3rd ODI: Sri Lanka v England at Hambantota

England trail 2-0. Match starts in less than an hour. Expectations are low.

Hales, Stokes and Jordan replace Tredwell, Gurney and Bell. Still no James Taylor but that is a realy deep batting lineup with Jordan at number 10. Gutsy call leaving out your most economical bowler, a spinner, in Sri Lanka, no less.

Sri Lanka win the toss and elect to bat.

Early wicket for England! Woakes with the breakthrough. SL 6/1 (2 ov).

Rain.

SL 65/3

England now face a stiff chase of 236

- which is the adjusted Duckworth-Lewis target.

Just a 10 minute turnaround because England's over-rate was slower than my uncle's tractor.

41 after 6 overs

Cook has gotten his Chopping Block back  8)

2.5  Mathews to Cook, FOUR, another terrific drive,
2.3  Mathews to Cook, FOUR, that's a cracking shot,

5.2  Mendis to Cook, FOUR, Cook late cut whistles to third-man boundary

84/0

84- 1

11.4
Prasad to Cook, OUT, full length angled across Cook who pushes at it and edges behind!

A ball Cook should have left, it was a nothing stroke, played away from his body..

Cook c †Sangakkara b Prasad 34

97 -1 after 13 overs

Moeen 56*

12.5
Mendis to Ali, SIX, down the wicket and another delicious strike down the ground over long-on,
 
12.1
Mendis to Ali, 1 run, floated up just outside off, gracefully nudged out through the cover

and that's Moeen's fifty, another exciting innings : 29-balls 8)
 

There was a single available all day but for some reason Hales shuffled out of his ground

a few yards but without turning to face his partner, shuffled back to the bowler's end,

Moeen has almost run two and is short getting back to the striker's end

MM Ali run out 58  :-[

119 - 2

England require another 117 runs with 8 wickets and 17.0 overs remaining ..