Cook and Kieswetter make record opening stand as England level series

CRICKET:ALASTAIR COOK narrowly missed his second successive hundred as England beat the weather, and trounced Sri Lanka, at Trent Bridge to level the series at 2-2 yesterday. An Old Trafford decider therefore beckons on Saturday, after James Anderson did most to derail Sri Lanka for only 174 and then captain Cook answered his critics again.

His and Craig Kieswetter’s record opening stand was interrupted by a heavy shower at 55 in under eight overs, and the threat of more rain was the only conceivable danger to England – who knew 20 overs of their innings were mandatory to constitute a result. But in pursuit of a revised target of 171, Cook (95 not out) and Kieswetter (72no) ensured any doubt about the outcome was merely fleeting on the way to 10-wicket margin.

Anderson (three for 24) had shone again, as England’s seamers hustled Sri Lanka out in only 43.4 overs. Three of Sri Lanka’s top five went for six runs between them to Anderson. Kumar Sangakkara (75) then dug in and lurched to 57 for five. Anderson took his one-day international tally to 14 wickets in Nottingham and Tim Bresnan also shifted Mahela Jayawardene cheaply with the new ball. Tillakaratne Dilshan was first to go via a thin edge behind as Anderson found swing and away movement off the pitch in his first over. Jayawardene was undone at the other end by Bresnan.

Young number three Dinesh Chandimal went with a duck when Anderson pinned him lbw pushing forward. Thilina Kandamby became the fourth consecutive departure for a single-figure score when caught by Graeme Swann.

Much therefore depended on Sangakkara, joined by a promoted Suraj Randiv. The latter, listed to come in at 10, belied that billing in a stand of 37 which bought Angelo Mathews time before he would have to contend with the moving ball. Stuart Broad broke his duck for the series when Randiv gloved him behind down the leg-side. But Sri Lanka’s decision to tweak the batting order appeared to work, Mathews able to play with enough freedom to strike Broad and Jade Dernbach for sixes in a sixth-wicket partnership of 72 with Sangakkara. The all-rounder fell to a memorable piece of work by Bresnan, who got enough bounce to hit the shoulder of the bat and then held a diving caught-and-bowled chance.

Sangakkara reined in his shots, allowing himself just a smattering of five boundaries in his 80-ball 50 and blunting the threat of Swann’s off-spin – which nonetheless permitted only 31 runs in 10 overs.

Sri Lanka were even tempted into powerplay on 157 for seven at the 40-over stage. But too much early damage had been done – and Dernbach (three for 38) made the most of favourable circumstances to take the last three wickets in only 10 balls. Sangakkara was last out mistiming an attempted big hit to point.