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Sam Curran claimed his best figures before England captain Eoin Morgan shined with the bat as World Champions England cruised to a series-clinching win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international at th🐼e Oval on Thꩵursday.
Chasing the target of 242, the hosts managed to complete their task with seven overs to spare. Morgan top-scored with scintillating 75 not out off 83 balls, including eight fours and a six. He was well supported by senior batter Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 68 from 87 delꩲiveries with the help of ﷽five boundaries.
The pair of Morgan and Root added an 🐷unbeaten 140-run stand for the third wicket to take their side over the finish line. Apart from the experienced duo, the openers also did a tremendous job and dominated the proceedings.
Jason Roy, who was making a comeback in the side after a hamstring injury, gave his team a flying start by forming a 75-run partnership for the opening wicket with Jonny Bairstow. Roy score⭕d 60 runs off 52 balls, while Bairstow could only manage to hit 29 runs.
Earlier, Curran completely destroyed the Sri Lankan batting order, picking up his first-ever five-wicket haul in the 50-over format. Curran removed the top three batters, Pathum Nissanka (5), Kusal Perera (0), and Avishka Fernando (2), to reduce the visitors to 12/3. Then, the left-armer dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga (26) and Chamika Karunaratne (21) to complete his fifer in the game.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Dasun Shanaka took their side out of hot waters 🥀and steadied the ship. The duo put together a vital partnership of 78 runs for the sixth🦋 wicket to help Sri Lanka reach a competitive total.
Dhananjaya missed out from scoring a remarkable hundred by only nine runs as David Willey dismissed him in the 35th over. Willey didn’t just stop there as he sent back Shanaka too in the 45th over. Willey went on to take a 4-fer for 64 runs in his quota of 10 overs.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
An excellent ten overs from Sam Curran. He pitched it up and swung it to start and then banged it in short to finish. He ends up with five wicket𒁃s in front of his home crowd. Nice
— Rob Johnston (@RobJ_Cricket)
England win the 2nd ODI!
Eoin Morgan and Joe Root🤪’s unbeaten 14ꦕ0 run partnership guiding the hosts to victory. |
— ICC (@ICC)
Tom Curran had claimed his maiden ODI 5-wkt haul (5/35) v Aus at Perth on 28 Jan 2018.
He was then 22 years-322 days!
Today, younger sibling Sam Curran claimed his maiden 5-wkt haul (5/48) at the Oval at 23 years-28 days!
They are the 4th & 5th youngest for England!— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
It's been all about control today. The England batsman have been in control throughout their innings, and yet scored at a much quicker rate than Sri Lanka. They executed their skills perfectly.
England false shots: 13.3% (RR: 5.62)
Sri Lanka false shots: 18.2% (RR: 4.82)— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst)
How good꧋ is at one day cricket! So good to watch!
— Tammy Beaumont (@Tammy_Beaumont)
What's happened here is that Sam Curran and David Willey have bowled a team out with bouncers. True story.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd)
Sam Curran has taken more wickets today than what Tom Curran ha🐠s managed in his last ten ODIs across the last two years.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
Joe Root vs Sri Lanka in 2021: 228, 1, 1ꦬ86, 11🅠, 79*, 68*
— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1)
Some many things to love and admire about Eoin Morgan as a cr✱icketer. For me his calling, it is a thing of beauty. Loud, clear and decisive, his partner never in the dark as to what is about🍸 happen.
— Seth Bennett (@Sethb45)
A dream start on his home ground for Sam Curran.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket)
Eoin Morgan is the first player with a 50+ score on the tenth anniversary of a 50+ score against the same team in 💫ODIs.
1 Jul 2011 – 52(40) v SL at Leeds
1 Jul 2021 – 75*(83) v SL at The Oval— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats)
I hope Sam Curran leaves CSK with 3-4 t🎃rophie🐻s at least.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer)
