Holders England slumped to an eight-wicket loss against Sri Lanka, their fourth of the tournament.
Sri Lanka delivered a devastating blow to England’s World Cup campaign, overwhelming the defending champions with an eight-wicket victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India.
In a must-win match on Thursday, Sri Lanka effortlessly chased down the paltry target of 157, reaching 160-2 with a staggering 146 balls remaining. Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama starred for Sri Lanka, with Nissanka scoring an unbeaten 77, his fourth consecutive fifty in the tournament, and Samarawickrama contributing 65 not out, following his outstanding innings of 108 against Pakistan and 91 against the Netherlands.
Earlier, Sri Lanka restricted England to a below-par total of 156 all out in 33.2 overs. England’s batting display was far from impressive, with Ben Stokes being the only resistance in the face of incisive bowling. Stokes managed to score 43 runs, aggressively taking on the Sri Lankan attack, but eventually fell to Lahiru Kumara in the 31st over.
England had an early stroke of luck when Jonny Bairstow survived an leg-before-wicket appeal that Sri Lanka failed to review. However, Bairstow failed to capitalize on his promising start and gifted his wicket to Kasun Rajitha. Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews played a crucial role in derailing England’s innings, dismissing Dawid Malan and assisting in Joe Root’s run out. Kumara then struck twice to leave England struggling at 85-5.
Mathews, called in as an injury replacement, continued to make an impact in his fourth World Cup appearance, picking up Moeen Ali’s wicket in his second spell. Chris Woakes also fell victim to Rajitha after an excellent diving catch by Samarawickrama. Sri Lanka’s bowlers swiftly wrapped up England’s innings, ensuring the lowest all-out total in Bengaluru and setting the stage for a comprehensive victory.
A comprehensive win for Sri Lanka as we beat defending champions England by 8 wickets! 🦁👏 #LankanLions on the march! 👊#SLvENG #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/4jURXysvzn
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) October 26, 2023
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