England v Sri Lanka, 2016
Wisden's review of the first ODI, England v Sri Lanka, 2016
Dean Wilson
15-Apr-2017
At Nottingham, June 21 (day/night). Tied. England 1pt, Sri Lanka 1pt. Toss: England.
England recovered from a seemingly hopeless position to conjure a tie, sealed by Plunkett's last gasp six. Sri Lanka's total had owed much to Mathews, who faced 109 deliveries for his 73, and a turbocharged 59 off 28 from Prasanna. He smacked four sixes, and only three of his runs did not come in boundaries. Shanaka and Maharoof, who had been recalled for this tour after four years out of favour, helped boost the total to 286, before Mathews took two quick wickets as England lurched to 30 for four. Despite 43 from captain Morgan, it was soon 82 for six - but Mathews had left the field with a hamstring twinge, and Sri Lanka fell apart as Buttler got going. He and Woakes put on 138, the second-best for the seventh wicket in all one-day internationals, behind Buttler's own 177 with Rashid against New Zealand at Edgbaston a year earlier. Buttler finally fell in the 43rd over, well caught by Shanaka perilously close to the long-on boundary, but Woakes carried on, more than doubling his previous-highest ODI score of 42. He and Plunkett - one of five Yorkshire players for England, a record for any county in a one-day international - required 30 from two overs, then 14 from the last, bowled by Pradeep Fernando. When the penultimate ball failed to reach the boundary, the Sri Lankans started celebrating - too early, as the batsmen scrambled three. Plunkett made room, and hammered the last delivery high over mid-off to force the first tie between the countries. Woakes, meanwhile, finished unbeaten on 95, the highest ODI score from No. 8 or below, beating Andre Russell's 92 not out (from No. 9) for West Indies against India in Antigua in 2011.
Man of the Match: C. R. Woakes.
England recovered from a seemingly hopeless position to conjure a tie, sealed by Plunkett's last gasp six. Sri Lanka's total had owed much to Mathews, who faced 109 deliveries for his 73, and a turbocharged 59 off 28 from Prasanna. He smacked four sixes, and only three of his runs did not come in boundaries. Shanaka and Maharoof, who had been recalled for this tour after four years out of favour, helped boost the total to 286, before Mathews took two quick wickets as England lurched to 30 for four. Despite 43 from captain Morgan, it was soon 82 for six - but Mathews had left the field with a hamstring twinge, and Sri Lanka fell apart as Buttler got going. He and Woakes put on 138, the second-best for the seventh wicket in all one-day internationals, behind Buttler's own 177 with Rashid against New Zealand at Edgbaston a year earlier. Buttler finally fell in the 43rd over, well caught by Shanaka perilously close to the long-on boundary, but Woakes carried on, more than doubling his previous-highest ODI score of 42. He and Plunkett - one of five Yorkshire players for England, a record for any county in a one-day international - required 30 from two overs, then 14 from the last, bowled by Pradeep Fernando. When the penultimate ball failed to reach the boundary, the Sri Lankans started celebrating - too early, as the batsmen scrambled three. Plunkett made room, and hammered the last delivery high over mid-off to force the first tie between the countries. Woakes, meanwhile, finished unbeaten on 95, the highest ODI score from No. 8 or below, beating Andre Russell's 92 not out (from No. 9) for West Indies against India in Antigua in 2011.
Man of the Match: C. R. Woakes.