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Chamara, Dilhara
provide SL a consolation win |
Link to
Scorecard
 Sri
Lanka won the fifth and final ODI at RPS,
Colombo by a huge margin of 107 runs. The series
however was already won a couple of days back at
this same venue with the final score being 3-2
in favour of England. Today's victory for the
home team was scripted by Chamara Silva and
Dilhara Fernando.
Batting first after
having won the toss, Sri Lanka found themselves
in trouble after a rapid start from Sanath
Jayasuriya (26 from 18 with a couple of sixes).
The veteran added 45 for the first wicket in the
first seven overs with the 25-year-old debutant
Dilruwan Perera scoring 30 before being the
second batsman to be dismissed. Sri Lanka after
that lost wickets at regular intervals leaving
Chamara Silva to play a responsible knock. At
one stage the home team was hopelessly placed at
159 for 7 but could end up at 211 all out in
48.1 overs. Chamara scored a very good 73 with 9
fours which had come in 109 balls.
England were playing
Monty Panesar in this match after the injury to
off spinner Graeme Swann. Monty bowled well for
his 1 for 31 in 10 but the real damage was done
by the three fast bowlers. Stuart Broad was the
most successful with 3 for 36.
The target for the
visitors was the same that they had chased
successfully in the fourth ODI. But today the
wicket was much slower and Dilhara Fernando
struck a great rhythm by mixing up his split
finger slower deliveries with his normal ones.
England just went on losing wickets in a heap in
the Powerplays to find themselves at 78 for 6 by
the end of the 20th over. Their innings lasted
just the 29.1 overs with just 104 on the board.
Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen were the joint
top scorers with 25 each. The wicket of
Pietersen's was the turning point of the chase
after he was bowled playing all around a
Chaminda Vaas delivery.
The Man of the Match was
Dilhara Fernando for his destructive spell of 6
for 27 in 8 overs. Vaas and Malinga took a
couple of wickets each. Also outstanding among
the Sri Lankans was Kumar Sangakkara who took a
couple of superb catches. The Man of the Series
went England's way with left armer Ryan
Sidebottom getting the honours.
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