wow! Plunkett clears the front dog, leans back for glory, and blatters the ball high over long-off! Pradeep's yorker was a millimetre shy of perfection, and that was all the excuse the big man needed!
England vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI at Nottingham, Jun 21 2016 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
1st ODI (D/N), Nottingham, June 21, 2016, Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland
New
ENG
Full commentary
end of over 5013 runs
ENG: 286/8CRR: 5.72
Liam Plunkett22 (11b 2x4 1x6)
Chris Woakes95 (92b 4x4)
Nuwan Pradeep 10-0-64-2
Suranga Lakmal 10-0-65-2
10.10pm Right, that's been quite a start to the series. George Dobell's match report will be here when he has caught his breath, and here are some pics of a memorable night. . From myself, Andrew Miller, and Alan Gardner, good night and tune in on Friday for the second ODI at Edgbaston.
10.02pm Here are the captains. First, Mathews: "We had the game in the bag for most of the overs, but unfortunately the yorker fell just off-line. It happens, unfortunately for bowlers. All the bowlers bowled really well, we should have got at least 300 on that wicket. We bowled pretty well but were pretty poor in the field."
His hamstring, he attempts, is "pretty stiff". Let's hope he recovers before Edgbaston.
Morgan: "To come out with a tie is pleasing because a performance like that can mask what a poor day we've had. Buttler, Woakes and Liam Plunkett got us out of a hole at the end. Jos called on his experience and Chris played out of his skin."
Chris Woakes is the Man of the Match for two wickets and a vital 95. "It's great to tie after being in a tricky position. We were calm in that partnership, ticking over nicely. But when you are in that position you don't think too much. When you need ten off two you have to clear the ropes, and for Plunksy to hit that ball like that was exceptional. I was struggling to find the fence."
10pm The key to that grand finale, of course, was England's scrambled three off the penultimate ball ... Sri Lanka thought they'd won it there and then. Kapil: "I would rate that to foolishness of Mahroof. There was no 3 there and maximum 2 should have been the result. And he if all remember bowled poorly on that last over and couldn't hit even a 2 off the last ball. "
Kalyan: "Players to tie an ODI with a 6 off the last ball: A Mujtaba v AUS, Hobart, 1992 M Rippon v IRE, Amstelveen, 2013 L PLUNKETT today " That is too definitive a list to ignore ... our stats bods will doubtless dig out a full link in due course.
simon: "Finally England might take to take Liam Plunkett seriously - I am a massive fan, even if he is a damned Northerner. He has been undervalued by the powers-that be"
9.55pm Cricket, bloody hell ...! What a sensational contest.
And here is Plunkett: "Nice to get that one out ... Woakesy put us in a great position and we bat all the way down. We scrambled that three, then hoped he'd just miss it a bit. It's good for the team to know we bat all the way down ..." And some... he was meant to be England's No.11!
No Super Over by the way, none of those gimmicks in 50-over cricket!
49.6
6
Pradeep to Plunkett, SIX runs
Gosh. Lots of conflabs among the brains trust. Tell them to go away, Nuwan!
49.5
3
Pradeep to Woakes, 3 runs
stunning bowling, right up in the blockhole, but England somehow scamper back for three to fine leg, even as Sri Lanka were celebrating! A bit soon for that because ... six to tie, and Plunkett's big levers on strike!
49.4
•
Pradeep to Woakes, no run
attempted yorker, inswinging, and Pradeep pounces in his followthrough. Woakes had given up on getting back to his crease but the shy goes inches wide ... dot ball ..
49.3
1
Pradeep to Plunkett, 1 run
another yorker, inswinging into the pads, and bundled out into the off-side off inside-edge and pad. England get the run, but they need boundaries now ...
11 off 4 ...
49.2
1
Pradeep to Woakes, 1 run
yorker, that's superb. Woakes has no choice but to lay bat on ball and save his stumps from being splattered
49.1
2
Pradeep to Woakes, 2 runs
slower ball, battered on the up to long-off and Plunkett gallops like a rogue mule to get back for the second run ... 12 from five...
end of over 4916 runs
ENG: 273/8CRR: 5.57 • RRR: 14.00
Chris Woakes89 (88b 4x4)
Liam Plunkett15 (9b 2x4)
Suranga Lakmal 10-0-65-2
Farveez Maharoof 10-0-59-1
So, 14 to win... England had 19 to defend in their last white-ball outing. Now then, how did that one pan out?
48.6
1
Lakmal to Woakes, 1 run
full toss, walloped out to midwicket, and though Woakes keeps the strike he's livid he didn't put that out of the ground ...
48.5
4
Lakmal to Woakes, FOUR runs
scooped again, over the keeper and short fine leg, and a teasing chase for Maharoof, who oddly chooses to dive with his feet, when a face-first dive might just have hauled it in at fine leg! This is turning into a massive over ... one ball here could make the difference now
48.4
1
Lakmal to Plunkett, 1 run
another shimmy down the leg-side, and Lakmal follows him once again, gets it in the blockhole this time, and worked to mid-on
david: "Anyone else hasn't had dinner yet? - Talk about starving for England!" Dinner? I haven't had lunch yet!
48.3
1
Lakmal to Woakes, 1 run
wide of off stump, guided out to deep point with a flat bat. One more ...
48.3
2w
Lakmal to Plunkett, 2 wide
speared down the leg side, as Plunkett made room and the bowler followed him. And England steal the bye too ... this is getting tight once again ...
48.2
4
Lakmal to Plunkett, FOUR runs
scooped for four! Vital runs, Plunkett made his intentions plain before the ball had arrived, but nailed it all the same
48.1
3
Lakmal to Woakes, 3 runs
low full toss, and spanked through the covers, a stunning dive cuts off the boundary, and Danushka flaps like a beached haddock to get his body back over the rope without touching the ball. Excellent work!
end of over 4810 runs
ENG: 257/8CRR: 5.35 • RRR: 15.00
Chris Woakes80 (84b 3x4)
Liam Plunkett10 (7b 1x4)
Farveez Maharoof 10-0-59-1
Suranga Lakmal 9-0-49-2
Maharoof is bowled out, his spell has been a lot better than 10-0-59-1 suggests... here's Lakmal for his last ...
47.6
1
Maharoof to Woakes, 1 run
inside-out lofted drive, good contact but the placement is lacking as deep extra cover tidies up
47.5
2
Maharoof to Woakes, 2 runs
a cross-batted smear, and excellent running turns a miscue into two valuable runs
47.4
4
Maharoof to Woakes, FOUR runs
in the slot at last, and Woakes holds his shape to nine-iron it back over the bowler's head. Millimetres short of the rope, but vital all the same
47.3
1
Maharoof to Plunkett, 1 run
another smack through the leg-side, short again
47.2
1
Maharoof to Woakes, 1 run
another single, England need a boundary urgently
Sajith: "It's completely fair to give the benefit of the doubt to the bowler in that case. No ball is naturally an on field umpires call. If it even has to be checked under magnification , thats not entirely fair to the bowler." In the absence of any instant cameras on the crease, I endorse this comment
47.1
1
Maharoof to Plunkett, 1 run
short, and walloped fiercely out to deep midwicket. But straight to the man ...
end of over 479 runs
ENG: 247/8CRR: 5.25 • RRR: 13.33
Liam Plunkett8 (5b 1x4)
Chris Woakes72 (80b 2x4)
Suranga Lakmal 9-0-49-2
Farveez Maharoof 9-0-49-1
46.6
1
Lakmal to Plunkett, 1 run
a big wind-up but no real contact. That's another fine over, as England's chase gets that little bit more distant
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