Roy, Hales run riot against Sri Lanka

BIRMINGHAM — Blistering hundreds by Jason Roy and Alex Hales hauled England to a crushing 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second One-Day International at Edgbaston Friday. England, set a modest 255 for victory, finished on 256 without loss as it won with more than 15 overs to spare to go 1-0 up in the five-match series following Tuesday’s tied opener at Trent Bridge. Roy, named Man of the Match after also completing two run-outs, was unbeaten on 112 at the finish, with Hales 133 not out as both batsmen recorded their highest scores at this level. Their unbroken opening stand surpassed England’s record ODI partnership of 250 set by Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott for the second wicket against Bangladesh at Edgbaston in 2010. England’s total was the highest scored by any side winning an ODI by 10 wickets, topping the 236 scored by New Zealand against Zimbabwe at Harare last year. Victory also saw England win the inaugural multi-format Super Series, with Sri Lanka now unable to surpass its 13-3 points lead in the remaining three ODIs and lone Twenty20. Friday’s match was a day/night fixture but by the time Roy drove the winning four off Seekkugge Prasanna there was no need for the floodlights to be switched on. Successive fours by Hales off leg-spinner Prasanna saw the Nottinghamshire opener to a 91-ball century. It was the start of a thrilling sequence in which Hales scored 26 runs in five balls off Prasanna — two fours followed by three sixes. Hales was dropped on 126 but by then it hardly mattered. Roy, a ball after surviving an lbw appeal on 99, drove Prasanna down the ground for six to go to a 92-ball century including six fours and four sixes. England had collapsed to 82 for six Tuesday but there was never any danger of a repeat at Edgbaston. Prasanna’s 8.1 overs cost 78 runs, with Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews — who suffered a hamstring injury at Trent Bridge — not bowling. “I’m disappointed I couldn’t contribute with the ball,” said Mathews. Earlier, Adil Rashid took two quickfire wickets as England held Sri Lanka to 254 for seven after Mathews won the toss. Leg-spinner Rashid, unlucky to go wicketless in a return of none for 36 in 10 overs at Trent Bridge, took two for 34. Dinesh Chandimal (52), restricted by a hamstring injury during his innings, and Mathews (44), shared a fourth-wicket stand of 82 in front of a capacity crowd of just over 23,000 at a sunny Edgbaston. But Rashid rocked Sri Lanka with two wickets for no runs in three balls. Mathews fell when he top-edged a sweep to Liam Plunkett at short fine leg. Then the big-hitting Prasanna, who made a rapid 59 on Tuesday, exited for just two when he skyed Rashid and David Willey, running round from mid-on, took a fine catch. The hampered Chandimal compiled an 80-ball fifty but was run out in search of a non-existent single. Chandimal’s injury prevented him from keeping wicket. Kusal Perera, one of several glovemen in Sri Lanka’s squad, took over behind the stumps but missed a tough early chance to catch Hales. The series continues in Bristol Sunday. — AFP