3rd December, Hambantota: Brilliant batting from England helped them to register first victory of the 7 match series. In a rain affected match, England beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in the 3rd ODI at Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota.
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Moeen Ali, Joe Root and Jos Buttler were key stars in Englands win. Moeen hit five sixes at the top of the order in a 29-ball fifty before Root and Buttler combined to complete a five-wicket Duckworth/Lewis win with eight deliveries to spare.
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Sri Lanka lead the 7 match series 2-1.
Quotes
Jos Buttler (Man of the Match)- 'We were cruising at one point with Moeen firing all cylinders but put ourselves in a pressure situation which shows the lack of winning experience in recent times. It was difficult but the pitch was good to bat on and I backed myself.'
Cook - 'Great to be over the line though we made it hard for ourselves in between. Moeen gave us a good start once again but we messed it up in the middle overs. Credit to Root and Buttler for the way they batted to finish the game. Hope we can carry the momentum of this win to the remaining games'
Mathews - 'England put up a good show though I though we were about 10-15 runs short. There was dew and the spinners found it hard to grip the ball. You can't rely on Duckworth-Lewis and it is something you can't control. We were a bit loose on the field with some dropped catches and a no ball. Thirimanne was brilliant and showed his class today. We hope to bounce back for the next game.'
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Photo Source - ECB Website
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