nz look to fight back

Big picture

Pakistan broke their five-match losing streak with a thrilling win over New Zealand in Dubai. The bigger gain though, according to captain Misbah-ul-Haq, was the success of Haris Sohail's part-time left-arm spin as Pakistan look for options for the sixth bowler's slot, following Mohammad Hafeez's ban.

Hafeez's suspension, coming soon after Saeed Ajmal's suspension, has left Pakistan's combination for the series and the World Cup a little uncertain, and the side is actively exploring its options with batsmen who can bowl. With Hafeez likely to leave after the second ODI, to work on remodeling his action, Pakistan will have another vacant slot in their XI open for experimentation. The challenge for Pakistan - who have had an erratic year in terms of ODI results - will be to ensure that they keep winning and gain some momentum before the World Cup despite the experiments. 

The batting innings of both teams followed similar trajectories in the last game. While Misbah brushed off Pakistan's top-order stutter as "an off day", New Zealand's top order was missing Martin Guptill. In the field, New Zealand were done in by the level-headed stand between Shahid Afridi and Haris Sohail, and Nathan McCullum later said the side had missed "a key moment" when they failed to keep Pakistan's chase in check.

Ahead of the second ODI, however, the side received a boost when Kane Williamson was cleared to resume bowling in international cricket, enhancing the side's spin options in conducive conditions. A 0-1 scoreline has become a familiar sight for New Zealand on this tour but they have shown the tenacity to fight back. They levelled the Test series with an innings victory a few weeks ago and Kane Williamson was hopeful some of that confidence would rub off on the vastly different ODI side.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed matches only)
Pakistan WLLLL
New Zealand LLLWW

In the spotlight

	Jimmy Neesham's highest score on the tour has been 11 © Getty Images Enlarge

Jimmy Neesham has faced a dip in batting form since New Zealand's tour to the West Indies earlier this year. He made 16 and 10 in the ODIs against South Africa in October and his highest score on this tour has been 17. Ross Taylor's century carried New Zealand in the last game but if the top order fails, runs from Neesham will be crucial.

Pakistan experimented with Sarfraz Ahmed's batting order in the first ODI, pushing him down to No. 7. He scored only 26 but his resourceful innings revived a flagging chase, and provided Haris Sohail and Shahid Afridi the launching pad for their match-winning stand. He could return to the top order after Hafeez leaves the squad but for this game, Pakistan could look at keeping his batting position flexible.

Team news

Martin Guptill missed the first game due to a hamstring niggle while Corey Anderson was rested as a precautionary measure after being hit on the helmet during the first T20. Their fitness will be assessed on the morning of the game.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Dean Brownlie, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Adam Milne/Matt Henry

Pakistan are likely to opt for an unchanged XI but if they do change their XI, it could be in the bowling line-up with Sohail Tanvir possibly coming in in place of Umar Gul.

Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Pitch and conditions

The Sharjah pitch is known for high scores but during the last game that Pakistan played there - against Australia in October - it also offered help for the spinners. Williamson said that the track during the Test series was devoid of grass but had more pace and bounce than the other venues. Teams winning the toss and batting have won 66 of the 125 matches played at the venue.

Stats & trivia

• New Zealand's highest opening stand in 11 ODIs in 2014 is 56 - between Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder against West Indies in January 2014. New Zealand's opening batsmen have had only two half-century stands in 2014 compared to Pakistan, who have had five, including a century partnership
• The most successful chase at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was the 285 for 4 by West Indies against Pakistan, way back in November 1993
• Pakistan and New Zealand have played ten ODIs in Sharjah, with Pakistan winning all ten. Pakistan have not won more than five ODIs against New Zealand at any other venue.

Quotes

"Given the conditions our fast bowlers did well in the first game despite little support from the pitch, and I hope they continue to bowl like that."
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq

"There will be some good memories for some of the lads, but it is important we focus on what lies in front of us and the Pakistan side is quite different as well, so all those challenges need to be considered."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the influence of the Sharjah Test on the current side

Woakes delivers England chance to rescue series

ENGLAND are this morning set to resume their one-day rescue mission in Sri Lanka after all-rounder Chris Woakes returned the third best figures by an English bowler in one-day international history.
Rain intervened in Pallekele yesterday at the end of the Sri Lanka innings after England had dismissed their hosts for 239 with the final ball of the 49th over.

Warwickshire’s Woakes led the charge with the ball, claiming 6-47 from eight overs to post the most impressive haul by an English bowler in Sri Lanka, and the second six-wicket international haul of his career following 6-45 against Australia at the Gabba in 2011.
Fellow all-rounder Chris Jordan continued his rejuvenation with 2-56 from his 10-over allocation, while off-spinner James Tredwell – recalled at the expense of Ben Stokes – mopped up the remaining wicket.
The Sri Lankan innings was once again underpinned by the mercurial Kumar Sangakkara, who struck 10 fours in a 123-ball knock of 91, after England skipper Alastair Cook, back in the side after serving his ban for a slow over-rate in Hambantota, won the toss and chose to field.
Sangakkara’s half-century was his fourth in succession, while the 37-year-old shared a partnership of 85 with Sri Lankan captain Angelo Matthews following a stand of 51 with opener Tilakaratne Dilshan.
The veteran left-hander’s union with his skipper helped Sri Lanka navigate potentially choppy waters at 59-3 before Jordan struck to remove Matthews, as Thisa Perera added late momentum with a 17-ball 27.
England will face a relatively modest run-rate of 4.80 in their reply but will still have to make history in order to win given the previous highest run-chase at the Pallekele International Stadium remains Sri Lanka’s 239-2 against South Africa in 2013.
Tredwell’s economical return of 1-33 from 10 overs will likely mean the tourists, who also omitted Alex Hales and Ravi Bopara from Sunday’s six-wicket defeat, face a trial by spin.
Sri Lanka immediately restored Sachithra Senanayake after the off-spinner’s bowling action was cleared by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday, while Jeevan Mendis and Ajantha Mendis also lie in wait.
England trail 3-1 in the seven-match series and require victory to avoid Sri Lanka securing an unassailable lead.

afridi and haris left a win for pak

Pakistan 250 for 7 (Haris 85*, Afridi 61) beat New Zealand 246 for 7 (Taylor 105*, Irfan 3-57) by three wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Video report - Pakistan clinch three-wicket win

Half-centuries from Haris Sohail and an unexpectedly restrained Shahid Afridi revived a floundering chase as Pakistan won a thrilling first ODI by three wickets. New Zealand, having hauled themselves out of a mire of their own thanks to a century from Ross Taylor, were running away with the game at the three-quarter mark, but Haris and Afridi snatched it away with breathtaking coolness. Haris finished on an unbeaten 85, to go with 10 tight overs of left-arm spin earlier in the day.

When Afridi walked in to bat, Pakistan were six down, and needed 123 off 122 balls. The left-handed Haris was batting on 34, and had played a couple of lovely lofted drives against the spinners in a fighting innings that seemed destined to go down as a small positive in a big defeat. That's all it would have been if Afridi had made a typically harebrained 15 or 20 at the other end.

But Afridi knuckled down, and brought out his first slog only 21 balls into his innings. By then, he had picked up boundaries with a screaming drive over extra cover and a crafty dab behind the wicket, but had otherwise simply knocked the ball around for ones and twos. That first slog produced a thick edge to the third man boundary. The next slog came when he was on 30. He swung and missed and the ball was wide of off stump.

Feeding off a senior partner who was batting like one, Haris grew in confidence and reached his half-century with a glance off his hips. The runs kept flowing, and the decades rolled away from the equation. When Pakistan needed 40 off 30, Haris smacked James Neesham over mid-off. With 27 required from 19, Afridi launched Kyle Mills over long-on. Taylor kept New Zealand in the game, running out Afridi with a direct hit when 13 were still required, but Wahab Riaz kept his cool at No. 8 to see Pakistan home with three balls remaining.

Three consecutive hundreds in ODIs Quinton de Kock (2013): 135 (v India), 106 (v India), 101 (v India) AB de Villiers (2010): 114* (v India), 102* (v India), 102 (v West Indies) Herschelle Gibbs (2002): 116 (v Kenya), 116* (v India), 153 (v Bangladesh) Saeed Anwar (1993): 107 (v Sri Lanka), 131 (v West Indies), 111 (v Sri Lanka) Zaheer Abbas (1982-83): 118 (v India), 105 (v India), 113 (v India) Ross Taylor (2014): 112* (v India), 102 (v India), 105* (v Pakistan)

Pakistan had left out Umar Akmal, and the lack of urgency in their new-look top six - among whom Younis Khan boasted the highest strike rate, 75.33 - was shown up as they began their chase of 247. Never the most confident chasers, Pakistan lacked thrust at the top of the order, particularly with Sarfraz Ahmed batting at No. 7. The runs came at a trickle, and scoreboard pressure produced wickets. By the 18th over, they were 52 for 4.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Haris then added 34 in 48 balls - which was relatively brisk going, considering the pace of the innings till then - before Vettori sent back Misbah with a blinding one-handed grab at mid-on.

Sarfraz sparkled with positivity during his brief stint at the crease, his strokes finding hitherto unexplored parts of the ground and causing the team management, possibly, to wonder if his inventiveness would have been better served up the order. When he holed out to long-on in the 31st over, Pakistan were 124 for 5 and it looked like the game was up.

Sent in to bat, New Zealand had been in a similar situation - 111 for 5 in the 29th over - before Taylor rallied the lower-order to steer them to 246. Taylor last played an ODI back in January against India, but showed no signs of having been away, extending his form from that series to complete his third hundred on the bounce in the format.

The single that took Taylor to 100 caused him considerable pain, a lifter from Riaz in the final over catching him on his right thumb and going on to strike him on the neck. By then, though, he had ensured - via lower-order partnerships with Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum - that New Zealand would set Pakistan a challenging target. At 111 for 5 in the 29th over, they had seemed in danger of falling short of 200.

With Mohammad Hafeez banned from bowling, there was serious doubt over how Pakistan would fill their fifth-bowler quota. Their five specialist batsmen apart from Hafeez had taken a combined haul of three ODI wickets.

It was a hole New Zealand might have looked to target when they were sent in to bat, but by the time Haris came on to bowl his left-arm spin, they were in no position to go after him, having lost two wickets to Mohammad Irfan in their first 11 overs.

Haris almost had Anton Devcich stumped with his second ball, with only a faint deflection off the pad causing the ball to elude Sarfraz's gloves behind the wicket. Haris kept finding sharp, if slowish, turn off the dry Dubai surface, and bowled with enough control to fulfill the fifth bowler's quota all by himself, and all in one spell, finishing with figures of 10-0-39-0.

By that time, New Zealand had lost three more wickets, and Taylor was waging a lone fight. Apart from a couple of thrillingly precise cuts off Afridi, he was batting in risk-free fashion, knocking the spinners for singles down the ground and either side of sweeper cover. He needed help.

He got that from Ronchi and Vettori, with whom he put on 44 and 58 for the sixth and seventh wickets. Having receded into the background during his partnership with Ronchi, Taylor's scoring went up a gear during the last 10 overs. When Umar Gul dug one in short in the 44th over, he swatted him away over the midwicket boundary. Given width four balls later, he slapped Gul away through the covers.

The 200 came up in the next over, and Vettori swung Riaz away for fours off the first two balls of the 46th, before he walked too far across his stumps to a yorker. With McCullum and Taylor adding a further 33, New Zealand ended up taking 78 from the last 10 overs.
pakistan

pak nz early momentum before world cup 2015

worldcup 2015

Big picture

Monday's game against New Zealand will be the first ODI Pakistan will play since their one-run defeat to Australia in Abu Dhabi in October, a loss that exposed their brittle batting and a sense of uncertainty in their leadership.

The leadership question was resolved by Misbah-ul-Haq's return to form in the Tests against Australia and the team's dominant victories. The question of their batting strength, however, was raised again in the second T20 against New Zealand, where Pakistan failed to chase down 145 on a slow track in Dubai.

Unlike New Zealand, who have another home series against Sri Lanka, this five-match ODI series will be the best chance Pakistan have to complete their team combination jigsaw. Younis Khan was recalled to the ODI side on the back of a stupendous run of form in the Tests and Pakistan will need more of that in the series. Their attack has been boosted by the return of Umar Gul, but with Mohammad Hafeez suspended from bowling and restricted to playing as a specialist batsman, Pakistan will need to work out their bowling combination with a focus on spin.

Between Monday's game and the World Cup, New Zealand will play 14 ODIs, of which nine will be at home. Kane Williamson has already stressed that his side is keen on gaining experience, especially match awareness in different situations.

Twice already on the tour, New Zealand have fought from being a game down to drawing level in the series. Having got accustomed to the pitches in the UAE, they will be looking at grabbing a lead in the ODI series, building on the momentum from their T20 win.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed matches only)
Pakistan LLLLLL
New Zealand LLWWT

	Ross Taylor will play his first ODI since January 2014 © Getty Images Enlarge

In the spotlight

Since the ODIs against India in January 2014, New Zealand have played just one series - against South Africa in October. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor missed it due to injuries and will aim to get their World Cup preparations underway in earnest. Both batsmen have already scored centuries on this tour. Williamson's 192 in the Sharjah Test was pivotal to the side's series-levelling win while Taylor had scored a vital hundred in the drawn Dubai Test.

After he was reported for a suspect action, Mohammad Hafeez had said that he did not rate himself as a bowler and was focused on his career as an international batsman. His suspension as a bowler, though, could affect Pakistan's preparations for the World Cup, according to team manager Moin Khan, and there will be some scrutiny on Hafeez as he walks out to bat. His recent form has been good with a couple of hundreds against New Zealand in the Tests.

Team news

Umar Gul took 2 for 24 on his return to international cricket in the second T20 and could play his first ODI since March 2014.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk) , 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Martin Guptill has been ruled out of the match due to a hamstring niggle which also kept him out of the second T20. New Zealand have not yet taken a call on Corey Anderson's selection, after the allrounder was struck on the helmet during the first T20.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Dean Brownlie, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Adam Milne/Nathan McCullum, 10 and 11 Matt Henry/Kyle Mills/Mitchell McClenaghan

Pitch and conditions

The ODI series will start at the venue of the two T20s. The surface for the second game on Friday was slower but the surface for the ODIs could end up being more batting-friendly. Dew was not much of an issue during the second T20.

Stats and trivia

• The last time Pakistan suffered five or more successive ODI defeats was between November 2009 and June 2010, when they lost nine games on the trot
• New Zealand have won 10 out of 32 games they have played in the UAE. All but three of the games were played in Sharjah.
• The last ODI between the two sides was played during the 2011 World Cup. Ross Taylor's unbeaten century helped set up a 110-run win for New Zealand in the game in Pallekele

Quotes

"The thinking is that now that we have him here, we give him full confidence, because even as a senior you require backing."
Misbah-ul-Haq on how Pakistan will handle Younis Khan, who had lashed out at the selectors after being dropped for the Australia ODIs

"It's not so much an audition, it's very much about workloads as well. There's so much cricket before the World Cup so we're very conscious of that but we also want to put out our strongest side."
Kane Williamson talks up the big picture for New Zealand

worldcup 2015 .

its time for new begning for australia and india

Big Picture

A fortnight ago, everyone thought the first Test would be finishing today if it hadn't already, the teams wrapping things up at the Gabba and about to move on to Adelaide Oval. They thought the series would begin without either side being led by their regular captain. They thought that Michael Clarke's hamstring was the most important issue affecting the Australian team. They thought that Phillip Hughes was a strong chance to replace Clarke in Australia's XI. Nobody ever thought cricket would witness what it has over the past two weeks. And when the tragedy of Hughes' death became a reality, nobody thought it would be a big surprise if the series was trimmed back to three Tests to give the players some grieving time.

But, here we are at the new beginning. A reworked fixture retained all four Tests in the series, which now starts in Adelaide before moving on to Brisbane. Clarke was certain to miss the Gabba Test had it started last Thursday, but now will lead the Australians in a Test that will be more emotional than any they have played. Clarke saw Hughes as a "little brother" and struggled to hold back tears while delivering his remarkable tribute at Wednesday's funeral. Australia could not risk Clarke reinjuring his hamstring at the start of such an enormous summer, but it was also unthinkable that anyone else might lead Australia in Adelaide. Fortunately, he has looked genuinely fit at training.

MS Dhoni has also looked fit at training, but unlike Clarke has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a broken thumb. India will be captained by Virat Kohli, whose task is to ensure his men are up and ready for the challenge of a Test match given their unusual preparation. Not only was their previous Test series cancelled when West Indies pulled out, but since arriving in Australia they have had a pair of two-day matches separated by a period of mourning for Hughes and a trip to the funeral for several of the players.

But then, nothing about this match will quite be normal, as much as everyone wants to be able to switch their focus to the cricket. Tributes to Hughes will include 63 seconds of applause from the crowd and players before the match, the Australians wearing his Test number 408 on their shirts, and his being listed as "13th man" on the Australian team sheet. Many questions remain, including how the Australian players will mentally handle returning to action after farewelling their team-mate. But as Clarke said in his speech at Hughes' funeral: "We must play on".

Form guide

Australia LLWLW
India LLLWD

In the spotlight

One of the great unknowns is how the tragedy of Hughes' death will affect the use of the bouncer, and the response of players and fans to its bowling. Never will that be more the case than when one of the world's fastest and most fearsome bowlers, Mitchell Johnson, is operating. There can be no doubt that England's batsmen were at times scared of Johnson during last year's Ashes campaign on these same pitches, and presumably India's batsmen will be no different this summer. It will be just as interesting to see how often Johnson uses the bouncer, and whether he gives it everything when he does.

India have few reasons to remember their previous Test tour of Australia with fondness, but it was notable as the series in which Virat Kohli came of age as a Test player. In just his second Test series, Kohli was India's leading run scorer and was third only to Clarke and Ricky Ponting on the series tally, which was a fine effort given Australia's dominance over the four Tests. He was also the only Indian to score a century, which he achieved in the fourth Test in Adelaide. Now, he returns to the same venue captaining his country.

Team news

Australia named their side on the day before the match, with Clarke passed fit and Shaun Marsh therefore left out. Josh Hazlewood was the unlucky bowler to miss selection. Shane Watson returns to the Test side after missing the series against Pakistan in the UAE due to injury, and is expected to slot in at No.3.

Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Nathan Lyon.

The absence of Dhoni means Wriddiman Saha will keep wickets and Kohli will captain India for the first time in a Test. It also appears unlikely that Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play due to an ankle injury, which would leave Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Mohammad Shami as the probably pace attack.

India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammad Shami.

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide Oval now uses drop-in pitches but the curator Damian Hough said on match eve that he expected "a typical Adelaide Oval pitch" for the Test. "Hopefully there is a little bit in it early, it's going to be good to bat on, and then take a little bit of spin and some inconsistency later in the game," Hough said. The forecast for most of the Test is for fine weather and temperatures in the high 20s.

Stats and trivia

• Kohli will become the 32nd man to captain India in a Test
• Clarke has a remarkable record at Adelaide Oval, where in nine Tests he has scored 1279 runs at 98.38, including six centuries
• Australia begin the series ranked second and India sixth in Tests; India could drop to seventh if they lose 3-0 or 4-0
  Quotes
  "The first spell might be the most difficult. Then we might just get back into the game a bit more."
  Mitchell Johnson acknowledges it won't be easy playing after the death of Phillip Hughes
  "This one of the best bowling attacks we've had in a while. Guys who are bowling with pace and they're fit"
  Virat Kohli is pleased with the attack he has at his disposal

sl won 4th odi as sanga 86 and methews 51*

Sri Lanka regained their two-match advantage in the one-day series although were pushed closer that appeared likely for most of the chase before getting home with two balls to spare. The pursuit was controlled, for the most part, by Kumar Sangakkara's 86 but it needed another steely contribution from Angelo Mathews to ensure against any late slips.

Nothing seemed more certain than Sangakkara would seal victory with his 20th ODI hundred, but on 86 he found deep cover from a short delivery by Chris Jordan and could barely come to terms with the need to walk off. So instead it was Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne who crossed the winning line with a stand of 53, never flinching when the asking rate briefly went above seven although Mathews was dropped at third man by Alex Hales with 25 needed. Given that England managed to squeeze the chase into the final over, they will rue the 12 wides which continued a theme from the series.

England now need to win the three remaining games, two in Pallekele and one more back at the Premadasa, if they are to take the series although with an eye to the future there were a couple of performances that meant it was not a completely forlorn day for them.

James Taylor, playing just his third ODI and first against anyone other than Ireland, top-scored with well-crafted 90 before cramp got the better of him and Eoin Morgan, the stand-in captain for the day, made his first ODI fifty since January with 62 off 47 balls as the rest of England's middle and lower order, losing 7 for 94, frittered away earlier good work.

The early new-ball bowling from Steven Finn and Chris Woakes was inconsistent and meant England did not build pressure, although they were perked up when Tillakaratne Dilshan carved into the off side. With two left handers now at the crease, Moeen Ali was brought straight into the attack and kept a lid on the scoring while also enticing Kusal Perera to edge to slip.

However, with each ball that gripped for Moeen it will have reinforced the belief that the balance of England's attack was wrong without the additional offspin of James Tredwell. Instead, they preferred to take another look at Ben Stokes whose two overs went for 21, after being the seventh bowler used, to take his series tally to none for 85 from eight overs.

From 69 for 2, and a potential opening for England, Sangakkara and Jayawardene added 96 with effortless accumulation, often toying with Morgan's attempts to cut off their scoring areas. One minute they would open the face to find space in the off side, and the next dinking into the leg side.

	Kumar Sangakkara withstood a spirited England display © Getty Images Enlarge

The signs of growing desperation were clear when England used their review against Jayawardene when he was 27, but discovered that even Joe Root was turning the ball too far. Given the ease with which Sri Lanka were batting, it was a surprise when Jayawardene chopped against Jordan, the pick of England's quicks. But Sangakkara just continued to cruise, the most adventurous shot he played an uppercut over the keeper against Woakes who, a short time earlier, had needed some treatment on a knee problem. Then Sangakkara's aberration left the majority in the ground stunned.

There was a sense of relief at the toss when it was confirmed that Taylor would play. If he had not been given his chance in the enforced absence of Alastair Cook because of a one-match suspension he would have been well within his rights to want to get on the next flight home.

Still, it is one thing getting the chance and another to take it. He was at the crease early, which could well have played to his advantage as he did not have much time to let the nerves build, after Alex Hales edged Dhammika Prasad's first legitimate delivery to slip.

There were some uncertain moments early in his innings and the initial stages were hard work as he reached 11 off 29 deliveries before he cashed in on Thisara Perera's first over. A bottom-handed flick from outside off over deep midwicket for six was the sort of stroke that peppered county boundaries during last season.

By the time Taylor found the boundary, he had lost Moeen, charging down the pitch at Dilshan, meaning the innings went into a rebuilding pattern as he was joined by Root. Boundaries were few and far between, and Taylor saved himself by using a review when he was given lbw to Jeevan Mendis on 35, only for there to be a clear bottom edge.

The scoring rate was given a jolt by consecutive sixes, Taylor driving Ajantha Mendis over long-off and Root following by clearing deep midwicket off Jeevan. The partnership ended on 93, England's best of the series, when Root's penchant for late-cutting the spinners off his stumps brought his downfall against Rangana Herath.

Taylor continued to punctuate his sprinting between the wickets with the occasional boundary, but the conditions were starting to take their toll and he twice needed lengthy treatment from the physio who was focussing on his left forearm. Later the cramp appeared to be spreading to his legs, and four balls after the second visit from the physio Taylor tried to clear the off side against Ajantha Mendis but could not beat the infield.

As so often, the batting Powerplay - taken one over before it had to be - was not England's friend. Five deliveries after Taylor departed to the relative cool of the dressing room, Ravi Bopara missed a quicker ball from Dilshan.

Buttler could not help set a target in the same way he had chased one down a few days ago as he picked out long-on with seven overs remaining. Stokes' international batting woes continued when he found deep square-leg, and with Morgan starting to find his stride the shot selection of Woakes and Jordan left something to be desired.

Mathews entrusted his spinners with the final 21 overs of the innings: for 20 of those overs there was barely any reason to question that decision as Herath returned a miserly 3 for 36 and Ajantha Mendis claimed 3 for 56. However, the first two balls of the last over - bowled by Dilshan - were slotted for six by Morgan and the over ended up costing 18. In the end it did not matter and the tricky decisions remain England's, including the pressing question of who misses out for the returning Cook in Pallekelle.

england put an target of 265 against sl

James Taylor has waited a long time to play an ODI against anyone other than Ireland. If he had not been given his chance in the enforced absence of Alastair Cook he would have been well within his rights to want to get on the next flight home.

Still, it is one thing getting the chance and another to take it. Taylor's 90 anchored two-thirds of England's innings and it was the effects of cramp, on a hot Colombo day, as much as any specific threat from the Sri Lanka bowlers that denied him a maiden international hundred when he looped a catch into the covers at the start of the batting Powerplay.

England's eventual total of 265 was below what they should have achieved from 170 for 3 in the 35th over but, with an eye on the future as well as the present, it will have heartened the dressing room to see Eoin Morgan, the stand-in captain for the day, finding form with a 42-ball fifty, brought up with a six over deep midwicket at the start of the final over. He ensured the innings did not completely fizzle out and it was his highest ODI score since making 106 against Australia, in Brisbane, in January.

Taylor was at the crease early, which could well have played to his advantage as he did not have much time to let the nerves build, after Alex Hales edged Dhammika Prasad's first legitimate delivery to slip.

There were some uncertain moments early in his innings and the initial stages were hard work as he reached 11 off 29 deliveries before cashing in on Thisara Perera's first over. A bottom-handed flick from outside off over deep midwicket for six was the sort of stroke that peppered county boundaries during last season.

By the time Taylor found the boundary, he had lost Moeen Ali, charging down the pitch at Tillakaratne Dilshan, meaning the innings went into a rebuilding pattern as he was joined by Joe Root. Boundaries were few and far between, and Taylor saved himself by using a review when he was given lbw to Jeevan Mendis on 35, only for there to be a clear bottom edge.

The scoring rate was given a jolt by consecutive sixes, Taylor driving Ajantha Mendis over long-off and Root following by clearing deep midwicket off Jeevan. The partnership ended on 93, England's best of the series, when Root's penchant for late-cutting the spinners off his stumps brought his downfall against Rangana Herath.

Taylor continued to punctuate his sprinting between the wickets with the occasional boundary, but the conditions were starting to take their toll and he twice needed lengthy treatment from the physio who was focussing on his left forearm. Later the cramp appeared to be spreading to his legs, and four balls after the second visit from the physio Taylor tried to clear the off side against Ajantha Mendis but could not clear the infield.

As so often, the batting Powerplay - taken one over before it had to be - was not England's friend. Five deliveries after Taylor departed to the relative cool of the dressing room, Ravi Bopara missed a quicker ball from Dilshan, leaving another rebuilding job in the hands of Morgan and Jos Buttler.

Buttler ensured he played himself in, managing one effortless six over long-off, but could not help set a target in the same way he had chased one down a few days ago as he picked out long-on with seven overs remaining. Ben Stokes' international batting woes continued when he found deep square-leg, and with Morgan starting to find his stride the shot selection of Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan left something to be desired.

Angelo Mathews entrusted his spinners with the final 21 overs of the innings: for 20 of those overs there was barely any reason to question that decision as Herath returned a miserly 3 for 36 and Ajantha Mendis claimed 3 for 56. However, the first two balls of the last over - bowled by Dilshan - were slotted for six by Morgan and the over ended up costing 18 to boost England to a decent total.