Eng v SL 4th ODI Review: Roy’s heroics see England accomplish 2nd most successful run chase

The action moved to the Kennington Oval for the all-important 4th ODI of the 5-match series between England and Sri Lanka. With 2 of the 5 possible games already yielding virtually no results, the 4th match of the series was a crucial one. After the first match ended in a tie, England came back strong to thump Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the 2nd match. The 3rd ODI was washed away. This meant that the 4th ODI was all about survival for the visitors in the series and on the other hand, it was about the series win and total domination for the hosts.

England won the toss and opted to bowl first in the overcast conditions in London. Sri Lanka went with an unchanged squad and preferred to play an extra seamer in place of Suraj Randiv. England brought in Adil Rashid for Chris Jordan. Contrasting approach at the start of the game!

Sri Lanka suffered an early blow as Kusal Perera (1) was dismissed in the second over of the match, courtesy of a brilliant run out by Johnny Bairstow. His opening partner, Danushka Gunathilaka, was joined by Kusal Mendis in the middle. After the early jolt, the young men battled it out hard to lead the counter attack for the Sri Lanka team.

Mendis, in particular, looked to take charge on the English pacers as Sri Lanka scored briskly to reach 64/1 by the end of 10 overs. In the 14th over, Mendis raced to his half century. It was only a matter of time that Sri Lanka went past the 100-run mark and looked solid at 127/1 in 18.1 overs when rain intervened. Mendis, who was batting at 75*, was well supported by Gunathilaka’s 48* at the rain intervention break.

After a long delay, the covers were off and the play resumed, however, it was a rain-curtailed game of 42-overs a side. In the very first over after the rain delay, Gunathilaka brought up his half century as well. But the delay proved to be disastrous for Mendis, as he lost his wicket in the very next over. It was Adil Rashid who dismissed him on 77 that came off 64 balls with 13 boundaries. In walked Dinesh Chandimal and he started off from the fifth gear.

Chandimal lost the support of Gunathilaka in the 24th over, when the latter was dismissed on 62 (64) by Adil Rashid. But he continued to score at a quick rate and launched 3 sixes into the stands. He was joined by skipper Angelo Mathews, who, too, was looking in an ominous destructive touch. They added 87 runs in 80 balls for the 4th wicket. In the process, Chandimal brought up his fifty in style in the 35th over, when he hopped Liam Plunkett over the third man fence for a maximum. A couple of overs later, it was David Willey, who got through his defences and sent him packing on 63 that came off 51 balls.

Seekugge Prasanna’s wooden work was also shattered by Willey as he departed after scoring just 9. Dasun Shanaka’s quick unbeaten 19 off 10 and Mathews plundering effort of unbeaten 67 off 54 balls (6 fours and a six) saw Sri Lanka go past 300 and eventually put on 305/5 by the end of their stipulated 42 overs. It was a massive score by the visitors and it needed some serious hitting by England to overhaul this effort. The Duckworth-Lewis revised target for England was to chase 308 in 42 overs.

England sent Moeen Ali as the makeshift opener, as Alex Hales had injured himself during the Sri Lankan innings, to open the innings with Jason Roy. However, the move backfired as Ali had to go back to the pavilion in the 4th over after being dismissed by Nuwan Pradeep on just 2. Joe Root was the new man in at the crease. Root and Roy played beautifully to ease out England to the score of 61 in the first 10 overs. Roy raced to yet another half century in the 11th over and looked set for a big one on the occasion. England took just 12.3 overs to reach the 100 run mark and the batsmen were surely keeping a check on the required run rate. Jason Roy never held his emotions back and kept bludgeoning the Sri Lanka bowling line up mercilessly.

Root gave firm support to Roy and brought up his fifty in the 18th over. However, he had to walk back on 65 (54) as Gunathilaka got rid of him in the 22nd over. In walked Eoin Morgan, whose stay at the crease for 22 runs lasted 27 balls. He became Surnaga Lakmal’s victim on the day. Johnny Bairstow was the new man in.

However, it was just one man who drew all the attention, and this chase belonged solely to him. He reached his 3rd ODI ton in the 24th over and it was his 2nd ton this series. It didn’t take him long enough to reach yet another milestone. He raced past 150 in the 35th over. Handshakes and hugs were the scenes at the Oval. It was in the 38th over when Nuwan Pradeep took the pace off the ball to go through his defences and end one of the greatest knocks you would ever see.

Roy hammered 162 runs off just 118 balls with 13 fours and 3 sixes. In the process, he had put England in the driver’s seat of the run chase. It was mere formality from there on as Bairstow (29* off 27) and Jos Buttler (17* off 8) saw England home by 6 wickets and bring up the second most successful run chase for England in the history of the game.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka – 305/5 in 42 overs (Mendis 77, Mathews 67*, Rashid 2/57, Willey 2/58)

England – 309/4 in 40.1 overs (Roy 162, Root 65, Pradeep 2/78, Gunathilaka 1/30)