Plunkett’s last ball six secures dramatic tie

Cricinfo: Liam Plunkett hit Nuwan Pradeep back over his head for six from the final ball of the match to secure England a thrilling tie in the first ODI at Trent Bridge. England had been out of the game at 82 for 6 before Jos Buttler, with 93, and Chris Woakes, who finished 95 not out, dragged them back into the game but they still went into the final over needing 14 to win.

Pradeep, bowling full and straight, kept Woakes and Plunkett to a two and two singles off the first four balls, leaving England needing 10 off two to win. They scrambled three from the penultimate delivery and then Plunkett blasted a drive over long-off to snatch the win from Sri Lanka.

Half-centuries of contrasting styles from Angelo Mathews and Seekkuge Prasanna helped Sri Lanka set a competitive target in the first ODI of the Royal London series against England at Trent Bridge.

While Mathews accumulated an 83-ball half-century with just three boundaries, Prasanna thrashed a 24-ball fifty that contained 48 runs in fours and sixes.

But Sri Lanka’s total of 286 looked a little under par on a good batting surface - remarkably good bearing in mind the awful weather that had afflicted the region over the last 10 days - with a short boundary on one side. It may be relevant that, in the two previous List A games on the ground this season, the side batting first scored in excess of 400 on both occasions.

It was Mathews’ somewhat old-fashioned innings that held Sri Lanka together. While modern convention suggests that contemporary batsmen attack the whole way through the innings, Sri Lanka’s captain was obliged to adopt a more cautious approach after his team lost three wickets within the first nine overs and found themselves six down with more than 15 overs left remaining.

As a result, he never had the freedom to exploit England’s decision to go into the game with only five bowlers. He did not manage a boundary until 34 balls into his innings - a reverse sweep off Moeen Ali relieving some of the pressure - and had to be content with a low-risk approach that ensured his side at least batted through their 50 overs. In truth, Sri Lanka never fully recovered from falling to 56 for 3. Danushka Gunathilaka and the fluent-looking Kusal Perera were both undone by a touch of swing from David Willey before Kusal Mendis was caught behind after being beaten for pace as he attempted a hook off Chris Woakes.

Obliged to consolidate at a time they may have wanted to attack, Dinesh Chandimal and Mathews added 64 for Sri Lanka’s fourth wicket. But it took them 16.5 overs as Adil Rashid’s nicely controlled spell cost just 36 and when Chandimal fell top-edging a sweep off Moeen Ali, it seemed Sri Lanka might struggle to set a competitive score.

Only when Prasanna joined Mathews did Sri Lanka threaten a total in excess of 300. Having taken 14 deliveries over his first 14 runs, Prasanna then thrashed 44 from his next 12, at one point hitting four sixes in five deliveries as Sri Lanka added 49 in three overs from Moeen and Liam Plunkett.

If the start of Prasanna’s assault owed something to fortune - he edged Moeen’s arm ball through the vacant slip position to the boundary and then saw Woakes dive over the next delivery on the fine-leg boundary - he then played some fine strokes. Moeen was slog-swept for successive sixes, while Plunkett was pulled for two more. But when Prasanna fell, offering a return catch to the first ball of a new spell from Woakes, Sri Lanka were forced to eke out the remaining overs of their innings. Mathews fell in the 47th, almost as soon as he tried to change gear, and had Joe Root not put down a relatively straightforward chance at long-on in the penultimate over - Farveez Maharoof off Willey - Sri Lanka may have failed to use their full complement of overs.

It meant that England, who won the toss and chose to bowl, got away without the extra bowler that Ben Stokes’ availability provides. And while they will have been generally pleased with the performance of their bowlers - Willey, Woakes and Rashid in particular - they may have noted that Plunkett looked a little rattled when attacked and Moeen lacked the variety to prevent the attack upon him.

England recalled Jonny Bairstow and Plunkett for their first ODIs since September, while Sri Lanka made just one change to the team that won the second ODI against Ireland. Nuwan Pradeep, who bowled well without much fortune in the Test series, came into the side in place of the unfortunate Shaminda Eranga.