As expected the Sri Lanka team which was distracted by how much they could earn and why they are not able to pocket more pay under a new contract, lost the T20 cricket series as England wrapped up the series with an unbeatable 2-0 lead by winning the second match by five wickets under the DL system in Cardiff on Thursday with the last match to be played on Saturday.
The Sri Lankans were also outplayed in the first match able to score a mere 129 runs that was never enough to threaten England.
For the second time in a row Sri Lanka deciding to bat first after winning the toss failed to put up a defendable total on the board, restricted to 111 for 7 in the 20 overs with only Kusal Mendis offering some resistance with a top score of 39 in an equal number of balls with three fours and a six.
Once again Sri Lanka were never able to recover after losing both openers Danushka Gunathilaka run out for 3 and Avishka Fernando for 6 in the first four overs of the innings with just 18 runs on the board and produced a pathetic 26 runs in the first six power-play overs.
England fast bowler Mark Wood was almost unplayable as he picked up two wickets in two balls accounting for Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella (3) in the 14th over as did spinner Adil Rashid who had the wickets of Kusal Mendis for 21 and Wanindu Hasaranga stumped for 3.
While rain fell during England’s innings the Sri Lankans had some tantalizing moments taking four wickets to leave the hosts at 36 for 4 in the seventh over at one stage.
But chasing a low target and having the luxury of batting deep, England’s revised target under the Duckworth and Lewis System (DLS) gave the Sri Lankans no chance at all as Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone shared in a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket to put the issue beyond doubt.
Billings made 24 but it was left to Livingstone (29 not out) and Sam Curran (16 not out) to finish off the match with 11 balls to spare.
Livingstone was adjudged man of the match after conceding just 10 runs in the two overs that he bowled in the Sri Lanka innings.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 111 for 7 in 20 (Kusal Perera 21, Kusal Mendis 39, Isuru Udana 19 not out, Mark Wood 2 for 18, Adil Rashid 2 for 24)
England 108 for 5 in 16.1 (Sam Billings 24, Liam Livingstone 29 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 2 for 20) England won under the DL method