MALAHIDE: Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said his side will have to be at their best to beat England in the five-match one-day international series which starts on Tuesday.
Mathews was speaking after overseeing a 2-0 ODI series victory over Ireland in Malahide after the second match was won by an emphatic 136-run margin on Saturday.
Opening batsman Kusal Perera, who would have missed the tour had a drugs ban not been rescinded following a faulty doping analysis, made a century to build the platform for his side’s huge total of 377 for 8.
“We still can improve a lot in all departments. It was a pretty convincing victory today, but we need to be at our best to beat England,” said Mathews.
Eoin Morgan’s England have improved dramatically in 50-over cricket since the Sri Lankans thrashed them by nine wickets in Wellington during last year’s World Cup.
Saturday’s win was set up by dynamic top-order batting, and Mathews said: “Perera and Danuska Gunathilaka had a brilliant opening partnership (147) and after that solid foundation it was a tactical decision to bring in the pinch-hitter and take the game forward.”
Seekkugge Prasanna came in a three to pinch-hit in explosive style, bludgeoning nine sixes and five fours to leave his previous best ODI score of 42 far behind with 95 from just 46 balls.
“It was a very good wicket and a tough ask for the bowlers but we stuck to our task,” explained Mathews.
“They had to bowl good lines and lengths. Having said that, after scoring 377 it was a tough ask for the Irish because they had to go at it from ball one, so we had to bowl dot balls and create pressure,” the all-rounder added.
