CWC 2019: ENG vs SL Preview – England aim to move a step closer to the semis
England will be hoping to continue their upward momentum after their massacre of the Afghanistan bowling attack when they face off against Sri Lanka at Headingley in Leeds. After almost succeeding in notching up the first 400+ score in the tournament, England will aim for another run-fest against a Sri Lankan bowling attack which isn’t the most threatening in nature. The match will also present English bowlers with an opportunity to get into some serious rhythm against a batting unit which is looking quite susceptible.
For the Lankans, it will be a big opportunity to cause a major upset and keep themselves alive in the tournament. A loss would prove to be fatal for their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals. They performed decently well in most parts of their match against Australia. But a collapse, later on, showed the inexperience in their ranks as they succumbed to a big defeat.
Match Info
England vs Sri Lanka, Match 27
Headingley, Leeds (3:00 pm IST)
Head-to-Head
Played – 74
England wins – 36
Sri Lanka wins -35
Tied – 1
No-result – 2
Team News
England are still reeling from the injury to talismanic opener Jason Roy. There is still no defined timeline as to when he will be fully fit again and rumours are rife that Alex Hales could be named as his replacement in the squad. In Roy’s absence, James Vince opened the batting with Jonny Bairstow and is likely to continue performing the same role. The pitch will dictate as to who gets in the side between Moeen Ali and Liam Plunkett.
Sri Lanka are still struggling to field their best XI and have constantly chopped and changed in all their matches. They will have to decide upon their combination soon as the time is running out for them to make an impact in the tournament.
Key Players
Joe Root (England): England’s Test skipper has been in exceptional form in the tournament with two centuries already to his name. He has performed well in every game and will look to continue the streak against Sri Lanka, against whom he has a very good record. He has scored 317 runs in 9 innings against the Lankans at an average of 52.83 since 2015.
Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka’s most experienced campaigner showed signs of regaining some form in their match against Australia. He has been their best performer against England since 2015, scoring 253 runs in 5 innings at an average of 63.25.
Probable XI
England: J Bairstow, J Vince, J Root, E Morgan(c), J Buttler(wk), B Stokes, M Ali, C Woakes, J Archer, M Wood, A Rashid.
Sri Lanka: D Karunaratne(c), K Perera(wk), L Thirimanne, K Mendis, A Mathews, D de Silva, M Siriwardana, T Perera, I Udana, N Pradeep, L Malinga.
