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England slump to defeat against Sri Lanka
1 Oct 2007Sri Lanka 269-7 (50 overs) bt England 150 (34.5 overs)
England today slumped to another emphatic defeat against Sri Lanka after seamer Farveez Maharoof tore through their top order in the opening one-day international.
Chasing Sri Lanka's competitive total of 269 for seven, which included Maharoof's quickfire 22 off 12 balls, England slumped to 132 for six after 30 overs of their reply after he claimed four for 31.
Brought on in the eighth over of England's reply, Maharoof struck with his third ball to remove debutant Phil Mustard as part of a spell of three wickets for four runs in only 17 balls, which included the scalps of Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen.
He finished off his superb, unbroken 10-over spell by ending Alastair Cook's resistance when the opener was caught behind for 46 off 80 balls to leave England in disarray and facing their eighth defeat to Sri Lanka in their last nine one-day meetings.
England had been given a promising start with Mustard and Cook, recalled to the side after being dropped for the final match of the one-day series against India, racing to a 43-run partnership inside eight overs.
But Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene's decision to turn to Maharoof in the eighth over proved inspired when he struck with his second ball to remove Mustard, who mis-timed a drive to mid-off after hitting three fours and a six in his 27 off 17 balls.
Bell, a century maker in England's only warm-up match against a Sri Lankan Board XI, struggled throughout his nine-ball innings before chasing a seaming delivery and edging behind.
Maharoof completed a three-wicket haul in his next over when he got the ball to jag back off the seam and claim Pietersen's inside edge before being collected by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka's total was built around a determined 66 off 74 balls from Jayawardene, which built the platform to enable them to swing the bat in the final overs.
Jayawardene forged half-century partnerships with Sangakkara and Chamara Silva and set up his side for what could have been a formidable total after they reached 150 for two after 30 overs.
But after Jayawardene picked out Owais Shah on the cover boundary with seven overs remaining, Sri Lanka lost five wickets in as many overs and needed Maharoof's late hitting to help them over 250 to their challenging total.
