Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2756dThe Bulletin by Will Luke

Fernando holds his nerve to seal a thriller

Sri Lanka's slick professionalism in the field, and Dilhara Fernando's composure in the final over, earned them a nail biting win over England in Antigua

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

WU Tharanga
WU Tharanga
62(103) 2x4 - 0x6
Control %85%
  • Productive Shot
  • off side drive on front foot
  • 19 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
3 7 12 8 7 4 12 9
KP Pietersen
58(80) 5x4 - 1x6
Control %85%
  • Productive Shot
  • on side drive on front foot
  • 21 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
1 1 5 3 6 10 17 15

Best performances - Bowlers

SI Mahmood
O9
M0
R50
W4
Eco5.55
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
A Flintoff
O10
M0
R35
W3
Eco3.5
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

END OF OVER:
50 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | ENG: 233/8 (3 runs required, RR: 4.66)

  • Sajid Mahmood2 (2b)
  • Dilhara Fernando9-0-41-3
  • Lasith Malinga10-1-50-2

Well, this has been excellent stuff from Sri Lanka, holding their nerve, bowling well and that's a great match and they deserve the win. Good batting from Nixon and Bopara, sneaking up on the outside and taking England close, but with no cigar. There will be some consolation, though, as the defeat is so narrow, it won't have much of a detrimental effect on their net run rate if it comes down to it.

This is the kind of match the tournament's been crying out for and, after Sri Lanka are involved in another close finish, here's Fernando: "A fantastic game, I think I did well today. I think the boys are playing really well." He explains that Jayawardene told him to bowl in the block hole, no slower balls, and his advice paid off.

Thanks for joining us today, hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have, and that's halfway through the Super Eight stage now. The next World Cup match is this Saturday, when Bangladesh take on South Africa, so do join us then.

49.6
W
Fernando to Bopara, OUT, bowled him! Neck and crop! What a brilliant delivery; just back of a length, the perfect wicket-to-wicket delivery to clip the top of off. Great finish, well done Sri Lanka, well done Fernando. Great stuff!

RS Bopara b Fernando 52 (85m 53b 4x4 0x6) SR: 98.11

Fernando pulls out of that delivery! It just didn't seem to come out of his hand, at all, he got right through the action. Take two...

49.5
1
Fernando to Mahmood, 1 run, drives that one into his foot, it drops forward and they run the single

The batsmen having a bit of word now, as you would. So tense now

49.4
1
Fernando to Bopara, 1 run, outside off and that's driven out to the sweeper on the off side and Mahmood's now on strike
49.3
2
Fernando to Bopara, 2 runs, drives that through cover and they press back to get the second - and that's his fifty from 51 balls
49.2
4
Fernando to Bopara, FOUR, so well played, so calm, Bopara helping that from off and merely presenting the face of the bat, a paddle, so delicate, and that runs away. Just uses the pace, and that runs over short fine leg and on its way
49.1
1
Fernando to Mahmood, 1 run, on off and that's a quick single - and, crucially for England, Bopara will now be on strike

England 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st1MP VaughanEC Joyce
2nd10EC JoyceIR Bell
3rd90IR BellKP Pietersen
4th25PD CollingwoodKP Pietersen
5th7PD CollingwoodA Flintoff
6th0PD CollingwoodRS Bopara
7th87PA NixonRS Bopara
8th13RS BoparaSI Mahmood

World Cup

Super Eights
TeamMWLPTNRR
AUS770142.4
SL752101.483
NZ752100.253
SA74380.313
ENG7346-0.394
WI7254-0.566
BAN7162-1.514
IRE7162-1.73
Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
AUS33063.433
SA32142.403
NED3122-2.527
SCOT3030-3.793
Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
SL33063.493
BAN3214-1.523
IND31221.206
BER3030-4.345
Group C
TeamMWLPTNRR
NZ33062.138
ENG32140.418
KENYA3122-1.194
CAN3030-1.389
Group D
TeamMWLPTNRR
WI33060.764
IRE3113-0.092
PAK31220.089
ZIM3021-0.886