Sri Lanka held their nerve and beat England by two runs in a game that swung in a ding-dong manner, this way and that. The Lankans would be disappointed that they didn’t capitalize on the good start that they got from their top order, and particularly disappointed that both Upul Tharanga and Jayawardene got out after being well set. It’s when a batsman has got to his half century that its crucial for him to carry on, and get more, for that means a well set batsman bats through the major overs and does not leave it to a new man at the crease to do the shot making. The Lankans missed out on at least 40 to 50 runs because most of their well-set batsmen got out at the wrong time and at the termination of the innings, they would have wanted those extra runs in the kitty. But they are a fighting lot, the Lankans, and were not going to give up. Two early wickets gave them just the start they needed, and after the Bell-Pietersen partnership was broken, they kept pegging away at the English, and reduced them to 130 for 6. Fernando claimed the important wickets of Collingwood and Flintoff, after Murali had got rid of the danger-man Pietersen, caught and bowled. A rollicking partnership between Ravi Bopara and Nixon got England agonizingly close, but Fernando kept his cool and Sri Lanka can breathe a lot easier after this win.

England though will have to look at doing things a bit differently and promote Flintoff to open the batting rather than waste his hitting talent down the order. That will give their batting just the momentum it needs in the big games against Australia and South Africa , whom they have to beat to get to the semis.

My ‘Man of the Match’ is Fernando for picking wickets at a crucial time and then keeping cool and bowling the well-set Bopara to win the game for his country.