that again later in the over and gets an official warning from umpire Steve Davis.
6.25am – WICKET! Root b Herath 36; Eng 122/3 – The right-hander attempts to play to the off side with an angled bat but fails to connect and is bowled, ending an excellent stand of 93. Ravi Bopara is the new man.
6.21am – Taylor, advancing to seamer Prasad, inside-edges narrowly past leg stump for four to reach 63. Is this Taylor’s day? He is batting well but enjoying some fortune. England move on to 122 for two from half their overs.
Well played, JT! @jamestaylor20's first 50 in a one-dayer #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/HQ9pJNymaG
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
6.13am – CHANCE! There are lengthy TV replays of Sri Lanka’s caught behind appeal against Taylor on 56. Prasad bowled a yorker just outside off stump which the batsman may have toe-ended through to the keeper, but replays prove inconclusive. That was an umpire referral, rather than a Sri Lanka review. Later in the over Taylor would have been run out by a direct-hit from backward point after Root’s call for a quick single.
6.04am – FIFTY! Taylor (69b 2x4 2x6) – Taylor, who has run excellently, takes a quick single into the off side to raise a maiden international half-century.
Good effort by England to bring the 100 up in the 21st over after losing the two big-hitting openers cheaply
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) December 7, 2014
6.01am – Taylor launches his second six, this time striking Ajantha Mendis over mid-off, taking England to 87 for two from 20 overs. Root immediately slog-sweeps Jeevan for another maximum, albeit it just cleared a fielder running round. Later in Jeevan’s over, during which England reach three figures, Taylor gets four more down the ground.
5.55am – REVIEW! Taylor, sweeping, is given out lbw to Jeevan but immediately reviews. Replays show an under-edge on to pad so the right-hander survives on 35.
5.48am – Spinners Herath and Jeevan keep Taylor and Root, the latter now batting in a wide-brim hat, under wraps. Even if scoring is tough, it’s important that the third-wicket pair stay in.
5.35am – With Mathews continuing, Herath then has a confident lbw appeal versus Taylor declined. Taylor suggests he hit the ball, which was sliding down leg anyway. Sri Lanka are keeping it tight on what is a slow pitch, although Root gets his first boundary by dispatching a full-toss from Jeevan Mendis, who has replaced Mathews, through midwicket.
5.27am – Mathews is mixing the bowlers up, himself returning to the attack, although Herath bowls consecutive overs as England pass 50 in the 12th.
5.19am– Rangana Herath succeeds Dilshan for the last over of the mandatory powerplay, after which England are 46 for two. Taylor has 22 and Joe Root two.
5.16am – Brilliant batting from Taylor! He advances to Thisara Perera, who has taken over from Mathews, and nonchalantly flicks a six over midwicket before emphatically pulling a four.
5.06am – WICKET! Moeen c Sangakkara b Dilshan 19; Eng 29/2 – Spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan replaces Prasad for the eighth over, and Moeen advances to his second ball only to feather an edge behind. To make sure, Kumar Sangakkara whipped off the bails after what was an unusually ungainly shot from Moeen.
5am – Taylor is understandably looking slightly nervous whereas Moeen remains in excellent touch as two consecutive off-driven fours, the first off the front foot and the next off the back, against Prasad reflect.
Prasad right on the money so far this morning. Just bowled an 80mph leg break to JT who did well to miss it! Pitch nipping around. #SLvENG
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
4.45am – Taylor gets going with an inside edge off Prasad before Mathews makes it consecutive tight overs. Prasad then has a strong lbw shout against Taylor turned down. The ball looked to be going just down leg and Sri Lanka sensibly opt not to review.
4.35am – WICKET! Hales c Jayawardene b Prasad 0; Eng 5/1 – Dhammika Prasad starts with an off-side wide but soon snares Alex Hales, who drives outside off stump and edges to Mahela Jayawardene at a solitary slip. James Taylor is the new man.
4.33am – The pitch, which was not used in the previous two games in this series at the R Premadasa Stadium, looks ideal for batsmen. Moeen Ali suggests as much by comfortably pulling an Angelo Mathews long-hop for four in the first over.
Pre-play news
No @BumbleCricket today I'm afraid - the old boy is ill... Get well soon Bumble!
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) December 7, 2014
4.29am – Hales and Moeen are in the middle. It’s hot and sunny in Colombo. No sign of the rain that has been a feature of the series so far.
4.20am – This is a big day for the diminutive Taylor. He has been banging on the selectors’ door with plenty of runs for Notts Outlaws. However, this could be his one chance of the series with Cook set to return for the fifth ODI.
Here's @jamestaylor20 smacking a pull shot ahead of play starting at the R Premadasa. Good luck to JT! #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/ef3pQA1t22
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
66 - Kumar Sangakkara needs 66 runs to reach 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year for the 4th year running, the 6th time overall. Reliable.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) December 7, 2014
4.10am – Sri Lanka also make one change with Mahela Jayawardene, who missed the last game to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday, as expected returning in place of Thilina Kandamby.
SL XI: T Dilshan, K Perera, K Sangakkara, M Jayawardene, A Mathews, L Thirimanne, J Mendis, T Perera, D Prasad, R Herath, A Mendis
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) December 7, 2014
4.01am – ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND BAT! - Morgan calls correctly and opts to set a target. The tourists show just the one enforced change with Cook replaced by James Taylor, who makes his first England appearance for more than a year. Taylor looks set to bat at three with Alex Hales partnering Moeen Ali at the top of the order.
England: Ali, Hales, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Morgan, Buttler, Stokes, Woakes, Jordan, Finn #SLvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014
3.50am – Hello and welcome to ecb.co.uk's coverage of the fourth one-day international between Sri Lanka and England at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium. A particularly warm welcome if you are joining us from the United Kingdom during these early hours. Following the tourists' win on Wednesday, Sri Lanka lead the seven-game series 2-1. England are without captain Alastair Cook for this match and will be led by Eoin Morgan. The toss is set to be in 10 minutes.
Good morning from the R Premadasa where we are for the 4th ODI. Blue skies and a flat deck await the teams #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/KsXsLXbP21
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2014