BRISTOL: Mahela Jayawardene’s unbeaten 72 saw Sri Lanka to a crushing nine-wicket victory against England in the lone Twenty20 international 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 quarterfinal 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. (AP)