Ashuti
- Oct 27, 2023
- 5 min read

CWC 2023, SL vs ENG: Bowlers help SL thrash England; world champions fail to arrest slump

CWC 2023, Sri Lanka vs England: Angelo Mathews' 2-14, Lahiru Kumara's 3-35 and Pathum Nissanka's 77 are top performances. Sri Lanka beat England by 8 wickets. England remain at no. 9 in points table.

CWC 2023, Sri Lanka vs England: England lost to Sri Lanka and their 4th game out 5 in CWC 2023Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter)

England lost their 4th game at CWC 2023 (Photo: ©Twitter)

Brief Score - Sri Lanka - 160/2 (P. Nissanka 77, Samarawickrama - 65, D. Willey - 2/30) beat England - 156 all-out (B. Stokes 43, J. Bairstow 30, L. Kumara 3/35) by 8 wickets.

Player of the match - Lahiru Kumara's 3/35

England again showed another below-average performance and faced a significant loss against Sri Lanka. They were shot out for a second consecutive total under 200. Sri Lanka have been as good as England have been miserable - underlining the certainty that this is the lowest ODI total at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. England are the defending champions and came into the match as the favorites. However, the recent results have not favored them, and they are deteriorating at the bottom half of the points table in CWC 2023.

England's WC journey has been turbulent and disappointing, with just one win in their first four matches. On the other hand, Sri Lanka have also won just one game so far. Both teams are struggling in the tournament, and their WC campaign could end soon if they do not get results in their favor in the coming matches.

Meanwhile, England have a slight upper hand against Sri Lanka in head-to-head statistics so far in CWC history, with 6-5 in favor of them. But the catch is that the last time England beat Sri Lanka in a WC game was way back in 1999. Since then, they have lost four games against Sri Lanka in the World Cup.

Heroic Kumara and Nissanka assisted Sri Lanka with their fifth consecutive win over England in the ODI World Cup matches.

Talking point from Sri Lanka vs England, Bengaluru, CWC 2023

Poor batting display from England

Jos Buttler’s side failed to perform with the bat against Sri Lanka. The side never looked capable of mounting an imposing target. The lack of 50-over cricket and the lack of England’s ability to put what they consider their best one-day team in ODI format has masked some of the weakness. Despite being the defending champions, England have given one of the worst title defenses in the history of CWC. The loss against Sri Lanka could lead to them becoming one of the first teams to get knocked out. The lack of form of some crucial players is the major concern for England. The side lacks rhythm and fluency in their batting department at the ongoing World Cup. No batters seemed in form at the moment; as a result, they are in a difficult situation in the biggest cricketing tournament.

Sri Lanka’s depleted bowling power bowled out England for 156

England opted to bat first in the must-win game after winning the toss. It was expected to be a high-scoring match but ended with England's lowest total against Sri Lanka. Powered by the comeback of Angelo Mathews, who replaced injured Pathirana, Sri Lanka dismissed England for just 156 runs. Sri Lanka bowlers dominated from the start, and England's batting failed to recover from the spate of losing wickets.

England suffered a batting collapse after rapidly starting with a flurry of boundaries. The only batter who showed some fighting effort was Ben Stokes, who scored 43 runs. England’s top six crumbled within the first 25 overs. Angelo Mathews, who made his appearance for SL after a long time in ODIs, dismissed Dawid Malan to provide the first breakthrough to the team. Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara had one of his best outings with the ball. Angelo Mathews and Rajitha supported him well with two wickets each.

In the second inning, England started with two early wickets. David Wiley struck early and dismissed Kusal Parera & Kusal Mendis, giving some hope to the side. But then the Sri Lanka batters controlled the game with Nissanka & Samarawickrama taking Sri Lanka to their second win in this edition of WC. The two batters looked solid in the run chase and again showed their form with outstanding half-centuries. The all-round performance by Sri Lanka kept their hopes alive in the World Cup 2023.

Top three performances from the Sri Lanka vs England game in CWC 2023

Lahiru Kumara shines as SL bowled England on just 156

Lahiru Kumara shines as England gets bowled on just 156. He was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with the figures of 3/35. Kumara tends to be all over the place, and he cranked up some serious speed to hustle the batters. His stunning bowling helped Sri Lanka to remain in the semifinal race. He is one of the brightest young stars for Sri Lanka, proving himself in this World Cup edition.

CWC 2023, Sri Lanka vs England_ Angelo Mathews's 2-14 helps Sri Lanka beat England _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter)

Mathews' 2-14 helps Sri Lanka beat England (Photo: ©Twitter)

Angelo Mathews, made a fiery comeback

Angelo Mathews made a sensational comeback on his return as he played his first game of the ODI World Cup 2023. The veteran Sri Lanka took two crucial Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali wickets. He replaced injured Pathirana in the squad and was extremely quick to make an impact. He finished with 2/14 in his 5 overs. Besides this, he showed a brilliant piece of fielding with a superb run out of Joe Root. He scalped the first wicket, giving momentum to his team.

CWC 2023, Sri Lanka vs England_ Pahtum Nissanka scored fifty against England and takes Sri Lanka home _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter)

Nissanka led Sri Lanka to their second win

Pathum Nissanka continued his fine form against England as he hit his fourth consecutive fifty in the tournament. He has been in exceptional form since the start of the CWC 2023. He, alongside Samarawickrama, guided Sri Lanka to an easy win over England. The two batters forged a massive partnership for the third wicket. He scored an unbeaten 77 off 83, which will also do great for SL chances.

Statistical Highlights from Sri Lanka vs England, Bengaluru, CWC 2023

England registered their lowest total (156) against Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup.
England’s 156 is also the lowest total at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
For the fourth time in ODIs, David Willey sent back Kusal Perera.
Pathum Nissanka has crossed the 1000-run mark in ODIs in 2023.
Nissanka and Samarawickrama's 137-run stand is the highest third-wicket partnership for Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup against England.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table

Points Table after Sri Lanka vs England game

Points Table Scenario & What's Next

With their second win of the tournament, Sri Lanka are now at fifth position with 4 points, whereas England are at 9th spot with just 2 points. Pakistan will take on South Africa in the next match of CWC 2023 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.