England had bounced back from a disappointing outing against Chris Gayle with a record run-chase against South Africa in Mumbai. Even though they stuttered in their way past the Afghans, Eoin Morgan’s side arrived at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi with renewed vigour.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka were enduring a rough transition phase with several younger players not quite pulling their weight. After edging past Afghanistan, the Lankans ran into the West Indies and were subsequently demolished.
With South Africa losing their key encounter against the men from the Caribbean, the match presented an excellent opportunity for England to seal a place in the final four. If Sri Lanka triumphed, England were effectively out and the South Africa-Sri Lanka clash would assume a lot of significance.
Angelo Mathews won the toss and opted to field first on a hard surface. Aided by Jason Roy and Jos Buttler, England posted a healthy target which placed the Sri Lankan batsmen under duress. Despite a valiant knock from Angelo Mathews, the defending champions were ousted from the tournament in a nerve-wracking contest.
Let us take a look at the five most memorable moments from the engrossing encounter.
#1 – Jason Roy kick-starts England’s innings
Jason Roy had showed his aggressive side with an high-impact knock against South Africa which helped England pile on the pressure. Usually known for his belligerent batting, the 25-year old displayed resolve as he countered the Sri Lankan spinners.
In the final phase of his stellar career, Rangana Herath defied his age and did what he does best. The left-arm spinner confounded the dangerous Alex Hales with an arm-ball to put England on the back foot.
At this time, Roy took charge and ensured that he mixed caution with aggression. Herath was reverse-swept for a boundary which would have soothed his nerves on the big night. He continued his charge by cutting the mysterious leg-spinner, Jeffrey Vandersay to the fence.
The right-hander took on the spinners by unleashing a couple of massive sixes which pulled things in his team’s favor. Though he was trapped in front by Vandersay, Roy had negotiated a tricky phase for England.
#2 – Finally, the ‘Buttler’ did it
Jos Buttler’s ability to turn matches single-handedly keeps opposition captains extremely wary. When he arrived at the crease, a score of around 150 was what England were primed towards.
However, the wicket-keeper batsman dispelled all those premature notions by punishing the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the stadium. Buttler laid his intentions pretty clear by unveiling an audacious reverse-hit off Vandersay to get the blood pumping.
Once the seamers came on for the final hurrah, the 25-year old took advantage of their inexperience by testing their nerves. Dushmantha Chameera bore the brunt of his fury as he conceded numerous boundaries.
Dasun Shanaka’s introduction to the World T20 did not begin well with Buttler plundering 15 runs from his solitary over. Suddenly, England had found the momentum to carry them past the 170-mark.
#3 – Sri Lanka dig themselves into a hole
When Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal walked out to bat, they would have wanted to establish a solid platform for their lower-order hitters. However, what unfolded was exactly opposite to their aspirations.
The experienced Dilshan could not account for the late swing generated by David Willey as he tried to heave one through deep square leg. Instead, he found the fielder who was perfectly positioned by Morgan.
Dinesh Chandimal struggled against Chris Jordan’s hitting the deck type of bowling and edged one to Buttler. Milinda Siriwardana looked completely at unease against England's new-ball bowlers.
After a big hit, he unsuccessfully attempted to clear the in-field. And, Lahiru Thirimanne’s calamitous run-out aggravated their woes as Sri Lanka found themselves in serious trouble at 15/4.
#4 – Skipper Mathews in familiar territory
Angelo Mathews almost always finds himself in a position where he needs to defuse a crisis and resurrect Sri Lanka’s batting. The man who used to thrive in such high-pressure situations has been unable to shoulder the heavy burden, of-late.
But, the seasoned campaigner was at it again as he pulled his team out of a quagmire and offered them a glimmer of hope with a responsible hand. Alongside Chamara Kapugedara, Mathews targeted the right bowlers and brought Sri Lanka back into the match.
Adil Rashid came in for some special treatment as the 28-year old smashed him repeatedly into the gallery. The leg-spinner gave away a whopping 31 runs from his first two overs to tilt the scales against England.
Moeen Ali followed his spinning partner by continuously bowling the pitched up deliveries which was duly sent back into the stands by a limping Mathews. Despite being hampered, the Sri Lankan captain had fought hard and enlivened the proceedings.
#5 – England seamers hold their nerve
With the equation boiling down to 40 from the last four overs, the match was poised delicately as the attention shifted to England’s fast bowlers. The hard-hitting Thisara Perera joined Mathews in the middle in a bid for one final push.
Morgan had got the necessary fifth bowler out of the way by utilizing his spinners before the business end of the innings. He got back his fast bowlers and the tension in the atmosphere was palpable.
Chris Jordan delivered a brilliant over and also managed to dismiss Perera by executing his yorkers to perfection. In his next over, he got rid of the explosive Dasun Shanaka with a great deal of assistance from Joe Root who plucked out a sensational catch.
Ben Stokes had 15 runs to defend against the rampaging Mathews and the 24-year old did not disappoint his captain. England pulled off a thrilling victory and reached the semi-finals while Sri Lanka went down fighting.
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