Chandimal, Tharanga guide Sri Lanka to 254

Half-centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga helped Sri Lanka recover from any early slump and post a respectable 254 for seven in the second One-Day International of the five-match series against hosts England in Birmingham, on Friday (June 24).

Sri Lanka suffered a similar top-order collapse as in the first game, while Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid picked up two wickets apiece to keep the hosts in control throughout.

Danushka Gunathilaka gave the visitors a quick start - hitting David Willey for two sixes in the fifth over - but Plunkett helped England make a strong comeback with twin strikes in his successive overs. The pacer first had Gunathilaka caught behind by Jos Buttler for 21-ball 22 and then got rid of young Kusal Mendis for a nine-ball duck.

Chandimal, who came in number five, combined with Kusal Perera (37) for a 30-run stand, but Jason Roy's sharp throw from backward point caught the opener way short of his crease at the striker's end. With three down for just 77 runs on the board, the captain and vice-captain duo started the repair work rather cautiously. The two senior pros registered their fourth consecutive 50-plus partnership to steady Sri Lanka.

Adil Rashid's twin strikes brought the hosts back in the game. Mathews, six short of what would have been a hard-fought fifty, attempted a sweep but top-edged the ball straight to Liam Plunkett at backward square, bringing the 82-run stand to a halt. In his very next over, Rashid sent Seekkuge Prasanna back for just two. The Sri Lankan all-rounder played two valuable cameos and had consecutive under-25-ball fifties to his credit on this tour but Rashid ensured there were no more fireworks from the 30-year-old.

Chandimal, left in the company of the lower-middle order, raised his 16th ODI half-century but soon found himself at the receiving end of one of Roy's sharp throws. Farvez Maharoof came and left in a jiffy but Tharanga stepped up. The left-hander went particularly after Willey with Suraj Randiv, replacing Dasuna Shanaka in the playing XI, too backing up with some big blows at the other end to take the visitors past the 200-run mark.

Tharanga registered his fifty - 29th in ODI cricket - with the first ball of the final over and the duo stole 46 off the final five overs to lift Sri Lanka to 254 for seven from their allotted fifty overs - a total that looked improbable after a shaky start.