Twitter Reactions: England edge Lanka in rain-curtailed match at Dambulla

After the first match in Dambulla between Sri Lanka and England was washed off, the relentless rain came back to play spoilsport once again at the same venue. In the end, the much-debated Duckworth Lewis System came into play and the visiting team benefitted from the same and won the match by a margin of 31 runs. Most importantly, they look a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Morgan guides the Three Lions

England didn’t have the best of starts after being put into bats first by the home team as Jason Roy was cleaned up by Lasith Malinga in the very first over. However, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root held their nerves and steadied the Poms’ ship with a stand of 72 runs 80 deliveries. Thisara Perera broke the stand with Bairstow’s wicket. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan took responsibility thereafter.

Their stand of 68 runs followed by Morgan and Ben Stokes’s half-century stand laid the platform for a flourish in the death overs. Unfortunately, Malinga pinned the English captain for 92 runs in the 42nd over to bring the match in the Islanders favour. The Brits lost quite a few wickets and courtesy of a 15-ball 19 run cameo from Adil Rashid, they managed 278/9 in their 50 overs.

Duckworth Lewis saves England

the run chase didn’t start on an auspicious note for England as Chris Woakes and Olly Stone got rid of Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella inside the fourth over. Skipper Dinesh Chandimal became Woakes’ second victim. The English fast bowler nipped out his third wicket in the form of Dasun Shanaka. The onus was then on Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva.

Nevertheless, Perera fell prey to left-arm spinner Liam Dawson to become Lanka’s fifth wicket. But de Silva and Thisara Perera buckled down to cobble together a stand of 66 runs in 78 balls. To their dismay, just when it seemed that the pair was bringing Lanka back into the match, the heavens opened up and it eventually ensured that no further play was possible on the day.

Here is how Twitter reacted

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