5 talking points as Ben Stokes shows his class to guide England to nervy Sri Lanka win

England completed a tense four-wicket win over Sri Lanka to seal qualification for the T20 World Cup semi-finals, with Ben Stokes holding his nerve to score an unbeaten 42

Chris Woakes hits the winning runs for England (

Image: DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

England have booked their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after Ben Stokes guided them to a nail-biting four wicket win over Sri Lanka, which also knocked defending-champions Australia out of the tournament.

Having won the toss and opted to bat first, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis got Sri Lanka off to a perfect start, striking 39 off the first four overs and taking Mark Wood’s opening over for 17. England made a crucial breakthrough at the end of the fourth when Mendis holed out off Chris Woakes for 18, with Liam Livingstone taking an excellent sliding catch at deep backward square leg.

And while Nissanka continued to bat brilliantly, England fought back well in the second half of the Sri Lankan innings. Nissanka brought up his second-half century of the tournament off 33 balls and held the Sri Lankan innings together while England’s spinners dragged things back.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Charith Asalanka holed out for single figure scores before the excellent Adil Rashid finally dismissed Nissanka for 67. With the opener gone, England were able to close out the innings expertly at the death with Wood and Sam Curran.

They conceded just 23 runs in the 4.3 overs after Nissanka was dismissed, with Wood taking three wickets as England were able to limit Sri Lanka to 141-8. They then carried that momentum into their chase, with Buttler and Alex Hales blasting 70 in the powerplay.

However, England suffered a worrying collapse after their excellent start and needed Stokes to stand up and guide them home under huge pressure. Hasaranga removed both openers, while Harry Brook, Livingstone and Moeen Ali fell for single-figure scores.

When Curran holed out off Kumara in the 18th, England were left needing 13 to win from the final two overs. But Stokes was excellent under pressure with an unbeaten 42, with Woakes striking a four to win the game and seal qualification for England with two balls to spare.

Here are five talking points…

Pathum Nissanka celebrates his half-century (

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Jason McCawley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) Nissanka stars

The Sri Lankan opener notched his second half-century of the tournament, with his 45-ball 67 made all the more impressive when you consider none of his teammates made more than 22. He got them off to a flier with big sixes off Stokes, Wood and Curran and then held the innings together when England dragged things back in the middle overs.

When he holed out off Rashid in the 16th over, it was a massive wicket for England as Sri Lanka’s innings stalled without him. In the final four overs, they struck just two boundaries and only added a further 21 runs.

“He set things up beautifully for Sri Lanka with that innings,” former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara said on BBC Test Match Special. “They just haven’t played with any urgency at all. The innings completely stalled when Nissanka got out.”

Adil Rashid picked up 1-16 against Sri Lanka (

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DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images) Rashid back to his best

Rashid has had a poor year by his own very high standards, but was outstanding in this game as he picked up 1-16 runs from his four-over spell. While spin was always likely to be key in this game, which was played on a pitch that had already been used twice at the World Cup, Rashid was by far and away England’s best bowler in Sydney.

Ahead of this game, the 34-year-old had picked up just eight wickets at an average of 60 and an economy rate of 8.7 in 15 T20Is since the start of the summer. But when the pressure was on after Sri Lanka made an excellent start in a must-win game, Rashid came to the fore for England and delivered the third-most economical four-over spell of his T20I career.

He first stemmed the flow of runs, not conceding a single boundary and bowling 11 dots as he forced Sri Lanka to hit towards the long boundary, before picking up the crucial wicket of Nissanka in his final over, preventing a set batter from being able to take England’s seamers down at the death.

Sam Curran has been brilliant at the death for England (

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SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images) Curran’s brilliance at the death

The 24-year-old has emerged as England’s best death bowler at this tournament and he was outstanding once again in Sydney. Curran looked to bowl wide yorkers in his two death overs and conceded just 10 runs, including just one boundary.

So far at this tournament, Curran has delivered 40 balls at the death and picked up 7-32, helping him become England’s leading wicket-taker. The all-rounder has worked very hard on his death bowling, delivering accurate yorkers, surprise bouncers and subtle changes of pace.

“I think you’ve got to just back yourself in those moments,” he said earlier in the tournament. “I know it’s a very tough thing to do. It is just about making sure you are confident in what you are going to deliver. At the end of the day it is coming out of your hand so you are the one who has got to execute.”

Alex Hales got England off to an absolute flier in their chase (

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Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images) Hales hits top form

After making a somewhat sedate return to international cricket after spending almost three years in the wilderness, Hales looks to have hit top form at the perfect time. After a pair of low scores against Afghanistan and Ireland, he hit a brilliant half-century in the victory over New Zealand and followed it up with 47 against Sri Lanka.

He has played an important role in getting England off to good starts and allowing Buttler to play himself in. So far at the World Cup, Hales is striking at 139 in balls 0-9 while Buttler is striking at 74, and his 47 allowed England to get well ahead of the required rate.

The 33-year-old is a highly-experienced cricketer who complements Buttler well and, after top-scoring against Sri Lanka, will have a crucial role to play if England are to go all the way and lift the trophy.

Ben Stokes guided England home in a nervy finish (

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DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images) Stokes shows his class

After England’s brilliant start in the powerplay, they struggled as Sri Lanka’s spinners turned the screw. However, Stokes, promoted up to number three after Dawid Malan suffered an apparent groin strain, held his nerve to guide England into the semi-finals.

With wickets tumbling around him and Brook, Livingstone, Moeen and Curran falling to tame dismissals, Stokes read the situation perfectly and saw his side home with an unbeaten 42. “Ben is a big game player,” Wood reflected after the game.

“We needed him there and he did it for us. We played well up top. I don’t think it’s an easy wicket to start on. I think the middle order will cash in on a better pitch.”

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