LONDON: Eoin Morgan was left marvelling at the skill of rival captain Lasith Malinga (pictured) after the Sri Lanka skipper played a key role in the tourists’ nine-run Twenty20 international win at The Oval on Tuesday.
Malinga, who led the islanders to World Twenty20 glory in Bangladesh earlier this year, had long been regarded as one of the best ‘white ball’ bowlers in the game.
And the ‘slingshot’ seamer proved too hot for England to handle in taking three for 28 on Tuesday as Sri Lanka restricted Morgan’s men to 174 for seven in reply to their 183 for seven.
“It’s not often in Twenty20 cricket that you can get dominated by a bowler so much as Malinga,” said Morgan.
“But he crops up in everyone’s team meeting. He’s someone you have to talk about a lot, how you’re going to negotiate him -- if you have the option of taking him on.
“He’s world-class,” the former Ireland batsman added.
Tuesday’s match was the first Twenty20 England had played since Peter Moores was re-appointed national coach.
Morgan, leading the side in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad, was left frustrated by a bowling display which, with the exception of debutant left-arm seamer Harry Gurney (two for 26), was powerless to prevent a late onslaught that saw Sri Lanka score 75 runs off the final six overs of the innings.
Fielding errors also hurt England, with Michael Carberry dropping left-hander Thisara Perera, whose 49 proved decisive.
Alex Hales weighed in with 66 on Tuesday but the hosts still fell narrowly short of their target.
AFP
