LONDON: Sri
Lanka weathered a brilliant knock of 121 by Jos Buttler to beat England
by seven runs in the fourth one-day international and take the
five-match series to a decider at 2-2.
Veteran
left-hander Kumar Sangakkara struck 112 for his 19th ODI century as Sri
Lanka posted 300-9 under sunny skies, setting England a tough target to
clinch the series at Lord´s.
The big-hitting Buttler came
in with his team unraveling on 111-5 but took England to the brink of
victory with a 61-ball century, sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of
133 with Ravi Bopara (51).
England required 12 off the
last over but wily paceman Lasith Malinga took the wicket of Chris
Jordan and then ran out Buttler, a typically masterful over of line and
length giving him final figures of 3-52. England finished on 293-8.
The
fifth ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday will settle an oscillating,
unpredictable series that peaked at the home of cricket thanks to two
superb innings from players at the opposite ends of the careers.
The
36-year-old Sangakkara hit some delightful, flourishing shots to the
boundary, mainly through the off side, in his 104-ball knock that
contained 14 fours.
He came to the middle following Kusal
Perera´s departure for 19 and shared a second-wicket stand of 172 with
Tillakaratne Dilshan (71).
They reached their
half-centuries in consecutive deliveries before the ever-entertaining
Dilshan tried his trademark "Dilscoop" — a paddle shot over his head and
behind the wicketkeeper — three times in one over, picking up
boundaries from two of them.
Dilshan succumbed to the same
shot against James Anderson, however, when he bent down to scoop the
ball over his shoulder, missed it and was bowled. Sangakkara´s knock
ended after advancing down the wicket to smash spinner James Tredwell,
but missed the ball and got stumped.
Mahela Jayawardene´s
miserable series continued when he was dismissed by Harry Gurney (4-55)
for 7, helping to slow Sri Lanka´s scoring rate. But the tourists
averaged 10 per over off the final four overs as they scrambled to the
psychologically important 300-run mark.
In the third ODI
in Manchester on Wednesday, the tourists had been skittled out for just
67.Malinga removed Alastair Cook (1) and Ian Bell (7) inside the first
20 balls of England reply, and the hosts were further unstuck by losing
Gary Ballance for 42 and Joe Root for 43, exposing the middle order.
Eoin
Morgan´s departure for 12 brought Buttler to the crease for what was
one of the best ODI innings by an Englishman. He kissed his helmet when
he reached his maiden ODI century — the fastest ever at Lord´s — and
went on to make the highest ODI score by an English wicketkeeper.
With
five overs left, England required 56 but Buttler hit 19 off five balls
from Ajantha Mendis in the 46th over to give the hosts renewed
hope.Malinga — arguably the best death bowler in cricket — shot down
their chances, though, and kept the series alive. (AP)
