A superb all-round display from Mooen Ali secured a comfortable 55-run victory for England in their inaugural tour match against Sri Lanka A.
The Worcestershire all-rounder claimed 3-29 to help reduce the hosts to 198-6 in their rain-affected match.
He then made England’s highest contribution with the bat, scoring 56 in his 94-run partnership with England captain Alastair Cook (54), as the visitors closed on 145/2 after 25 overs.
The history of torrential rain in England’s recent visits to Sri Lanka continued to cause delays, eventually bringing the match to a close when Ian Bell (16*) and Joe Root (15*) saw the visitors home on the D/L method.
The Sri Lankan’s made good progress thanks to Kushal Perera who made 56 before he fell to Steven Finn (2-43) who also claimed the wicket of Perera’s opening partner, Kaushal Silva (2).
The hosts lost two wickets with the score on 49, losing the more experienced Dinesh Chandimal for no score to Moeen, who took two wickets in three deliveries in his third over.
Having stumbled to 105/5 the hosts needed a significant contribution and were able to call upon Ajantha Mendis (42*) and Ramith Rambukwella (30*) to recover the innings with an unbeaten stand for Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket worth 76 runs.
However, England made light of this inadequate total, with Moeen hitting six boundaries in only the second over of the run-chase. The Worcestershire man continued to accelerate, reaching his half-century in just 21 deliveries with ten fours and one six.
Cook’s approach was much more cultured but equally effective, and the England skipper established himself as the proficient backbone of England’s innings, reaching his twentieth ODI fifty in 58 balls.
ALI’S TALLY:
Balls faced by Moeen Ali – 56 from 37 balls:
4, 4, 4, wide, 4, 4, 4,
0, 2, 0, 2, 0, 4, 4, 4, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 6 (50)
0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, W.
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