Related Link: England Tour of Sri Lanka 2014/15 | Sri Lanka vs England, 5th ODI at Pallekele – Scorecard
Above photo: Joe Root leaves the field after scoring a superb 104 not out
An unbeaten 104 from Joe Root and an impressive 68 from James Taylor helped steady the England ship in their one-day international series visit to Sri Lanka, narrowing the host’s overall lead to 3-2.
Trailing the series by two games, England will have been desperate to put in a performance that restored confidence within the side and also brought them back into contention for a series win.
What followed out in the middle was a batting performance that former international Bob Willis described as mature and full of intent, as well as a special bowling display from right-arm Chris Woakes that landed him in the history books.
Despite the nature of the result, bookies such as betfair.com are still offering appealing odds on England turning the series on its head with two victories from their remaining two games – the first of which begins this Saturday.
Chasing an achievable total of 240 for victory, England were forced to wait a day before taking to the field, thanks to heavy rainfall on Wednesday. But things got off at a rather pedestrian pace when the time came to bat.
Sachithra Senanayake, back in the Sri Lanka side after being cleared to bowl with a remodelled action, took Moeen Ali cheaply for four in the second over before dismissing England captain Alastair Cook lbw for 20 in the eighth over. England were now staring at a score of 35-2. That knock from Cook won’t do anything to silence the skipper’s critics but it did pave the way for Root, 23, partnering Taylor, 24, to enter the fray and begin the English resurgence.
In retrospect, England could not have wished for a better twosome to be easing the team’s woes; Root, with his unusual Spice Girls inspiration, has become one of the leading lights for England, especially in the one-day game, and the two players have known each other from an early age – competing together first at youth level before making the step up to the England Lions set-up.
Still, that being said, the way they went about their game was of a supremely-assured nature and one that you might not expect, given their young age.
Taylor approached his batting comfortably and selectively, finding himself reaching his second consecutive fifty in the 24th over thanks to a thick edge past short third man – in only his fourth ODI.
His partnership with Root was one that looked as though it had been developed, refined and perfected over years of Tests and tours and it was a real shame when, in the 29th over, he finally succumbed to a short ball from Thisara Perera, losing control of his bat and sending the ball down the throat of fine leg. His efforts had set England on course for victory and with five fours and a six to show, this was far from a defensive innings from Taylor.
Root continued in good form from that point on, with the ever-reliable Ravi Bopara joining the action alongside – resulting in a partnership that yielded 86 runs for the team.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for England from then on, though. As the victory edged nearer, so too the nerves became more apparent, with the run rate falling as a result. Root and Bopara realised a certain ante was needed to be upped and duly obliged with some incisive batting; Root in particular showing great form, attacking balls like a true, seasoned pro. But, as so often is the case when watching England, the final few overs still proved to be almost too agonising to watch.
With just 15 runs needed for victory, Bopara looked to smash a huge shot down the ground for six but found the accepting hands of a fielder instead.
Eoin Morgan entered and delivered almost immediately, reverse-sweeping a beautiful shot to the third-man boundary. Then, not to be outdone, Root stepped up and slogged one deep to not only land a six but also bring up a much-deserved century – his third in international one-day cricket. That left England requiring just five for victory with almost two overs to go.
Call it overexcitement or a lapse in concentration but soon after it was Morgan’s turn to depart as he attempted to seal the win with a strong swing at the ball but was caught on the boundary. Root now welcomed his third batting partner of the afternoon in Jos Buttler and, in somewhat of an anticlimax (but also a huge relief), Buttler put the game to bed with a swept shot from the first ball of the final over – England eventually getting there by a five-wicket margin.
Once the dust – and hearts – had settled, Cook had the chance to reflect on what could turn out to be a vital win for his side, commending the performances of man-of-the-match Root, Taylor and also the overshadowed Woakes, who had put in a sterling show with his bowling before the rain delay.
Extoling the deliveries of Woakes’ wickets, Cook made certain the Warwickshire man got the credit he deserved after becoming the only England player to achieve a second six-for in one-day internationals with a score of 6-47 – a contribution that undoubtedly aided this win.
That such a bowling card isn’t the main talking point of a match in itself goes to show just how convincing this victory was for England and the team is rightly full of beans heading into this weekend’s encounter. Yet, although this England display has put the team back in with a chance of snatching the series, it’s also wise to remember that they have a long way to go before they can consider themselves a complete outfit once again. Still, it’s certainly a fine place to start.