Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 72 saw Sri Lanka to a crushing nine-wicket victory against England in the lone Twenty20 international here on Saturday. Jayawardene's innings backed up an impressive bowling display that left the tourists needing just 137 for victory against World Twenty20 champions England.
They reached their target for the loss of only veteran Sanath Jayasuriya with 16 balls to spare. The result meant Stuart Broad's first match as England's Twenty20 captain ended in a defeat where he was run out for nought and took none for 29, while Sri Lanka skipper Thilina Kandamby won his opening match in charge.
England may have won the recent three-match Test series between the two countries 1-0 but this was a second successive crushing limited overs defeat by Sri Lanka after the 10-wicket World Cup quarter-final loss in Colombo in March. Kumar Sangakkara, like Jayawardene a former Sri Lanka captain, was 43 not out after the experienced pair shared an unbroken second-wicket stand of 97.
Jayawardene and Jayasuriya, in his penultimate match before international retirement, previously put on 40 for the first wicket. Right-hander Jayawardene, proving again there is a place for classical elegance in cricket's shortest format, completed a 40-ball fifty with a six and four fours.
Surrey seamer Jade Dernbach marked his international debut by dismissing Jayasuriya for eight but that was as good as it got in the field for England. Earlier, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga took two for 15 and left-arm spinner Jayasuriya two for 18 as England struggled to 136 for nine after Kandamby won the toss in overcast conditions. Eoin Morgan (47) and Kevin Pietersen (41) put on 83 in 54 balls for the third wicket after England had been faltering at 12 for two.
England were soon two wickets down as recalled World Twenty20-winning openers Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter both fell cheaply. Left-hander Morgan, dropped on 23, saw his 32-ball innings, featuring three sixes and four fours, end when he pulled Malinga to Jayawardene.
Jayasuriya, playing his first international match for two years after reported political pressure led to his 'farewell' recall, struck with his fifth delivery when Pietersen, backing away to leg, was bowled by a quicker ball. England and Sri Lanka meet again in the first of five one-day internationals at The Oval on Tuesday.
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SCOREBOARD England:
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M. Lumb c Malinga b Lakmal 2
C. Kieswetter c Kandamby b Kulasekara 4
K. Pietersen b Jayasuriya 41
E. Morgan c Jayawardene b Malinga 47
R. Bopara b Jayasuriya 19
S. Patel run out (Jayawardene) 0
L. Wright c Perera b Lakmal 9
C. Woakes c Mathews b Malinga 7
S. Broad run out (Sangakkara/Malinga) 0
G. Swann not out 0
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Extras: (b3, w3, nb1) 7
Total: (9 wkts, 20 overs) 136
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Did not bat: J Dernbach
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-12, 3-95, 4-101, 5-102, 6-125, 7-131, 8-136, 9-136 Bowling: Kulasekara 3-0-15-1; Lakmal 4-0-26-2; Malinga 4-0-15-2; Perera 2-0-35-0 (1nb); Randiv 4-0-24-0 (1w); Jayasuriya 3-0-18-2 (2w).
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Sri Lanka:
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M. Jayawardene not out 72
S. Jayasuriya c Pietersen b Dernbach 8
K. Sangakkara not out 43
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Extras: (lb3, w11) 14
Total: (1 wkt, 17.2 overs) 137
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Did not bat: A Mathews, T Kandamby, J Mendis, N Kulasekara, T Perera, L Malinga, S Randiv, S Lakmal
Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Jayasuriya)
Bowling: Woakes 3-0-31-0 (2w); Dernbach 3-0-18-1 (4w); Broad 3.2-0-29-0; Patel 2-0-18-0; Swann 4-0-26-0 (3w); Bopara 2-0-12-0 (2w)
Result: Sri Lanka won by nine wickets
Man-of-the-match: Mahela Jayawardene (SRI)
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Robert Bailey (ENG)
Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS).