England’s nailbiting 10-run victory ensured they qualified for next week’s semi-finals and knocked Sri Lanka out in the process in their do-or-die showdown in New Delhi.
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England became the third team to reach the semifinals after beating Sri Lanka by 10 runs at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday. Mathews was happy that they could come this close after being four down for 15 within the first three overs.
Sri Lanka’s surrender of the trophy they won in 2014 is further evidence of their decline in the last two years, a process accelerated by the retirements of batting legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. He smashed 3 fours and 5 sixes in his 54-ball knock which has kept Sri Lanka in the hunt.
Now Sri Lanka needed 35 runs with four wickets in hand, and Mathews, having completed his fifty, was still at the crease.
Sri Lanka lost skipper Lasith Malinga due to injury and players such as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thisara Perera could not put up consistent performances.
Unbeaten 66 from Buttler and Morgan’s cameo late in the innings propelled England to 171 for 4 after 20 overs against Sri Lanka under the lights at Delhi. “I think in three of our wins we’ve had to show an vast amount of character”, he said.
England took 72 runs off the last five overs and ended up with 171/4, just about a par score on this dewy ground.
Hales and Roy were instrumental in that 230-run chase against South Africa, and as the scorer of a World T20 hundred against Sri Lanka two years ago his presence is a huge boost for England after getting over the back spasm that sidelined him against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
“Hasty decisions will not solve this matter, so we have got to try and be patient”, he said.
England captain Eoin Morgan has said that he did not come into the ICC World T20 with an aim of achieving a specific target but the endeavour has always been to get the best out of the available resources.
England went in to the match as favourites to win.
Asked to bat first in pursuit of a semi-final spot they posted what looked a competitive total built around Jason Roy’s 42 at the top of order and Buttler’s wonderful ball-striking in the second half of the innings.
At the time of going to the press, Sri Lanka were struggling at 28 for 4 after five over.
Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were on the receiving off some fierce hitting from the Sri Lankans, with both men conceding 21 in a single over.
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With West Indies already through as group winners ahead of England, Australia and India will meet today to decide the final semi-finalist for Thursday’s knockout in Mumbai.
