Malinga accounted for opener Alex Hales and one-down batsman Ian Bell on his way to pick up three wickets. PHOTO: AFP
Eoin Morgan was left marvelling at the skill of rival captain Lasith Malinga after the Sri Lanka skipper played a key role in the tourists’ nine-run Twenty20 international win at The Oval on Tuesday.
Malinga, who led the islanders to World Twenty20 glory in Bangladesh earlier this year, had long been regarded as one of the best ‘white ball’ bowlers in the game.
And the ‘slingshot’ seamer proved too hot for England to handle in taking three for 28 on Tuesday, as Sri Lanka restricted Morgan’s men to 174 for seven in reply to their 183 for seven.
“It’s not often in Twenty20 cricket that you can get dominated by a bowler so much as Malinga,” said Morgan.
“But he crops up in everyone’s team meeting. He’s someone you have to talk about a lot, how you’re going to negotiate him — if you have the option of taking him on.
“He’s world-class,” added the former Ireland batsman.
Tuesday’s match was the first Twenty20 England had played since Peter Moores was reappointed national coach.
Morgan, leading the side in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad, was left frustrated by a bowling display which, with the exception of debutant left-arm seamer Harry Gurney (two for 26), was powerless to prevent a late onslaught that saw Sri Lanka score 75 runs off the final six overs of the innings.
England have a chance to make amends when they return to The Oval on Thursday for the first of a five-match ODI series with Sri Lanka.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2014.
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