What a weird one-day series this is becoming. The levels of batting collapses are increasing with each match. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 144 at The Oval, England plummeted for 99 in Durham and here the tourists subsided for 67, their third-lowest total in ODI cricket.
There is, perhaps, more sympathy for Sri Lanka’s plight in these conditions than for the home side who are brought up in them but it was still a horribly limp display as they did not show any stomach for the fight on a chilly, drizzly Manchester afternoon and faced with a pitch with pace and carry.
Chris Jordan, who is becoming something of a pin-up for England’s new generation, surged to his maiden five-wicket haul by hustling the Sri Lanka batsmen with his pace, following the early exemplary work of James Anderson.
Test selection should not always be rubber-stamped by white-ball form, but if there was any doubt over Jordan’s credentials for the five-day side next month they are now surely banished. He bombed Sri Lanka with the short ball at The Oval but, towards the end, had carte blanche to go for it with the match won. Here, it needed cleverer thinking and he showed that with judicious use of the short delivery, especially at Dinesh Chandimal who England have made no secret of peppering.
Jordan finished with 5 for 29 when he trapped Lasith Malinga lbw, after beginning with the scalp of Kumar Sangakkara, to end Sri Lanka’s innings after just 24 overs, an even worse effort than England managed in Durham. Their final demise was 6 for 9 in six overs.
Alastair Cook, who had returned from injury, and Ian Bell – who finished the match with a straight six – knocked off the runs before the scheduled tea break although Cook was given a life on 12 when he was dropped at square leg pulling Lasith Malinga. It allowed him a useful period of time in the middle, but his most important job for the day had been winning the toss. Unlike at Chester-le-Street there was no shortage of early wickets. From being a procession of batsmen in light blue three days ago it was now a procession of those in dark blue.
Anderson set the tone through a spell of seam-bowling beauty. By the time he was withdrawn after an extended opening burst he had figures of 7-2-10-2. Four of the runs came from a Mahela Jayawardene edge to third man and even when he did stray marginally, to be called wide, the extra delivery brought him his first wicket when Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had anchored Sri Lanka in Durham, inside edged a delivery which nipped back.
The identity of Anderson’s second wicket should not have come as much of a surprise. He had previously dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne six times in seven international matches – including twice in this series – and the left-hander appeared quickly ruffled by again struggling to rotate the strike. To his 16th delivery, and in only the fifth over of a match where circumspection was clearly the order of the day, he charged Anderson then flayed at a shorter delivery which he edged to Jos Buttler.
Then it was over to Jordan. There remains the likelihood of a greater number of loose deliveries from Jordan, as was shown when Sangakkara latched onto a wide long hop, but the incisive qualities he also brings were soon evident next ball when he adjusted his line and length to find Sangakkara’s edge. Jordan’s celebration jig took him half way towards fine leg. He was able to repeat it a few more times.
The arrival of Chandimal saw Cook go on the attack, immediately bringing in a short leg, posting three slips and letting Jordan loose for a short-pitched attack. It was not a short delivery which brought success, but Chandimal’s errant drive which went straight to cover may have been, in part, because his mind was on playing back.
Jayawardene, who would have been run out on 4 if Anderson and hit the stumps from his follow through, withstood England’s frontline quicks through an examination of his technique only to succumb to James Tredwell’s first delivery, playing back to a ball which turned a little but was not overly threatening.
Angelo Mathews brought up Sri Lanka’s fifty with a rare boundary but became another batsman to fall driving, giving Buttler his fourth catch, although he used the DRS. The review did not show a mark on Hot Spot but there was a noise on Snicko – now a full part of the process – so the decision was upheld.
There was a disappointing lack of spine from Sri Lanka (the same criticism was levelled at England a few days ago) as they aided in their rapid demise. Ashan Priyanjan, who played with impressive verve in Durham, was run out when Ravi Bopara hit direct from mid-on, a sure sign that this was England’s day. Nuwan Kulasekara then prodded a catch to second slip and Sachithra Senanayake, who benefited from some reckless batting in the second match, repaid the favour by swinging down to long-on.
Jordan then brought out his celebratory leap for a fifth and final time, leaving England’s openers to race off the field and the job was done just as the Manchester office workers will have been thinking of heading down for an evening of cricket.
SRI LANKA
HDRL Thirimanne c †Buttler b Anderson 7
TM Dilshan c †Buttler b Anderson 2
KC Sangakkara† c †Buttler b Jordan 13
DPMD Jayawardene lbw b Tredwell 12
LD Chandimal c Bell b Jordan 6
AD Mathews* c †Buttler b Jordan 11
SMA Priyanjan run out (Bopara) 2
KMDN Kulasekara c Tredwell b Jordan 5
SMSM Senanayake c sub (CR Woakes) b Tredwell 0
HMRKB Herath not out 0
SL Malinga lbw b Jordan 2
EXTRAS (lb 3, w 4) 7
TOTAL (all out; 24 overs) 67
FALL OF WICKETS 1-4 (Dilshan, 2.6 ov), 2-13 (Thirimanne, 4.5 ov), 3-32 (Sangakkara, 11.2 ov), 4-45 (Chandimal, 15.4 ov), 5-58 (Jayawardene, 18.1 ov), 6-60 (Mathews, 19.3 ov), 7-65 (Priyanjan, 21.4 ov), 8-65 (Kulasekara, 21.6 ov), 9-65 (Senanayake, 22.1 ov), 10-67 (Malinga, 23.6 ov)
BOWLING
JM Anderson 7-2-10-2, HF Gurney 6-1-23-0, CJ Jordan 8-0-29-5, JC Tredwell 3-1-2-2
ENGLAND
AN Cook* not out 30
IR Bell not out 41
EXTRAS (w 2) 2
TOTAL (0 wickets; 12.1 overs) 73 (6.00 runs per over)
DID NOT BAT: GS Ballance, JE Root, EJG Morgan, RS Bopara, JC Buttler†, CJ Jordan, JC Tredwell, JM Anderson, HF Gurney
BOWLING
KMDN Kulasekara 3-0-14-0, SL Malinga 3-0-13-0, HMRKB Herath 3.1-0-29-0, SMSM Senanayake 1-0-8-0, SMA Priyanjan 2-0-9-0
Match details
Toss – England, who chose to field
Series – England led the 5-match series 2-1
Player of the match – tba
Umpires – CB Gaffaney (New Zealand) and MA Gough
TV umpire – M Erasmus (South Africa)
Match referee – JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire – RT Robinson
