ENG vs SL: Sri Lanka maintain unbeaten run against England in World Cups since 2007 with Bangalore thrashing

Sri Lanka maintained their fine record of wins against England since 2007 as they defeated the defending champions by 8 wickets in Bangalore on October 26.

Both teams had met in the World Cup 11 times before the match at the Chinnaswamy, with England leading the head to head record six to five. However, England hadn’t beaten Sri Lanka in the World Cup since the 1999 edition when they won by eight wickets.

Both sides didn’t meet in the 2003 edition and in 2007, Sri Lanka won the match by two runs. 2011 and 2015 saw Sri Lanka register comprehensive wins over England by 10 and nine wickets respectively.

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Both teams came into the clash in Bangalore looking to turn their fortunes around and needing a win to keep their hopes in World Cup 2023 alive.

England’s captain, Jos Buttler, won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that would soon prove disastrous for the team.

England’s batting performance was described as abysmal, with the team being bowled out for a mere 156 runs in just 33.2 overs. This score marked the lowest all-out total ever recorded at the Chinnaswamy stadium. Ben Stokes was the only batter who managed to cross 40 runs, but his wicket fell in the 31st over, effectively extinguishing England’s hopes of putting up a competitive total. Apart from Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who scored 30 runs, no other English batter could maintain their position on the crease for long.

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The Sri Lankan team, led by Kusal Mendis, ran through England’s top and middle-order, demonstrating a strong bowling performance. Angelo Matthews, making a comeback, nabbed a couple of wickets in his first ODI, contributing significantly to England’s downfall.

Despite a shaky start, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama would stitch together a 137-run partnership which would see their team home in the end and keep themselves alive in the competition. England would need a miracle to make it to the semi-finals and will take on India in Lucknow on October 29.