T20 WC: Nissanka powers Sri Lanka to 141/8 versus England
Jos Buttler-led England need to chase a target of 142 to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. Opting to bat, SL racked up 141/8, thanks to a ferocious inning from opener Pathum Nissanka (67). The Lankans, however, lost the plot in the middle and death-overs. Ace leg-spinner Adil Rashid (1/16) and pacer Mark Wood (3/26) were the best bets among English bowlers. Here's more.
SL cruise to 54/1 in the PP overs
It was a terrific start for SL, with Nissanka clubbing a flat six and tallying nine runs in the first over. With six runs off Chris Woakes, SL plundered 17 runs off Mark Wood, with Kusal Mendis and Nissanka tonking a six each. SL lost Mendis but managed 20 runs in the next two overs combined, before a frugal two-run encounter with Rashid.
Ninth T20I fifty for Nissanka
Nissanka put the Three Lions under the cosh throughout his stay. He raced to a 32-ball fifty, his ninth in T20Is. Most notably, the right-hander clocked his fifth half-century in T20 World Cup, second-most by a Lankan after Mahela Jayawardene (7). He equaled the likes of AB de Villiers and Shane Watson (five 50s each). Nissanka breached the 1,000-run mark, surpassing Pakistan's Kamran Akmal (987).
Run machine Nissanka inks this feat
As per ESPNcricinfo, Nissanka has become only the 10th Lankan batter to surpass the 1,000-run mark in the format. He has raced to 1,015 runs in 36 matches, averaging 29.85. He whipped a 45-ball 67, comprising two fours and five maximums before Rashid pulled curtains to his stay. Notably, he was involved in three 30-plus stands, leading SL's charge.
Rashid winds up with economical numbers
Leg-spinner Rashid wound up with the best economy among the English bowlers (4.00). He uprooted a well-set Nissanka and conceded only 16 runs in his allotted four overs. The effort saw him steer to 90 T20I scalps at 25.95, equaling fellow countryman Chris Jordan. Versus SL, Rashid now owns 10 wickets at 15.20. As for T20 WCs, he holds 18 wickets at 28.11.
SL eye a clinical win over England
England have dominated the Lankan Lions in terms of head-to-head record in T20Is (9-4). Sri Lanka last defeated the Three Lions in the format in 2014. Meanwhile, England recorded a 3-0 clean sweep when these two sides last met in a bilateral T20I series in 2021. In T20 WCs, the Brits have four wins and a solitary defeat against Sri Lanka.
