England is set to take on Sri Lanka for the 2nd T20I of the series which is set to take place at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday. England started the three-match T20I series favorites and didn't disappoint as they comfortably won by eight wickets with 17 balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
England stormed to a dominant win, courtesy of a good bowling performance. with their bowlers restricting the opponents to a modest score of 129 in 20 overs, Despite the pitch being on the slower side, England openers Jos Buttler and Jason Roy paved the way for a thumping win, with Jos Buttler's unbeaten fifty taking them over the finish line.
Sri Lankan players though playing their hearts out, still find them short of quality. A massive uplift in the effort is expected from the batsmen as the bowlers try their hearts out. Apart from Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga, no other Lankan players were able to apply themselves.
“Quite a comprehensive performance from start to finish. The pressure the guys bowled with, created opportunities for us, talked about having plans and we executed them well. Bowlers made us look good today, reduced SL to an under-par score. Roy and Buttler laid the platform for us to kick on, thought Jos gave a masterclass today.” Eoin Morgan
Will England continue their dominance showing the gulf in quality? Or will Sri Lanka spring a surprise or two and level the series?
Match Toss Time: 18:00 Local (22:30 IST)
Match Start Time: 18:30 Local (23:00 IST)
Match Venue: The Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Head to Head
Matches Played: 10, ENG: 6, SL: 4
Weather Conditions
Conditions for cricket look grim as showers are expected with the dark clouds hovering about. The temperature is expected to be around the 17°C mark with a light breeze blowing across the ground. Precipitation around the area stands at 90%, while Humidity also rings at 78%. But considering the short nature of the format, everyone expects the game to proceed.
Pitch
The Sophia Gardens, Cardiff is generally a batting-friendly wicket that assists stroke-makers with enough runs on offers as witnessed in the 1st T20I. With the overcast conditions, swing bowlers like Sam Curran and Chris Woakes can move the bowl around early on, with spinners coming into play as the game progresses.
Team News
With back-to-back games being played with no rest, the English management is expected to roll out the same XI who took the field in the opening clash. With the bowlers performing exceptionally and the top order being in devastating form. The England team will be looking to wrap up this series as soon as possible.
Much of the same, Sri Lanka is expected to turn up with the same players, hoping they could find their rhythm and form to kickstart a winning run the team has been devoid of some runs. The team will be hoping Kusal Perera turns around his fortunes as he struggles a bit through this rough patch.
Probable Playing XI
England (ENG): Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (Wk), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan (C), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Sri Lanka (SL): Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera (C & Wk), Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva/Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep
Must-Picks
Jos Buttler has been in exceptional form in the shortest format of the game, starting the series with an unbeaten half-century. Jason Roy, his opening partner is also of the same stead, looking to wreak havoc with every ball. Wanindu Hasaranga and Kusal Perera are our other must picks
ENG v SL Fantasy team
Captain and Vice-Captain Picks
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