England v Sri Lanka, 5th ODI: Five Things We Learned

The ODI series came to a conclusion at Cardiff, with England securing a comprehensive 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka. Here’s what we learned…

MAN OF THE DAY – JOE ROOT

Joe Root’s innings today won’t featute on any youtube compilations, but it was the one England needed; one to build around. Both openers falling after solid starts, the accumulation overs risked turning into a mess, the Sri Lanka’s spinners making it harder by the over to score. But Root persisted, playing the supporting role to successive partners, and by the final over had 93 to his name. The moral of the story is that you aren’t going to look majestic every time you walk out, even when blessed as Root, but digging in to find a way to prosper can also be match defining. After a middling-to-ordinary summer so far by his standards, he should leave Wales satisfied with his graft.

HE’S GUNNA BE A PRETTY HANDY ALL-ROUNDER

After Danushka Gunathilaka’s first over on Thursday night at the Oval Jason Roy and Joe Root helped themselves to 12 of the easiest runs they’ll make in international cricket. It wasn’t good. Then from nowhere he defeated Root and didn’t go for another boundary when the rest of the attack were monstered. Building from that confidence, today he bowled as good a middle-overs spell as you’ll see from a part-time tweaker, landing his deliveries in a shoebox throughout. Gunathilaka claimed a dancing James Vince with a lack of spin, before earning the vital wickets of the captain Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow through sheer frustration. 3/48 were his figures, but the result is belief he can legitimately compete at this level with the ball. We already knew he could with the bat, completing his day with a swift 48 opening up. More, please.

PACE AND POLES

It took Liam Plunkett eleven years to make it to 50 ODI wickets, but he’s never looked a more essential member of this England attack. In the opening rubber he had the poise to clobber an epic last ball six off to secure a tie, was the best of the bowlers at Bristol, and took three more wickets today. His principal weapon is pace; too quick for Dasun Shanaka, then a slipping superb yorker - the type that bowlers dream of – underneath the bat of Mathews. His final wicket was taken tidily by David Willey, who too looked every part the matchwinner, getting the ball rolling with the first wicket before cleaning up the tail. The sort of fast bowling you can build a serious attack around.

JOS JUST A JOY

Lastly, there must be a mention of Jos Buttler’s offensive bottom hand. Cricketers aren’t meant to be able to dig yorkers with barely a flick of the wrists one bounce over the rope at long off. They aren’t meant to be able hit good length balls searing over extra cover like a hockey slap shot. 70 in 45 balls today and one felt that he barely got going. This guy has to have a future in all formats of the game for England. He’s just too good.

LIKE A FLIPPER

Runs to play with, England full of confidence and Sri Lanka under the pump - now was the time for Adil Rashid to have a bit of fun. He pulled a few tricks out of the bag: deliveries out the back of the hand and one out of the very front which has the ball seemingly rotating to the left but pitching and turning right. But his very best was saved for Dusan Shanaka. After an array of googlies, the leggie was sent down on a shorter length. Shanaka misread it and danced down only for the ball to leave him high and dry out of his crease. Buttler completed the stumping. Wonderful.