Sri Lanka secured an 8-wicket victory in the 25th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Both teams entered the Bangalore clash seeking to secure a win to stay in contention for a semi-final spot in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
England’s captain, Jos Buttler, won the toss and opted to bat first. However, England’s batting performance was dismal, as they were dismissed for a mere 156 runs in just 33.2 overs.
Ben Stokes was the only batsman to surpass 40 runs, but his wicket fell in the 31st over, effectively ending England’s hopes of posting a competitive total. Except for Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who scored 30 runs, none of the English batsmen could stay at the crease for an extended period.
Sri Lanka, under the leadership of Kusal Mendis, made quick work of England’s top and middle order, delivering a strong bowling performance. Angelo Matthews, in his first ODI of the ongoing World Cup 2023, took a couple of crucial wickets, significantly contributing to England’s downfall.
Despite a shaky start, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama forged a remarkable 137-run partnership that eventually led their team to victory and kept their World Cup 2023 campaign alive.
England now faces an uphill battle to make it to the semi-finals and will square off against India, the only undefeated team in the tournament, in Lucknow on Sunday, October 29.
Playing XIs
England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes Jos Buttler (c) (wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c) (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka.
