“Sri Lanka have picked a couple of guys I haven’t played against and I have been playing for ten years. I think that’s the surprise (package) for me,�?England captain Eoin Morgan had said ahead of the World Cup. While many �?including the outlets and the players �?thought it was nothing, but a hilarious response given the Islanders�?recent ODI record, very few perceived the English skipper might actually have a point.

On June 21, at Leeds, it was time for England to face the ‘surprise�?their captain had warned them about. Riding on the back of Angelo Mathews�?85 and a couple of cameos from Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis, the Lankan Lions posted mere 233 against a side known for their vicious batting approach.

An easy target to chase for England, right? It was thought to be that way. Their captain might have had a stern dressing room talk about the ‘couple of new guys�? but what they flunked there was to approach to the game in the most cardinal way possible.

Regardless of what is said about Lasith Malinga’s neoteric form or even how many kilos he has put on over the year, a veteran of his stature is bound to hit hard if you neglect the basics of the game. As for Sri Lanka, their repute of being the underdogs at the World Cup is exactly what makes things interesting. It was just about time.

The theory of evolution which says �?em>only the strong shall survive" was negated by an absolute brilliance of Malinga. Heading into the fixture, England were indeed favourites; the odds were stacked in their favour, but what the odds didn’t know that cricket is a game where passion and desperation of achieving something can trump the logic in the most gorgeous way possible. 

Analogous to Sri Lanka’s top order fall, the onus was on the bowlers to pick early wickets in order to crumble a steady English cruise. And it all began as early as the second delivery where Jonny Bairstow stumbled to a full-length ball from Malinga. That was followed by James Vince’s yet another disappointment.

When Malinga returned during the 31^st over, England had managed to nail themselves in the game at 126/3. Little did they know, though, that Root was about to fall victim of his yet another Malinga beauty. Jos Buttler soon followed, and within 60 runs, England went down to 186/9.

Sri Lanka’s grit was all about forsaking what the stats have said, the commentators had predicted. They got themselves back in the game. Malinga, who after Lanka’s defeat to Australia last Saturday had flown back home to attend to his mother-in-law’s demise, was back and firing.

"He's a legend,�?Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said after the game. "He knows best. If he wants to go home and come back, that's fine. He gave a good example for the guys. He keeps doing what he knows, the basic things. He sets an example for the youngsters."

Isn’t it always about courage and the wit to do achieve the supreme? Sri Lanka are far from achieving what they did in 1996, but Malinga - their rage fighter �?has given them the aura they were in need.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup

What makes one support a team? Sometimes it’s the titles that they have won over the years, or it is big-name stars that they have playing for them. While sometimes it’s just because of a sense of belongingness. And it’s no surprise that the ongoing 2019 ICC World Cup too has fans, who have more than enough reasons to back their favourite teams.

At the England vs Sri Lanka game, however, spectators were in for a new and unique reason why one backs the team. This is the story of an Englishman who was seen supporting the Islanders when they went head-to-head with the hosts at Leeds. And when asked for the reason, he had a pretty good one to share.

There was an odd and old English couple in the breaches that must’ve broken into celebration when Sri Lanka won. Yes, these two fans from Yorkshire voiced their support for the Sri Lanka team regardless of their own origin. “I have been building houses for them for the Sri Lankans for 14 years since the tsunami,�?the man explained.

The reason these Yorkshire fans are supporting is ❤️ #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/zawfv6RKtZ

�?ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 21, 2019

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, this old man with his wife were seen sharing their happiness in seeing the Lankans at their home. “It is a beautiful day, as long as there is good cricket, that’s all that matters. We'll still cheer the Yorkshire players though.�?The couple wasn't shy in admitting that they do hope, that it’s Lanka who takes back the trophy. "That would be great,�?the man said, “we do hope that happens,�?his wife said.

And it was no surprise that this act was well received by the Twitter community.

Small things like these bring smiles even on most gloomy day //t.co/08trKqY0LP

�?Amit Bobde (@malkhedkar) June 21, 2019

Do it for 'em, @OfficialSLC. //t.co/WUPGd8mZg8

�?Manya (@CSKian716) June 21, 2019

Such gems. Thank You for the support and belief //t.co/9b0H4G8JYU

�?Footy Devil ¤ 24 (@Lash24_beast) June 21, 2019

How good is this !!!! Blessings !!! //t.co/75FRUEkoGU

�?Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) June 21, 2019

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup

Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardena believes that the team’s win over England at the 2019 ICC World Cup on Friday will work as the much-needed confidence boaster as they go into the final round of fixtures of the group stages.

Writing in his ICC column, Jayawardena said that it seemed like the team was playing with fear in the beginning, but the England win should give them enough confidence to raise their game. "I hope this game will give Sri Lanka a lot of confidence in this World Cup. They have beaten one of the best teams in the world, and they need to believe in themselves," Jayawardena wrote.

"At times it feels like they have played with a little bit of fear and have not been able to really express themselves. This win should change that."

Veteran pacer Lasith Malinga was in top form against the hosts at Leeds, and Jayawardena had special words reserved for him. "It's not about the six pack, it's about the skill and Lasith Malinga showed that in spades in Sri Lanka's win over England.

"He has done it so many times for Sri Lanka over the years, but it was great to see him at his best," Jayawardena said.

"He was on a mission with the new ball, taking two crucial early wickets which Sri Lanka needed to defend a total like 232. Then when Joe Root looked like he was playing one of those innings where he just takes the game away from you, Dimuth Karunaratne turned to Mali and threw him the ball. He told him that he needed him, and Mali delivered.

"Big players perform in big games and that is what he did, removing Root and then Jos Buttler who could have won the game for England as well."

Jayawardena also liked the way the often-criticised Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne approached the chase. "I was really impressed with Dimuth's captaincy, trusting his players, bringing on the off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva at an important time and getting rewarded for that.

"Even after they had batted, I felt that it was a competitive total because the wicket was fairly slow."

The former opener also believed that the win should throw the race to the semi-finals open, with the Lankans having a healthy chance of making it. "It's a great win for Sri Lanka, but also for the World Cup and it opens things up a little. The top four so far have a lot of matches against each other coming up, so they will inevitably drop some points. You look at New Zealand, Australia and England who all have to play each other which does make it interesting.

"That leaves Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies with a chance to close the gap if they can pick up a few more wins,�?he explained.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup

Lasith Malinga insisted he had done nothing new after starring in Sri Lanka's stunning World Cup win over England at Headingley on Friday.

The veteran paceman took four for 43 as Sri Lanka, defending a seemingly modest total of 232-9, beat England by 20 runs to open up the race for a semi-final spot.

England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, would have gone top of the 10-team round-robin table with a victory.

But instead they suffered their second defeat of the group phase following an equally surprising 14-run loss to Pakistan.

Malinga's haul saw him become just the fourth bowler to take 50 wickets at the World Cup after Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan and Wasim Akram.

And just as importantly for Sri Lanka on Friday, the 35-year-old, renowned for his unorthodox 'slingshot' action, struck telling blows.

Malinga, who briefly returned home earlier in the tournament following the death of his mother-in-law, rocked England at the start of their chase when he had Jonny Bairstow lbw for a golden duck.

England then saw Malinga have stand-in opener James Vince caught at slip.

Malinga had the in-form Joe Root caught behind down the legside for 57 on review and Jos Buttler fell lbw for 10 to a trademark yorker.

Ben Stokes tried to take the game away from Sri Lanka -- now just two points behind third-placed England -- with a blistering unbeaten 82, only for wickets to keep falling at the other end.

"We know how hard Ben Stokes hits it, he got two or three boundaries but we just kept bowling our stock ball," said Malinga.

"We stuck to our basic plan - line and length, no loose balls and add in some variations and bouncers."

Meanwhile, Buttler said Malinga remained as awkward to face as ever. 

"He is just different �?as much as you do face him he is different," Buttler insisted.

"The stumps are always in play with him, with his release point if it hits you in line it's generally close (to the batsman being out).

"We didn't counter him as well as we could have today but credit to a fantastic bowler."

Sri Lanka -- who have now beaten England in four successive World Cups -- next play strugglers South Africa in Chester-le-Street a week on Friday and an elated Malinga said: "We want to carry on the momentum and confidence into the other matches." 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup

Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews played key roles in Sri Lanka's stunning 20-run World Cup win over England that revived the race for semi-final berths at Headingley on Friday.

England were all but out of the match after slumping to 186-9 as they chased 233 for victory.

Ben Stokes' blistering 82 not out off 89 balls, including seven fours and fours sixes, got them to within sight of their target.

But Stokes' gamble on giving Durham team-mate Mark Wood a ball to face at the end of a Nuwan Pradeep over backfired when the No.11 was caught behind as Sri Lanka won with three overs to spare. 

"We lost it probably more so with the bat than with the ball. There was lack of substantial partnerships. A couple of individual performances nearly got us over the line," England captain Eoin Morgan said.

"Sri Lanka deserved it. Even if we had nicked it then it would have been us robbing the game.

"It's frustrating but we are going to lose games. They are all tough matches."

Victory would have seen hosts England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, go top of the 10-team table.

But instead their second surprise loss of the round-robin group stage after a 14-run defeat by Pakistan, left them in third place, with Sri Lanka now just two points adrift of the pre-tournament favourites.

The top four at the end of the first phase qualify for the semi-finals, with England's next match against archrivals Australia -- the table-toppers and reigning champions -- at Lord's on Tuesday now even more important to their hopes of a last four place. 

"It's a long tournament and there are huge opportunities in every game. Australia is always a match you look to first in the World Cup fixtures," Morgan said.

Earlier, Mathews' painstaking 85 not out of 115 balls, with just five fours, helped Sri Lanka recover from a top-order collapse to finish on 232-9.

That seemed a below par total but with paceman Malinga taking 4-43 and off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva following up with three wickets in quick succession, it proved more than enough as Sri Lanka enjoyed another memorable day at Headingley -- the ground where they sealed their first Test series win in England five years ago.

"It was a close one, we were under pressure but it was team-work in the end, all the batters and bowlers did great work," Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said.

"With a score on the board the bowlers knew what to do on this wicket. The (Joe) Root wicket was the turning point."

- Toe-crushing yorker -

Malinga, renowned for his unorthodox 'slingshot' action dismissed Jonny Bairstow for a golden duck.

James Vince (14), deputising for the injured Jason Roy, then fell in familiar fashion when an edged drive off Malinga was caught by Mendis at slip.

Morgan, fresh from his one-day international record 17 sixes against Afghanistan, made a cautious 21, featuring a mere two fours, before Isuru Udana held a sharp return catch to dismiss the Dubliner.

Root made a patient 57 off 89 balls featuring just three fours.

But a fourth-wicket stand of 54 with Stokes ended when Root was caught behind down the legside off Malinga, who then produced a trademark toe-crushing yorker to have dangerman Jos Buttler lbw.

Stokes badly needed someone to stay with him. But he could only watch as de Silva took three wickets for three runs in nine balls.

Moeen Ali marked his 100th one-day international by hitting a six, only to hole out irresponsibly off the next ball from de Silva trying to repeat the shot.

In a furious assault by Stokes, the all-rounder hit two sixes in as many balls off Udana, but Wood was the last man to fall as England's chase fell short on 212.

Earlier, England fast bowler Jofra Archer took 3-52 to join Australia's Mitchell Starc as the leading bowler at this World Cup with 15 wickets.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

England captain Eoin Morgan believes that lack of stable partnership cost his team the game against Sri Lanka at Headingley on Friday (June 21).

Chasing 233, no one apart from Joe Root and Ben Stokes managed to impress with the bat as England fell short by 20 runs against a team which had registered a solitary victory in their previous five fixtures.

"You look at the basics of a run chase. Partnerships are very important, we struggled to get enough partnerships going,�?Morgan said at the post-match presentation.

 "We had a couple of individual innings but that's not good enough to win a game.

"We are going to lose games in the group stages. We didn't deserve to win the game, we still need to go back to the process that's taken us to being a strong side in the world."

Sri Lanka, after just 14 deliveries, were down to two for mere three runs, and while their total didn’t deem like a defendable one, pacer Lasith Malinga somehow managed to roll back the years and ended his tenure with four wickets for just 43 runs.

While no one, apart from the aforementioned names, managed to impress with the bat for England, a certain James Vince has gathered the spotlight with his extreme inconsistency. Since replacing injured Jason Roy, Vince has scored 26 and 14 in two games, but Morgan said Roy’s absence wasn’t a factor in the defeat.

"Obviously we would love him in the side, he's a huge strength at the top of the order. But that's not why we lost the game or why we might have struggled on this wicket.

We will look to bounce back against Australia.

Scorecard: //t.co/p75JlyumKp#CWC19 pic.twitter.com/cSZuAxSOIW

�?England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 21, 2019

"I would say there were quite a few wickets that were turning points, simply on the fact that you've got guys coming in at six who average 40.

"We bat all the way down. Every single one is quite significant because every single one could establish a partnership that could win you the game."

This victory against the Islanders has now made the race for the top four more interesting. For England, their upcoming fixtures come against Australia, India and New Zealand, and even a single defeat would snatch away their place in the semi-final. Worryingly for them, they have not defeated any of that trio at a World Cup since 1992, although they did manage tie with India in Bangalore eight years ago. 

"The message is quite simple: we need to do the basics along with the way that we play as well.

"When we get beaten, we tend to come back quite strong. We tend to resort to aggressive, smart, positive cricket. Let's hope that's the case on Tuesday."

Speaking of Malinga and Angelo Mathew’s effect, Morgan had nothing but high praise for the duo. "Lasith is a legend. He keeps doing what he knows, that's the main thing, the basic things. Those things set an example for the youngsters. He did a really good job.

"It looked like a 300 wicket, we thought it was a good, flat wicket. But when we played it seamed in the first few overs then it got slower and slower.

"Angelo, in-form, he knows how to play his role. He's a good finisher and did a good job."

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup

Jofra Archer moved joint top of the World Cup bowling charts as England restricted Sri Lanka to 232-9 in a group match at Headingley on Friday.

The fast bowler took 3-52 -- his fifth three-wicket haul in six matches this World Cup -- to join Australia's Mitchell Starc on 15 wickets.

Fellow quick Mark Wood followed up with 3-40.

Sri Lanka's total represented something of a recovery after a collapse to three for two.

Angelo Mathews' painstaking 85 not out helped them bat their full 50 overs after Avishka Fernando revived the innings with a dashing 49 in his first match of the World Cup.

"We started off brilliantly to get two early wickets and then spinners controlled it in the middle," Wood said.

"They didn't get away from us at all. Angelo Mathews played well but we restricted them. It was a great team performance. 

"I'm in the form of my career and have got to keep this form going."

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and decided to bat under sunny skies -- a welcome sight at a World Cup marred by washouts.

But the skipper fell for one when, off the last ball of the second over, he edged Archer to wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.

And two balls later, without another run on the board, Kusal Perera slashed Chris Woakes to third man where Moeen Ali, in his 100th one-day international, held a safe catch.

But number three batsman Fernando, in just his seventh match at this level, hit 14 runs off one Archer.

And off the penultimate delivery off the 10-over powerplay, Fernando hooked Archer for a six out of the ground that saw the umpires call for a replacement ball.

Fernando fell in similar fashion to Perera, with a loose uppercut, this time off Wood, caught by Adil Rashid at third man.

It was the end of a 39-ball innings featuring two sixes and six fours, with Sri Lanka now 62-3 in the 13th over.

Former captain Mathews looked badly out of touch during an 84-ball fifty -- the slowest of the tournament so far -- with Sri Lanka managing just six boundaries in total from the 11th to 40th overs.

Sri Lanka's fourth-wicket partnership of 71 ended when Kusal Mendis (46) slogged Rashid to England captain Eoin Morgan at short midwicket.

And 133 for four became 133 for five when next ball leg-spinner Rashid, on his Yorkshire home ground, caught and bowled Jeevan Mendis for a duck after deceiving the batsman with a well-flighted delivery.

Mathews, showing some belated aggression, hooked Archer's first ball of the last over for six.  

England, third in the table, will go ahead of leaders Australia if they defeat Sri Lanka, currently sixth in the standings.

The top four sides at the end of the 10-team round-robin group stage will qualify for the semi-finals.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne says Sri Lanka will have to think "out of the box" as they try to tame England's marauding batsmen in their must-win World Cup match against the hosts.

The 1996 champions must win all four of their remaining games to have a realistic chance of making the semi-finals after winning just one of their five matches so far in the round-robin stage, with two washouts.

The problem for Sri Lanka is that they still have to face favourites England and Virat Kohli's India.

Eoin Morgan's England are next in line on Friday, fresh from their dismantling of Afghanistan, who were on the receiving end of 25 sixes in England's total of 397-6 on Tuesday.

Morgan hit a record 17 sixes in his 148 in Manchester, but Karunaratne said Sri Lanka had a plan for each batsman to put the brakes on England at Headingley.

"If we don't have good pace, we have to think out of the box so I think that is what we need," Karunaratne said on Thursday, without expanding on the details of his approach.

"We have played in a home series against them, so we have a couple of ideas and we need to work on those things in the middle," he added.

England have posted more than 300 in four of their five matches, with two scores of 350-plus coming against Asian sides Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The pre-tournament favourites suffered a shock loss to Pakistan but still managed to post 334 during the game in Nottingham.

Karunaratne believes the English batsmen have played spin better even than their Asian counterparts.

"I think England is the best batting line-up against spinners in the world, so I think if you take the Asian countries, England are playing better than them," he said.

"That is what we need to think about, check the grounds and what are the combinations we have for the England game. Are we playing two spinners? Or are we going with the extra batsman or fast bowlers?"

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

Moeen Ali says he will always cherish being part of England's one-day revolution ahead of what could be his 100th one-day international appearance against Sri Lanka on Friday.

Moeen, 32, has played a key role in England's rise to the top of the ODI rankings after they crashed out of the 2015 World Cup in the first round.

The Eoin Morgan-led team have played an aggressive brand of cricket since then and have lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag, with four wins from five matches so far at the World Cup.

"It obviously means a lot," said Moeen, a left-handed batsman who bowls off-spin.

"To play 100 ODI games for England is obviously a dream. It's just being part of the team, being part of the change.

"Looking back, if I was to retire I'd always be able to say I was part of that change, the whole mindset changing and the great cricket we've played."

Coming in at number seven in England's last game against Afghanistan, Moeen smashed 31 off just nine balls to give the side fresh impetus after Morgan blasted a record 17 sixes in his breathtaking 148.

Moeen, who made his ODI debut in 2014, said batting down the order was not easy but was an important role.

"Seven is not an easy position in my opinion," he said. "You're dictated to by the pace of the game and you have to try to get quick runs which doesn't always happen.

"Top players like Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes find it hard as well. I once heard from a great player that if you come off three times in 10 you've done really well but if you come off make sure it's properly."

The fancied sides at the World Cup are laying down a powerful marker but Moeen said there was still room for upsets.

"At the moment, the top four are there for a reason, because they're probably playing the best cricket of all of the teams and the most consistent," he said.

England, finalists in 1979, 1987 and 1992, have never won the 50-over World Cup but Moeen said that they are hoping for glory on home turf.

"As a team we know that a trophy matters for us. Hopefully this is it," he said.Moeen Ali says he will always cherish being part of England's one-day revolution ahead of what could be his 100th one-day international appearance against Sri Lanka on Friday.

Moeen, 32, has played a key role in England's rise to the top of the ODI rankings after they crashed out of the 2015 World Cup in the first round.

The Eoin Morgan-led team have played an aggressive brand of cricket since then and have lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag, with four wins from five matches so far at the World Cup.

"It obviously means a lot," said Moeen, a left-handed batsman who bowls off-spin. "To play 100 ODI games for England is obviously a dream. It's just being part of the team, being part of the change.

"Looking back, if I was to retire I'd always be able to say I was part of that change, the whole mindset changing and the great cricket we've played."

Coming in at number seven in England's last game against Afghanistan, Moeen smashed 31 off just nine balls to give the side fresh impetus after Morgan blasted a record 17 sixes in his breathtaking 148.

Moeen, who made his ODI debut in 2014, said batting down the order was not easy but was an important role.

"Seven is not an easy position in my opinion," he said. "You're dictated to by the pace of the game and you have to try to get quick runs which doesn't always happen.

"Top players like Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes find it hard as well. I once heard from a great player that if you come off three times in 10 you've done really well but if you come off make sure it's properly."

The fancied sides at the World Cup are laying down a powerful marker but Moeen said there was still room for upsets.

"At the moment, the top four are there for a reason, because they're probably playing the best cricket of all of the teams and the most consistent," he said.

England, finalists in 1979, 1987 and 1992, have never won the 50-over World Cup but Moeen said that they are hoping for glory on home turf.

"As a team we know that a trophy matters for us. Hopefully this is it," he said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

Friday's game in the 2019 ICC World Cup at Leeds will see two sides with contrasting campaigns thus far take on each other, in England and Sri Lanka. While the hosts have been brilliant until now, losing just once in a close match against Pakistan, the Lankan Lions have been faltering with just one win so far which came against bottom team Afghanistan.

A record-breaking century by captain Eoin Morgan helped the hosts get a comprehensive win over Gulbadin Naib's team earlier this week. Their batting has been firing on all cylinders, having managed to score north of 300 in all matches they have opted to bat. Joe Root has been splendid as well, getting two tons so far in five games. Their bowling too has been good, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood hitting theirs marks consistently, although the former has proved expensive at times.

Sri Lanka's top three of Dimtuh Karunaratne, Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis have had a good tournament thus, with the openers getting a century stand in their previous game against Australia. However, the rest of the team has been struggling to contribute much to the team, having batting collapses very often due to Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera's dismal form.

Even their bowling unit has failed to live up to their billing, conceding 334 runs in their previous game. The likes of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep would be expected to have good games on Friday if the Lankan Lions are to stage an upset.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar