Malan excels as England complete T20 series sweep with win over Sri Lanka in last match
Dawid Malan hits a shot during the third T20 match at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England, on Saturday. AP
Riding on a Dawid Malan’s 48-ball 76, a ruthless England made light work of a beleaguered Sri Lanka in the third Twenty20 match to complete the whitewash on Saturday.
A flamboyant Malan struck a blazing fifty to steer England to 180/ 6, as Lanka could manage to muster exactly half of the target to be bundled out for a paltry 90.
David Wiley was the wrecker in chief as he returned with a figure of 3-27, he was ably supported by Sam Curran, who picked up two wicket. Wiley triggered the skid, sending back opener Danushka Gunathilaka (4) with just 4 runs on the board. Lanka kept on losing the wicket on regular intervals and could not revive their faltering inning.
Oshada Fernando scored 20 runs in a bid to bring the innings back on the track was to supported by any other batsman. Every time Lanka tried to build a partnership, they were pegged back by the England bowlers. Down the order, Binura Fernando played a cameo of 20 runs off 14 balls but in vain.
Earlier, Malan set the tone for a big total and Jonny Bairstow scored a patient fifty as the opening duo shared a 105-run partnership.
However, England lost quite a few wicket in quick succession and failed to capitalize on the opening stand. They lost quite a few wickets in quick succession as last five batsmen failed to reach the two-figure mark.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Saturday included batsman Mahmudullah Riyad in their Test squad for next month’s one-off series against Zimbabwe. The national
Twenty20 skipper makes a return to the Test team after 16 months, having played his last Test in February 2020 against Pakistan.
The only Test of the series against Zimbabwe will begin on July 7 at the Harare Sports Club.
Mahmudullah has been included as a back-up to Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, who have some injury concerns, said Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chief Akram Khan.
Bangladesh will also play a three-match one-day international series and as many T20 internationals in Zimbabwe. The three ODIs are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. Mahmudullah, who is also a member of the ODI squad, will lead the team in the three-match T20 series.
The Bangladesh team will leave home on June 29 for their first series in Zimbabwe in more than eight years.
Bangladesh on Saturday appointed former Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath and South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince as consultants for the national men’s cricket team.
The appointments come ahead of a tour of Zimbabwe in July when Bangladesh will play a Test, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.
Herath, the most successful left-arm spinner in the history of Test cricket with 433 wickets, replaces New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.
Batting consultant Prince, replacing Englishman Jon Lewis, was capped 119 times for South Africa in the three formats.
The 44-year-old left-hander previously worked as batting consultant for the South Africa A team and had also been the A side’s interim head coach.
In a separate development, all-rounder Andre Russell was recalled on Friday to the West Indies squad for the first two T20 internationals against South Africa.
Russell, 33, is a two-time T20 World Cup winner, having been a member of the squad which won the titles in 2012 and 2016.
He has played 49 T20Is for the West Indies but has yet to score a half-century. His last appearance was against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in March last year.
“Andre Russell will add that ‘X’ factor to the team,” said lead selector Roger Harper.
“He is an impact player with both bat and ball and lends greater depth in both departments.
“The aim is to build on the performance against Sri Lanka earlier this year, to build confidence, while determining our best squad and team as we run into the ICC T20 World Cup.”
Agencies
