Kumar Sangakkara’s first century at Lord’s laid the platform for Sri Lanka’s nailbiting seven-run series-leveling win against England in the fourth one-day international on Saturday.
Just days after they had been shot out for 67 during a 10-wicket defeat at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka made 300-9 after being sent in.
Sangakkara’s 112 — his first hundred at Lord’s in any format — was the centerpiece and together with Tillakaratne Dilshan (71), he put on 172 for the second wicket after they had managed just 15 runs between them in Manchester.
Photo: AFP
England needed what would have been their joint second-highest total to win a one-day international.
Their chase was rocked immediately when Lasith Malinga reduced England to 10-2 by removing captain Alastair Cook and Ian Bell.
Jos Buttler, who came in at 111-5, brought the hosts back into the match with a brilliant maiden one-day hundred off just 61 deliveries, the quickest ever scored by an England batsman.
Buttler also broke the equivalent Lord’s ground record of 82 deliveries for a one-day hundred set by West Indies great Clive Lloyd during the 1975 World Cup final.
Together with Ravi Bopara (51), the man-of-the-match shared a sixth-wicket stand of 133 that left England eyeing a remarkable win.
England got the target down to 20 off two overs and then 12 off the final one, bowled by Malinga.
Buttler took a first-ball single, but Chris Jordan then drove Malinga straight to Dilshan at long on.
Buttler then took two, only to be run out for 121 off the fourth ball when he dug out a yorker straight back to Malinga.
In all he faced just 74 deliveries, with 11 fours and four sixes.
A target of nine off two balls was beyond new batsman James Tredwell, and Malinga, who took 3-52, showed again his superb death bowling to leave the series all square at 2-2 ahead of tomorrow’s finale at Edgbaston.
“That was one hell of a game,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said at the presentation ceremony. “It was one of the best innings I’ve seen; Jos batted brilliantly. But we saved the best til last, and it’s pretty hard to get 10 runs off Lasith Malinga.”
“Sangakkara and Dilshan batted extremely well — they set the platform,” Mathews said.
For Buttler, whose century was his first in 32 one-day internationals, it was a case of mixed emotions on a day when both teams’ wicketkeepers made hundreds.
“That’s the best I’ve ever played. It’s brilliant to play that well, but it’s disappointing not to get over the line,” said the 23-year-old, who broke the England record for a one-day hundred of 69 deliveries set by the exiled Kevin Pietersen against South Africa at East London in 2005.
England captain Alastair Cook admitted his side’s top-order batting left Buttler with too much to do.
“It was looking pretty bleak before Buttler and Bopara got going. We know we have to play the first 30 overs better,” Cook said.
Earlier, Sangakkara’s 19th ODI century saw the 36-year-old take 13 deliveries to get off the mark, but such was the composure and experience of the left-hander, playing his 373rd match at this level, that he never looked flustered.
Sangakkara found his touch in the 18th over with three boundaries in successive deliveries from Joe Root.
Dilshan fell when he was bowled by James Anderson after attempting one Dilscoop shot too many.
Sangakkara’s two off Jordan saw him to a 95-ball hundred with 13 fours.
However, Sangakkara was dismissed when off-spinner Tredwell had him stumped by Buttler.
Malinga struck with his first ball when he had Cook LBW on review, before fellow opener Bell edged the slingshot seamer to Mahela Jayawardene at slip.
Gary Ballance (42) and Root (43) staunched the flow of wickets, but the Yorkshire duo’s stand of 84 contained just three fours as England went 21 overs without a boundary.
Sangakkara took an excellent catch off spinner Ajantha Mendis after Ballance played a reverse sweep and when he stumped Eoin Morgan, England were 111-5.
An undaunted Buttler hit cleanly and went to fifty by driving seamer Nuwan Kulasekara for six before later twice driving him over the extra cover boundary off successive deliveries.
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