Brilliant bowlers crush Sri Lanka to put England on verge of T20 World Cup semi-final

Incongruous as it seems, after two weeks of insipid cricket, England are now on the verge of a World Cup semi-final slot. A crushing 51-run victory over Sri Lanka in Kandy, overcoming a pitch that offered grip and turn, means that a win against either Pakistan or New Zealand will take England through to the last four.

When Sri Lanka are playing at home, you do not need to see the score to tell how the hosts are faring; your ears will suffice. The sound of the famous papare band and the effervescent local crowd betrayed England’s strife as they staggered to 68 for four and 106 for six and then a final total of 146 for nine. Thereafter, the silence – interspersed only by occasional bouts of music on the loudspeaker system – betrayed that Sri Lanka were heading inexorably to defeat.

England’s win was inevitable long before Dilshan Madushanka was clean-bowled attempting a heave against Adil Rashid. In the space of 20 frenetic balls during the Powerplay, England took five for 19, effectively securing the match.

This passage of play was vindication for Harry Brook’s captaincy. He enlisted Will Jacks to bowl the second over, reasoning that the off-spinner could locate grip and bounce on a turning pitch. After conceding just four from his first over, Jacks bowled straight through during the Powerplay, following his crucial cameo of 21 by taking three wickets to secure the player-of-the-match award.

The identity of the other new ball bowler was rather less surprising: Jofra Archer. But, recognising the need for early wickets, Brook supported Archer with a combination of aggressive fields and enlisting him to bowl three overs straight. In the penultimate ball of Archer’s new-ball spell, he unfurled a brutal 93mph delivery which Kamil Mishara could only prod to gully.

From the wreckage of 34 for five, Sri Lanka never threatened to mount an assault on their target of 147 thereafter: the pitch was offering too much turn, and the shot selection was too shoddy. The upshot was that, barely an hour after their World Cup prospects were in peril, England are now poised to return to India for a semi-final. Should England beat Pakistan back here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, or New Zealand in Colombo on Friday, they are guaranteed to qualify.