WT20: Hales-storm powers England to victory over Sri Lanka

CHITTAGONG Bangladesh OpenerAlex Hales hit a sensational unbeaten hundred as England pulled off a dramatic sixwicket win over Sri Lanka to throw open the Group I for semifinals places in the ICC World Twenty20 on ThursdayChasing a huge 190run target England rode on Hales magnificent maiden T20 hundred to overhaul the target with four balls to spare after losing two wickets for no score in the first overIn an extraordinary display of power hitting Hales punished the Lankan bowlers with halfadozen sixes and 11 boundaries as his blistering 116run knock came off just 64 ballsEngland batsman AlexHalescelebrates his century during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament cricket match vs Sri Lanka at The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Thursday PicAFPHe finished the match with a huge six off Angelo Mathews to keep England afloat in the tournamentSri Lanka posted a huge 189 for four as Jayawardene came up with a blistering 89run knock while Dilshan played a perfect second fiddle with a 47ball 55 in their huge 145run secondwicket partnership after being invited to bat England who chose to field were guilty of dropping at least four catchesTwice they let Jayawardene off the hook England could not have dreamt of a worse start as they lost Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali to Nuwan Kulasekara in the very first over without a run on the boardHowever Hales and Eoin Morgan turned the match on its head with sensational hitting as the two batsmen joined hands to rattle up a 152run stand for the third wicketThey batted intelligently as they steadied the ship by rotating the strike and then hammered the Lankan bowlers around the park It all started with Ajantha Mendis over when Hales punished the spinner with two sixes and two fours as England creamed off 25 runs in the 15th overThe contest became an edgeoftheseat thriller as Kulasekara returned and again took two wickets in an over He first dismissed Morgan and then scalped Joes Buttler 2Hales kept playing fearlessly and completed his century with a six off Kulasekara over the cover region and hit a massive six in the next ball to send the shockwaves in the Lankan camp They needed only seven off isx balls and Hales finished it of in style with a shot soaring over deep midwicket into the standsEngland remain in fourth place with two points but they have played only two matches Sri Lanka are on the top with four points from three matches followed by South Africa 4 and New Zealand 2Sri Lankas total was built around 89 by Mahela Jayawardene and 55 by Tillakaratne DilshanJayawardene hit 11 boundaries and three sixes during his 51ball knock and Dilshan smashed two sixes and four fours in his 47ball innings as the two added 145 for the second wicketJayawardene was lucky not to be out off the first ball he faced when television replays showed Lumb took a brilliant catch off Jade DernbachBut the onfield umpires Rod Tucker at the nonstrikers end and Aleem Dar of Pakistan referred the catch to television umpire Steve DavisDavis also from Australia ruled replays were inconclusiveThat did not end Englands misery as their fielders dropped as many as four catches twice off Jayawardene on five and 82 and one off Dilshan on 21 and in the final over off Thisara Perera who made 23 not outEngland dismissed opener Kusal Perera for three in the second overJayawardene smashed James Tredwell for his eighth boundary to complete his ninth halfcentury off just 32 ballsHe was finally bowled by Chris Jordan Both Jordan and Dernbach picked up two wickets apieceAustralia take on defending champions the West Indies and India face Bangladesh in Group Two in Dhaka on FridayTop two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals The final will be played in Dhaka on April 6