bowled him! Neck and crop! What a brilliant delivery; just back of a length, the perfect wicket-to-wicket delivery to clip the top of off. Great finish, well done Sri Lanka, well done Fernando. Great stuff!
Sri Lanka vs England, 33rd Match, Super Eights at North Sound, Apr 04 2007 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
33rd Match, Super Eights, North Sound, April 04, 2007, ICC World Cup
New
ENG
Full commentary
end of over 509 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 233/8CRR: 4.66
Sajid Mahmood2 (2b)
Dilhara Fernando 9-0-41-3
Lasith Malinga 10-1-50-2
Well, this has been excellent stuff from Sri Lanka, holding their nerve, bowling well and that's a great match and they deserve the win. Good batting from Nixon and Bopara, sneaking up on the outside and taking England close, but with no cigar. There will be some consolation, though, as the defeat is so narrow, it won't have much of a detrimental effect on their net run rate if it comes down to it.
This is the kind of match the tournament's been crying out for and, after Sri Lanka are involved in another close finish, here's Fernando: "A fantastic game, I think I did well today. I think the boys are playing really well." He explains that Jayawardene told him to bowl in the block hole, no slower balls, and his advice paid off.
Thanks for joining us today, hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have, and that's halfway through the Super Eight stage now. The next World Cup match is this Saturday, when Bangladesh take on South Africa, so do join us then.
49.6
W
Fernando to Bopara, OUT
Ravi Bopara b Fernando 52 (53b 4x4 0x6 85m) SR: 98.11
Fernando pulls out of that delivery! It just didn't seem to come out of his hand, at all, he got right through the action. Take two...
49.5
1
Fernando to Mahmood, 1 run
drives that one into his foot, it drops forward and they run the single
The batsmen having a bit of word now, as you would. So tense now
49.4
1
Fernando to Bopara, 1 run
outside off and that's driven out to the sweeper on the off side and Mahmood's now on strike
49.3
2
Fernando to Bopara, 2 runs
drives that through cover and they press back to get the second - and that's his fifty from 51 balls
49.2
4
Fernando to Bopara, FOUR runs
so well played, so calm, Bopara helping that from off and merely presenting the face of the bat, a paddle, so delicate, and that runs away. Just uses the pace, and that runs over short fine leg and on its way
49.1
1
Fernando to Mahmood, 1 run
on off and that's a quick single - and, crucially for England, Bopara will now be on strike
end of over 497 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 224/7CRR: 4.57 • RRR: 12.00
Ravi Bopara45 (49b 3x4)
Sajid Mahmood0 (0b)
Lasith Malinga 10-1-50-2
Muthiah Muralidaran 10-1-48-1
12 needed from the final over. Who will bowl it? Mahmood will face, that's for sure. Fernando to bowl the final over.
48.6
4
Malinga to Bopara, FOUR runs
great clean strike of a cover drive - have to admire that one, just lacing that away. Malinga just flashes another of his beaming smiles
Brilliant bowling from Malinga, keeping his head here. It's great that Nixon and Bopara took England so close and made it a contest, but Sri Lanka have the upper hand now, and will deserve the win. A change of balls, by the way, seven balls to go now.
Bopara's facing as they crossed
48.5
W
Malinga to Nixon, OUT
that must be the final blow, you'd expect. Big, big wicket that - Nixon went to smack that high over extra cover, but there just wasn't the room to bunt it that far, and that's a great effort from him
Paul Nixon c Jayawardene b Malinga 42 (44b 2x4 1x6 72m) SR: 95.45
Jayawardene just coming over to have a word, Malinga smiling
48.4
1
Malinga to Bopara, 1 run
outside off and that's another calm delivery from Malinga, very good indeed, that on the spot and just worked forward
48.3
•
Malinga to Bopara, no run
great delivery, Bopara moving outside leg to give himself room to plant that through the off side - that goes down the corridor and he was nowhere near it
48.2
1
Malinga to Nixon, 1 run
takes that from outside off to drive it in front of midwicket
This is great to watch, whoever wins, it's so nice to have a contest
48.1
1
Malinga to Bopara, 1 run
outside off, Bopara lays bat on that one, driving it to cover
end of over 4813 runs
ENG: 217/6CRR: 4.52 • RRR: 9.50
Paul Nixon41 (42b 2x4 1x6)
Ravi Bopara39 (45b 2x4)
Muthiah Muralidaran 10-1-48-1
Lasith Malinga 9-1-43-1
Great placement from Nixon.
Malinga is warming up now - 19 from 12 balls. Where's your money now?
47.6
4
Murali to Nixon, FOUR runs
another reverse sweep and that goes fine - the fielder chases it down, just gets a hand on it, but merely helps it on its way
47.5
•
Murali to Nixon, no run
47.4
6
Murali to Nixon, SIX runs
big reverse sweep and that just clears the man on the cover boundary - finally nails that shot and that's pretty cool, you have to say
47.3
1
Murali to Bopara, 1 run
outside edge flies in the air... but safe... directly behind the keeper. Ah, apparently it was off the pad
47.2
1
Murali to Nixon, 1 run
connects with the reverse sweep but picks out the sweeper inside the boundary
47.1
1
Murali to Bopara, 1 run
goes for a big aerial whoosh of a sweep off one knee, but can only tuck that one into the ground
end of over 477 runs
ENG: 204/6CRR: 4.34 • RRR: 10.66
Ravi Bopara37 (43b 2x4)
Paul Nixon30 (38b 1x4)
Lasith Malinga 9-1-43-1
Dilhara Fernando 8-0-32-2
32 from three overs, with both Murali and Malinga having an over left each. Our money - and Will's match report - is still with Sri Lanka just now. But it's still game on - let's see who's got the bigger fight in them. It's Murali, now
46.6
1
Malinga to Bopara, 1 run
outside off and Bopara drove that into his shin and there's a quick single
46.5
1
Malinga to Nixon, 1 run
down the track again but can only pick out the man at midwicket