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Eoin Morgan's unbeaten half-century helped England get off to a winning start in the ICC Champions Trophy after an emphatic six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a Group B match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, on Friday.
The 23-year-old Morgan carried England home with an unbeaten 62 from 83 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, as England recovered after the loss of a couple of early wickets to coast to the victory target of 213 for the loss of just four wickets and five overs to spare.
Pacer Nuwan Kulasekara rocked England early with the early wickets of Joe Denly and Andrew Strauss before Paul Collingwood hit back with an attacking innings of 46 from 51 deliveries, inclusive of three sixes.
Owais Shah blossomed after a slow start to score 44 from 74 delivieres, adding 76 runs in 90 deliveries for the fourth wicket with Morgan, as the duo never let the Sri Lankan spinners settle down.
Earlier, Sri Lanka recovered from a top order collapse to post a competitive 212 courtesy half-centuries from Thilana Kandamby and Angelo Mathews.
Left-hander Kandamby hit a solid 53 from 82 deliveries before he was run out after a misunderstanding with partner Mathews, who stroked 51 from 70 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries.
England, Sri Lanka and South Africa have two points each in Group B, with New Zealand yet to score any points following their loss to South Africa.
Sri Lanka showed their intent right away by giving the new ball to their fastest bowler, Lasith Malinga, and hoping to strike with a few wickets early on when the white ball offers some help to the pacers.
Malinga had been used as the first change bowler in the last few matches but captain Kumar Sangakkara knew early wickets were the only way to keep England in check.
It was Nuwan Kulasekara, the world's top-ranked bowler in ODIs, who struck the first blow for Sri Lanka when he trapped Joe Denly leg before wicket for five in the fourth over. (9-1, 3.5)
Soon Kulasekara bagged his second wicket when Kandamby came up with a wonderful catch to send back Strauss for 9. The England captain pulled a short delivery but to his dismay Kandamby at short midwicket plucked the catch out of thin air stretching full length to his right. (19-2, 7.3)
It was Paul Collingwood, who finally broke the shackles by slamming Kulasekara for a six and two boundaries in the tenth over. In all the three instances he walked across and despatched the incoming delivery through the leg side as England reached 36 for two after ten overs.
Collingwood then followed it up with another couple of boundaries in the next over by Mathews. The first boundary was creamed through the cover region while the second was neatly flicked through midwicket to help England make a move along.
Owais Shah also took a cue from Collingwood's book as he launched Ajantha Mendis over the mid-off fielder for his first boundary in the 14th over.
Collingwood was looking dangerous on 26 from 29 deliveries, inclusive of four boundaries and a six, as England reached 55 for two after 15 overs.
Even Malinga's pace posed no problems for Collingwood who stamped his authority by slamming Sri Lanka's premier fast bowler for successive sixes. On both occassions he took on Malinga's challenge by taking on the short delivery and despatching it over square leg for maximums.
But it was Malinga who had the last laugh when Collingwood dragged one onto his stumps and was bowled after a quick 46 from 51 deliveries, having hit five boundaries and three sixes. (82-3, 19.5)
Collingwood had put England in a strong position with his 63-run partnership off 74 deliveries for the third wicket with Shah.
Interestingly, Muttiah Muralitharn was kept waiting for 23 overs before he got his first go with the ball.
While Shah was content to play with caution, Morgan adopted a positive approach right from the outset. He got a couple of boundaries off Mendis in the 24th over followed it up with an edged boundary wide of the slip off Muralitharan as England reached 107 for three at the halfway stage, needing 106 from the 25 overs.
Morgan enjoyed a slice of luck when his edge off Muralitharan flew past wicketkeeper Sangakkara for his fourth boundary as he raced to 26 from 25 deliveries.
Shah also seemed to be getting to grips with the conditions and he proved that by thumping Kulasekara for a huge six over square leg to help England reach a comfortable at 130 for three after 30 overs.
Shah and Morgan brought up their 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket in 62 deliveries as Sri Lanka's grip on the match started decreasing.
Despite changing ends Muralitharan failed to make an impression as Shah danced down the track and crashed a full toss through covers for a boundary in the 33rd over. However, the veteran spinner had his revenge. Bowling from round the wicket, he got the edge of Shah's bat to have him caught behind for 44 from 74 deliveries, which was inclusive of three boundaries and a six. (158-4, 34.5)
Shah's 76-run partnership off 90 deliveries for the fourth wicket with Morgan seemed to have put England on course for victory; they needed another 55 runs from the last 15 overs, with six wickets in hand.
With the pitch offering little or no help to the bowlers, even newcomer Matt Prior had no problems getting started and scored singles at will. Sri Lanka needed a few wickets to make a match out of this but Morgan stood firmly in their path with 43 not out from 65 deliveries.
Despite England scoring just 12 runs in the last five overs, they were comfortably placed at 170 for four after 40, needing 43 from the last ten.
Morgan continued taking risks as he just about managed to evade the mid-off fielder attempting the lofted boundary against Kulasekara. That boundary also brought up the left-hander's half-century from 73 deliveries as England started inching closer towards victory.
It seemed Sri Lanka were just going through the motions and Morgan was quick to read the situation, as he smashed two more boundaries off Malinga's ninth over to speed up England's victory charge.
Prior thumped Mendis for a boundary through the cover region and Morgan deservedly sealed victory with a single on the off-side.
Morgan finished unbeaten on a cracking knock of 62 from 83 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, as England cruised to 213 for four in 45 overs to seal an emphatic six-wicket victory. Prior ensured there was no drama at the end with an unbeaten cameo of 28 from 27 deliveries, inclusive of three boundaries.
Kulasekara had given Sri Lanka hope with those early strikes but once Collingwood took charge they found it hard to fightback.
It must have come as a big relief for England to start off with a victory in the tournament. They came into this tournament after suffering a 6-1 drubbing from Australia and no one would have predicted they would start in such style.
SRI LANKA RALLY TO POST 212
Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka recover from a top order collapse and post a respectable 212.
Left-hander Kandamby, playing in only his 20th ODI, showed great maturity with a solid knock of 53 from 82 deliveries before he was run out after a misunderstanding with partner Mathews, who stroked 51 from 70 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries.
The two batsmen shared a vital partnership of 82 runs off 107 deliveries for the sixth wicket as Sri Lanka inched their way back in the match after reeling at 17 for four at one stage.
Pacers James Anderson and Graham Onions made the most of the overcast conditions after England elect to bowl first, claiming two early wickets each to reduce Sri Lanka to 17 for four by the sixth over.
It was Onions, who struck first when he scalped Sanath Jayasuriya in the second over of the innings. The veteran left-hander fell for a duck when he played tentatively to an outswinging delivery and ended up edging to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. (7-1, 1.5)
In the next over, Tillakaratne Dilshan, seemingly uncomfortable against the moving ball, tried to cut loose against Anderson but hit one straight to Eoin Morgan at backward point for 2. (7-2, 2.3)
Mahela Jayawardene tried to hit across the line against Anderson but missed the incoming delivery and was trapped right in front of the stumps for 9 as Sri Lanka slipped to 17 for three after five overs. (17-3, 5)
Captain Kumar Sangakkara (1) made things worse for his team when he played a reckless shot to a wide delivery from Onions only to edge it to Strauss at first slip. (17-4, 5.2)
Despite picking up early wickets Onions could not keep the runs down and Thilan Samaraweera broke the shackles much to Sri Lanka's relief with back-to-back boundaries in the 19th over.
Stuart Broad claimed the important wicket of Samaraweera, who smashed a full delivery straight to Paul Collingwood at point to fall for 30 from 48 deliveries, having hit four boundaries. (81-5, 19.5)
Samaraweera had helped anchor Sri Lanka to safety with a 64-run partnership off 87 deliveries for the fifth wicket with Kandamby.
It seemed the pitch had eased considerably as both Kandamby and Angelo Mathews milked the England part-time bowlers quite easily. They brought up the 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just 58 deliveries, at more than five runs per over, in the 29th over.
Kandamby brought up his half-century off 71 deliveries, having hit five boundaries in the 32nd over. It was his fifth fifty in ODIs and had come at a very important time for his team after they were reeling at 17 for four in the early overs.
Onions came back for his third spell and was instantly despatched for two more boundaries by Mathews, who was growing in confidence with every passing over, with Sri Lanka looking comfortable on 149 for five after 35 overs.
England struck against the run of play with the wicket of Kandamby, who was run out after a solid knock of 53 from 82 deliveries, inclusive of four boundaries. The left-hander hit one on the off-side and went for a quick single but Mathews sent him back, leaving Kandamby stranded as wicketkeeper Matt Prior whipped off the bails. (163-6, 37.4)
The left-hander had played a stellar role in helping Sri Lanka inch back in the contest with an 82-run partnership off107 deliveries for the sixth wicket with Mathews.
The onus now lay on Mathews, who brought up his half-century from 69 deliveries with a single on the off-side in the 40th over.
But his fine innings was stopped in controversial circumstances when Mathews was run out for 51 attempting a second run after the bowler, Onions, blocked him unintentionally. However, to everyone's dismay England captain Andrew Strauss showed great sportsmanship to call Mathews back to the batting crease as he was making his way back to the dressing room.
But Mathews could not make much of the second life and fell five deliveries later, caught behind off Luke Wright for a fine knock of 52 from 73 deliveries, inclusive of six boundaries. (176-7, 40.5)
Interestingly, Mathews thanked Strauss for the wonderful gesture of recalling him back to the batting crease as he made his way back to the pavilion.
Sri Lanka took a gamble by promoting Muttiah Muralitharan to number nine and took the Batting Powerplay at the start of the 42nd over. Muralitharan wasted no time to get going as he launched Broad for a huge six over long-on and a boundary through fine leg in the 42nd over.
England didn't do their chances any good when Strauss dropped Muralitharan (16 off 6) off a high, difficult chance, running back at square leg in the 43rd over. However, the Lankan fell in the next over after a quick 18 from 10 deliveries when Broad sent his off stump cartwheeling with a full delivery and then repeated the dose off the next delivery to send back Lasith Malinga for a duck.
Nuwan Kulasekara continued ticking the scoreboard with singles before unleashing a powerful cut shot for a six off Broad in the 46th over.
Ajantha Mendis was the last wicket to fall, taken by Strauss at slip off Anderson for 5. Kulasekara finished unbeaten on 17 from 24 deliveries as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 212 in 47.3 overs.
Anderson was easily England's best bowler on show with three for 20 in 9.3 overs, while Broad claimed three for 49 in his ten overs.