The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sri Lanka clinches series

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Sunday, Jun 25, 2006

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Sri Lanka clinches series

Ted Corbett

Jayawardene leads from the front with unbeaten century

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Ian Bell, a batsman so diffident he makes Craig White seem like a circus ringmaster, held the England innings together at the Riverside on Saturday so that it set Sri Lanka a target of 262 for victory in the third one-day international and win the five-match series. On a slow pitch it seemed to be too small a total but the circumstances and the conditions — cool with a wind holding off the threat of rain — suited Bell who stayed in from the 13th to the 49th over in a classic example of how to bat through an innings.

But to no avail as Sri Lanka launched a 15-over assault, partly in fear the rains would fall as it cantered home with more than seven overs to spare after Mahela Jayawardene made his seventh ODI century. Its eight-wicket win gave it the five-match series 3-0 and suggested it may have a chance at the 2007 World Cup. It was England's 13th one-day defeat in 17 matches. It will not win any World Cups.

Not a popular player

Bell is not hugely popular with fans or the inner village of the English game. His batting has been written off as slow and unimaginative but as the two openers fell in quick succession and Kevin Pietersen had a rare failure he was given the chance to show his concentration and defence.

Perfect situation for Bell

Without him England might have been in even more trouble but his knock of 77 off 113 balls was exactly tailored to the situation. He bridged the gap between the stroke-play of the openers Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss, who put on 62, and the middle order that had to try to rebuild the innings.

Bell also had to watch from the other end as Pietersen gave a performance better suited to the stage. His knee was struck by a throw in the second game at the Oval and it was clear from his first moment at the crease today that he was still in pain. He limped his first run and dragged his right leg through the second.

At one point he appeared to be waiting for either a helicopter to whisk him to a Harley Street surgeon for the world's first all-ticket operation or an ambulance the size of a stretch limo. He recovered after attention from both England physios but was caught for six. Let us hope Pietersen's injury is short-lived.

Sturdy innings from Paul Collingwood, who rarely has much success on his home ground, Jamie Dalrymple, who hit Bandara for six and Geraint Jones finished off the innings but England ended up at least 20 runs short. Pietersen was on the field, still limping, because he had the injury when the game began and the England management reported it had been denied a substitute.

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