England thump Sri Lanka in rain-affected third ODI in Kandy, thanks to Adil Rashid and Eoin Morgan contributions
Yorkshire leggie took four wickets in a superb spell of bowling while captain Morgan notched a sublime 50 in the chase
LONG game or short game – usually short in this weather - England look totally dominant against Sri Lanka when playing with a white ball.
The star men in the rain-reduced third one-day international were Adil Rashid and Tom Curran with the ball and Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan with the bat.
Ben Stokes had a solid all-round match.
England won a 21overs-a-side affair by seven wickets and now have an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series with two matches to play.
Morgan's team are proving vastly superior in every department - more street-wise and disciplined with the ball, greater power and depth in their batting and sharper in the field.
It is difficult to see England how will not win the remaining two matches and the T20 game that follows. The three Test matches next month are likely to be very different.
Play did not begin until 8.15pm local time - the match finished at 11.30 - because of the daily deluge in the Sri Lankan monsoon season. But at least we managed to fit in a completed match of sorts.
A T21 game in wet, humid conditions in Sri Lanka bears little resemblance to what England will encounter in next summer’s home World Cup. But wins are good – they build momentum and confidence and become a habit.
Sri Lanka actually rushed to 38-0 from three overs and 55-0 from five.
But, once wicketkeeper and pinch-hitter Niroshan Dickwella was caught by Chris Woakes backpedalling at mid-off, their innings went into serious decline.
MOST READ IN CRICKET
Captain Dinesh Chandimal managed just 34 from 42 balls and brought his team to a near-standstill.
Rashid took four wickets including Sri Lankan No3 Kusal Mendis for a duck, bowled by a ripping googly.
Curran, playing his first match for England since March, took 3-17 in four overs and was superb at the death of Sri Lanka’s innings.
Sri Lanka’s total of 150-9 looked inadequate especially when Lasith Malinga conceded 17 runs from his first over.
Jonny Bairstow drove the left-arm spinner to mid-off and Amila Aponso also bowled Joe Root via his front pad.
But Roy and Morgan took the total to 80-2 before Roy was lbw following a Sri Lankan review. Morgan and Stokes finished the job with 15 balls to spare.
The next match is a day game here in Kandy on Saturday.