The series had shifted to Trent Bridge for the fourth ODI and one of the changes was the overcast afternoon that greeted the players, after bright sunshine in the last two ODIs. Both teams went in unchanged as the hosts needed to win to stay alive, while the visitors looked to wrap up the series here as they had all the momentum.
England vs Sri Lanka: 4th ODI Review
England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to field first. Both new ball bowlers, Anderson and Bresnan were on the money and things went downhill right from the time captain Tillekeratne Dilshan feathered one to Kieswetter in the first over. There were no heroics this time from Dinesh Chandimal, as Anderson and Bresnan reduced Sri Lanka to 20-4. Kumar Sangakkara was then joined by Suraj Randiv who was sent in ahead of Angelo Mathews. A slow and steady 37 run partnership later, the visitors were 5 down for 57 and in a heap of trouble. Mathews and Sangakkara then batted with purpose and character to take the score to 129 in the 32nd over and the visitors looked like getting a competitive score on the board. A brief resistance from Jeevan Mendis was the only semblance of a fight from Sri Lanka as the tail collapsed in a heap to be bowled out in the 44th over, Sangakkara the last man out for 75.
A total of 171 was never going to trouble the England batting line up but Kieswetter needed another score under his belt. England raced to 55 without loss when rain ate up a couple of overs. After the resumption, England continued their free flow and brought up their hundred in the 14th over and both Kieswetter and Cook getting into the groove. Cook was timing the ball like a dream in possibly his best ODI innings till date. The introduction of spin brought in no respite for the Lankans as the 150 came up in the 22nd over. Cook had the chance to bring up his second century in 3 days but Kieswetter was in a hurry at the other end and so Cook was denied. Nevertheless a 75 ball 95 earned him the Man of the Match, and a chance to win the series in the final ODI.
Tags: 4th ODI, Alistair Cook, Cricket, England, Manchester, ODI Match, ODI Series, Review, Sri Lanka
