Defending champions Sri Lanka exit despite skipper’s 73 off 54 balls against SF berth-clincher England at Delhi; Kotla result ensures SA are out too
Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews executes an on-side shot against England in the ICC World T20 game at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Saturday. England won by 10 runs to put defending champions Sri Lanka out of the competition.
New Delhi: England clinched a semi-final berth in the World Twenty20 after quelling a spirited challenge from defending champions Sri Lanka by 10 runs in a closely contested Group I match, here on Saturday night.
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews executes an on-side shot against England in the ICC World T20 game at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Saturday. England won by 10 runs to put defending champions Sri Lanka out of the competition. Pic/Getty Images
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England’s win meant that formidable South Africa were also knocked out of the global event, rendering Proteas final match against the 2014 champions as one of academic interest.
England pacer Chris Jordan (left) and Alex Hales celebrate the wicket of Sri Lanka’s opener Dinesh Chandimal in New Delhi on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Courtesy Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 37-ball-66, England piled up a challenging 171 for four after being put into bat and then managed to restrict the Island nation to 161 to end their group league engagements with six points from four games. Chris Jordan bowled a brilliant penultimate over to finish with figures of 4-28 in 4 overs while David Willey chipped in with 2-26.
For Sri Lanka, skipper Angelo Mathews fought valiantly with hamstring injury to score unbeaten 73 off 54 balls with
three fours and five sixes.
With West Indies in all likelihood to win against Afghanistan in their final group league outing, the England team, who are likely to finish second in the group, will take on New Zealand in the semi-final at the Kotla on March 30.
Poor record
Defending champions Sri Lanka have won only two of their last 10 T20 internationals. The more embarrassing piece of statistic is the fact that the two wins have come against associate nations Afghanistan in this World T20 and UAE in the Asia Cup. The Lankan chase as a contest seemed over within the first three overs, with the team reeling at 15 for four but Mathews fought well, keeping the chase alive till the final over.
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