Kumar signs off at Pallekele in great style
The Sri Lankans gave another dominating display of limited over cricket to crush England by 90 runs and take the five-match series 4-2, with one game left to be played, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, yesterday.
There was only one winner after Kumar Sangakkara had raced away to a 112-ball knock of 112. His liaison with Dilshan, which produced 153 for the second wicket, knocked the stuffing out of the opponents.
When they took the field, Senanayake showed the way with a couple of early wickets. Lakmal rubbed salt into English wounds with a superb mid-innings burst.
This was an eminently forgettable game for Alastair Cook’s side – their problems began at the top – with the captain. Their much talked of team ethics has led to mediocrity replacing brilliance. A costly mistake if ever there was one.
Sri Lanka’s search for T.M. Dilshan’s partner took a new turn when Mahela Jayawardena partnered the former after Angelo Mathews had won the toss in the 6th ODI at Pallekele. However, the union was short-lived as Jayawardena fell cheaply, caught off a leading edge.
Finn and Woakes bowled good opening spells conceding only 26 runs in the first ten overs. With the introduction of spin, Sangakkara and Dilshan began to assert themselves. Sangakkara greeted Jordan with a back cut forcer and flicked another to square leg. Dilshan had earlier back cut Moeen Ali for a four.
England wasted an opportunity of dismissing the hugely prolific Sangakkara, when Cook dropped a regulation catch at mid-off with the batsman 
on 41. There was no second chance as the old form of Sangakkara and Dilshan contrived to put the bowlers to the sword. Sangakkara reached his 92nd fifty coming down the track to Ali and hoisting a boundary over mid-off. He also swung a short delivery from Chris Jordan for six over square leg.
Dilshan got to his 41st half century by whipping a leg side delivery from Ravi Bopara to the fine leg boundary. At this stage, a bewildered Cook was changing his bowlers with great regularity. The pace pair was probably held back for the power play overs.
Surprisingly, Seekkuge Prasanna came in at a four. It was a hit or miss knock of 20 in 12 balls by him. He swung two over the ropes, put two in the air and escaped. His luck ran out when he sliced a Steven Finn delivery to Eoin Morgan at point.
Mathews touched one down the leg side and became Finn’s second victim.
Sangakkara reached his 20th ODI hundred with a lofted shot over mid off, forcing Cook into a field alteration. He had the freedom of the park now and was even tempted into a switch hit. However, he succumbed at 112, playing a tired looking shot into the covers.
Thisara Perera indulged in some big hitting, making 16 off ten balls, before being taken at mid off. Dinesh Chandimal did his chances no harm with an innings of 35.
James Treadwell, the pick of the bowlers, was quite miserly. Chris Woakes bowled an excellent first spell, but went for a few in his second and third. Jordan took two for plenty in his nine overs.
Latterly, the English fielding was quite sloppy. The, at-times, immobile Jos Buttler conceded a few extras as the off-breaks went past him. He also failed to stump Chandimal.
England’s hopes of a great start evaporated almost as soon as the innings began. Cook was leg before to his second delivery and trudged back, a forlorn figure. It was a miserable outing for him.
James Taylor has shown that he likes to come down the track to the spinners. This proved his undoing as a Sachithra Senanayake doosra left him between wind and water. Bopara, save for an uppishly slashed boundary, never got going. It was no surprise when he edged Suranga Lakmal to the keeper. Lakmal’s next delivery, Morgan’s first, was an absolute screamer. It took off from a good length and brushed his glove on its way through to Sangakkara, whose fourth victim this was.
With wickets falling all around him, Joe Root forsook his aggressive instincts and opted for occupation.
Woakes looked the part during his liaison with the impressive Root. A cover drive off Perera and a straightish pull, both of which sped to the boundary proclaimed Woakes’ pedigree.
The 46-run stand between Root and Woakes came to an end when Root shuffled across his stumps and tried to swish a straight delivery from Lakmal. His was a dedicated knock which possibly lacked the frills that a usually characterises his ODI knocks.
Woakes was next to go in a very soft dismissal, pushing a harmless Dilshan delivery back into his safe hands. There was time left for Treadwell to heave a six before he perished, striving for another.
Lakmal took the bowling honours with some accurate seam bowling. Prizing out Morgan first ball, was one of the turning points. Senanayake showed what the team had missed by making the early breakthroughs.
At the post-match press briefing man-of-the-match, Sangakkara officially announced that he would retire from ODIs after the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. The seventh and final game of the series will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
| Scoreboard Sri Lanka innings |