England beat Sri Lanka 146 to 145 in a match that finished with barely a breath between two sides. The result came on Thursday evening in what was billed as a tour fixture, though it played out like a cup final. To be fair, the margin tells you everything about how the game unfolded — one run separating two teams who had just played each other two days earlier.
England had won the previous meeting by a wide margin of 119 runs, putting up 254 while Sri Lanka managed only 135. And here's the thing — by then, England were on a five-match winning streak, having beaten Pakistan three times and India once in the months before. They came into this match expecting another comfortable victory.
Sri Lanka came out differently on Thursday night. They didn't fold like they had in the earlier game, and they kept pushing England through what must have been a tense chase. The hosts were reduced to ten when a key wicket fell in the final overs, but they still fought back. One mistake ends it in cricket, and England paid for it.
Sri Lanka's recent form had been patchy — a win against the Lions of England, a loss to them, a victory over India, and a defeat to them as well. They were not a side anyone would have fancied to hold England to, yet they did. By then, England's unbeaten run was under serious threat, and the pressure showed.
The result leaves England with a narrow advantage in the series, though they gifted themselves a comfortable start only to nearly blow it. Sri Lanka showed character in the chase, stretching the back line when it mattered most. The final over must have been something to watch.
