The opener of Sri Lanka Niroshan Dickwella rued his team’s middle-order collapse and spoke that it cost them the game against England on Wednesday that was reduced to a 21-over-a-side affair because of rain.
The hosts had gotten off to a flying start, thanks to Dickwella who scored 20-ball 36 crafting an opening partnership worth 57 with Sadeera Samarawickrama.
“We got a good start [but] were 20-25 runs short, From 92/2, it was 92/4 suddenly. That was the turning point,” said the Sri Lankan opener after the game.
“If Thisara (Perera) could have batted for another five overs, we would have ended up with a score closer to 190.
“You can’t win a 21-over match with only 150 on the board. The ball was also wet because of the rain. If we had made 175, it could have been a winning score,” added Dickwella.
The opener was also harsh on his own performance, saying that he needs to convert his starts into big knocks.
“A lot of times I get 30 or 40, but only about one in five games do I get 70 or 80. Even though I’ve got starts, I haven’t capitalised and turned them into big innings,” he said.
Meanwhile, England’s Tom Curran, who returned figures of 3/17 and was a vital cog for England in the middle overs, said that he wanted to make the most of the opportunity.
“There’s such a strong competition for places, so when you do get a go, you only get one-two games to impress.
“That’s a positive thing for English cricket. I’m just training hard and when I do get my chance looking to play well,” said Curran
He also added that his aim is to play all the three formats for England along with his brother Sam Curran – who recently made his debut against India and was also named the man-of-the-series.
