Only the start of the short stuff

	Tillakaratne Dilshan hit his way to 33 but took 40 balls and then found third man © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Report : All-round Jordan brings a smile back to England News : Mathews wary of England, conditions Features : SL future glows brighter in victory Players/Officials: Lahiru Thirimanne | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Dinesh Chandimal | Kusal Perera Matches: England v Sri Lanka at The Oval Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland Teams: England | Sri Lanka

 Sri Lanka's bowlers had propelled their World T20 campaign, often bailing out lacklustre batting displays, but when the bowlers had a bad evening in London, the batsmen could not reciprocate

When Graham Ford departed from his role with Sri Lanka, and Paul Farbrace arrived in late January, both coaches issued identical appraisals of the team's chances in the two upcoming global tournaments.

"They have a terrific opportunity to win the World T20 in Bangladesh," Ford said, "there's no doubt about that." But both men were a little less hopeful about the World Cup. "We're not quite there yet," Farbrace had said. "There are some key things to develop, and the England series should give us a fair indication where we are at as a side."

As Sri Lanka faltered for the first time in 11 ODIs, at The Oval, many of their shortcomings on quicker, bouncier conditions were made plain. Sri Lanka's bowlers had propelled their World T20 campaign, often bailing out lacklustre batting displays, but when the bowlers had a bad evening in London, the batsmen could not reciprocate.

Lahiru Thirimanne got late-swinging delivery early in his innings, but several other batsmen failed to account for the bounce and movement typical in England, and surely forthcoming in Australia and New Zealand as well.

Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to put away short balls at his body, early in the innings, piling pressure on himself to explode, as the run rate climbed. He is often a consummate player of the pull - a stroke he executes with typical homespun swagger - but has recently struggled with it on faster surfaces. In the end, it would be a slash through the offside that undid him, as he underestimated the bounce Chris Jordan's hit-the-deck pace would achieve.

Before Dilshan departed, a leaden-footed Kumar Sangakkara had played Harry Gurney on, when the bowler nipped one back. It is unlike Sangakkara to have footwork out of order, but Sri Lanka could do themselves much good if they arrive at the Tests on the back of a big ODI series win. If the visitors are to keep England's spirits low, even uncharacteristic mistakes may have to be omitted by the senior players, who have considerable experience in similar conditions.

Dinesh Chandimal was targeted with the short ball in the T20 match as well, and here departed to it, heaving forcefully at Jordan, to offer thin top-edge to the keeper. The previous ball had been a bouncer, which Chandimal had hooked at and missed - further suggestion that England will persist with this plan to him.

He has flourished in England before, but this uncertainty against the short ball was unearthed by Pakistan in the Test series in January, when Junaid Khan had him caught at fine leg in successive innings. Interestingly, Farbrace, then about to take Sri Lanka's reins, had been in the stands on the second occasion. However England came by their mode of attack, it is out in the open now. Chandimal was already under significant scrutiny when he arrived in this series, and will now be watched even closer, while Ashan Priyanjan awaits his turn in the middle order.

The requirement was too steep even for Angelo Mathews, who lately has grown as a finisher. Perhaps more intent at the top of the innings would have eased the middle-order's burden, and to that end, Kusal Perera may be reconsidered for the coming matches. Kusal has been notoriously inconsistent, but few young Sri Lanka batsmen sustain excellence in the first years of their careers. What is more, when he delivers a good knocks, he leaves the side well in control of the innings.

If he is to come in at opener, he will displace Thirimanne, but perhaps that creates an opportunity of its own. Sri Lanka's batting concentrates its experience in the top four, but if Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were to move down to Nos. 4 and 5 respectively, Thirimanne could remain in the top three where he prefers, and the unit becomes more balanced overall. Jayawardene has long been the most versatile ODI batsman Sri Lanka have, and a lower position may free him to play the finishing innings he has often provided. Sangakkara, meanwhile, has now acquired the aptitude for sustained aggression that might make him a good No.4.

The bowlers' quality and track record suggests they will recover quickly from a poor outing. But if Sri Lanka's tour, and their World Cup preparations, are to go to plan, the batsmen would do well to give their team-mates more cover than they did on Thursday.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando

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England ready to repay fans - Morgan

The last time England were at The Oval it concluded with some of the players urinating on the pitch during their late-night celebrations of the Ashes series victory. Even if it was a 'lads' moment in the afterglow of success, and they were perhaps unlucky to be caught in the act, that is not the point: it was crass and disrespectful.

In hindsight, the malaise which was to destroy their winter had already started to set in during last summer, both in terms of how England played their cricket and perceived themselves. The success which led to that late-night leak on the 22 yards now feels a lifetime ago, after six months around the world where England were battered, beaten and broken.

They are now back in south London to begin their new home season. The team did what they had to do in Scotland - show willing and avoid defeat - and now the summer begins in earnest with a T20 against world champions Sri Lanka before five one-day internationals and two Tests ahead of the visit of India.

The players will walk out in front of a packed 24,500 at The Oval. Surrey have reported a weekend rush for the final batch of tickets, perhaps a combination of the warm weather (which, as if on cue, is not set to last) and the start of the T20 Blast to whet the appetite for the format. However, London venues rarely struggle to fill up to the rafters for England matches so the ECB - and this case its public face, the team - would be foolish to rest on their laurels and believe the punters will continue to turn up regardless.

Eoin Morgan, leading England for the T20 in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad, was aware how lucky the team was to have loyal support but acknowledged that they needed to be given something in return.

"We have always had great support, even when we travel around the world and the arenas are not full, and every time we come home it has always been to a packed stadium," he said. "That's great, it shows how much we cherish the game

"Having heard it will be a sell-out, there's always great support here from the English fans and it's great to see it's no different this summer. To repay a little bit of what happened in the winter, a win would go a long way tomorrow and start off our season properly."

In the bigger picture there is little riding on the game, especially as England have declined the opportunity to throw caution to the wind and play a young side with an eye on the next World T20, staged in India, during 2016. Recalling Michael Carberry, however deserving, is not a revolution.

Still, it is a match against the team who recently walked away with the world title during which England were the only team they were beaten by, courtesy of Alex Hales' unbeaten 116 - although Sri Lanka do not appeared overly perturbed by that reversal given how the tournament panned out for them. "We had a tough match against them, but it is in the past now," Lasith Malinga said. "It feels good to be world champions."

The opposition will have a notably different look this time, Sri Lanka having lost the retired Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara while Rangana Herath is rested, but victory would still be a good marker to lay down.

"There's huge confidence to take from the game we played in the group stages of the World Cup," Morgan said. "They're a notable T20 team; they have great variations. We've seen and played against the majority of their side and to turn them over in the World Cup was a great effort. If we can put in a similar performance tomorrow that will go a long way."

With that aim in mind, England have been trying to gain an extra advantage by tapping up the inside knowledge of Paul Farbrace who, until a few weeks, was Sri Lanka's coach. While the visitors have continued to toe the line that his move to the opposition makes little difference -Malinga said it was just down to the players to perform in the middle - England have certainly been making use of the information available.

"He has been key in our preparation," Morgan said. "He knows their guys inside out, as he should do, and his knowledge and applying our skills in countering things they do has been really good. He has gone through the majority of their players and probably given us a bit more background than we would be able to access, which is brilliant."

However, even if Farbrace's dossier on the Sri Lankans helps England secure a victory, the only reason one of the players will be caught short this time will be going for a quick single.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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World champion test for England

Match facts

Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Start time 6pm local (1700 GMT)

Big Picture

England's season began amid showers and sunshine in Aberdeen but the first serious test of their summer comes at The Oval. Having reversed the usual schedule for sides touring in May and June, they will begin engagements against Sri Lanka with a one-off T20 international, ahead of ODI and Test series, as the Peter Moores regime opens for a second run in front of a home audience.

For quite different, though not entirely unrelated, reasons these are two teams in flux. When England beat Sri Lanka in Chittagong almost two months ago, they inflicted what was to be the only defeat of Paul Farbrace's brief time in charge. England trailed out of Bangladesh a week later having been humbled by the Dutch, while Sri Lanka went on to win the World T20; Ashley Giles subsequently lost his job as limited-overs coach and Farbrace was headhunted to be Moores' assistant in the new set-up.

Sri Lanka may have been entitled to a sense of dudgeon over Farbrace's defection to the opposition but, on the surface at least, relations remain cordial. Marvan Atapattu has stepped up as interim head coach and his immediate issue is how to fill a couple of rather large holes in the T20 batting order, following the triumphant retirements of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakarra. He will officially be working with a new captain, too, after Lasith Malinga was promoted from the locum role he fulfilled when Dinesh Chandimal decided to drop himself at the World T20.

The identity of England's leader has also changed, although in this case due to Stuart Broad rehabilitating a long-term knee injury. Eoin Morgan takes charge of a squad that has been tweaked rather than overhauled - despite returns for Michael Carberry and Ian Bell, England's T20 thinking remains much the same - but fresh impressions can still be made on the new coaching staff. Although that does not mean a reprieve for Jade Dernbach.

While Sri Lanka, who gave Sussex an almighty thrashing in their final warm-up game, are ranked the world's No. 2 T20 side, England have slumped to a lowly eighth. Moores got off to a winning start against Scotland ten days ago but, even without the additional motivation, Sri Lanka will not arrive in south London bearing gifts.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

England LLWLW
Sri Lanka WWWLW

	The way forward? England face their first real test of Peter Moores' second coming © PA Photos Enlarge

In the spotlight

With most of the playing personnel familiar, the focus instead will be on the coaching set-up and, perhaps, England's new team ethic. Moores, Alastair Cook and now Morgan have talked of reconnecting with the fans, while there has seemingly been an increased openness with the media. Public displays of togetherness can be no bad thing but some might argue that creating a culture of winning is an even higher priority after England's grim winter.

He may not be remembered as the captain that led Sri Lanka to World T20 glory but Dinesh Chandimal arguably did something even more remarkable in leaving himself out for the good of the team. With Sangakkara's departure, Chandimal takes up an equally weighty mantle as wicketkeeper-batsman. His promise is undoubted and a settled role could help him bring his T20 international average of 13.30 closer to his 28.96 overall.

Team news

Michael Lumb and Dernbach were the main casualties of England's World T20 failure, with Carberry in line for an international debut in the shortest format and Harry Gurney bringing a left-arm dimension to England's attack. Bell could come into the shake-up for a top-three spot but Moeen Ali and Joe Root both offer bowling options. Morgan has batted more often at No. 4 in recent times but has a better record at five.

England (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

Sri Lanka rested Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara in Hove but all three should come back into the side, which will be missing at least three players from their World T20 final win six weeks ago - alongside the retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, Rangana Herath is being saved for the Test series. Kithuruwan Vithanage clattered 52 off 24 balls against Sussex, which may have edged him ahead of Ashan Priyanajan for a T20 debut.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kithuruwan Vithanage, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga

Pitch and conditions

The T20 international between England and New Zealand at The Oval last year served up nearly 400 runs and another surface conducive to batting is likely. However, the prospect of showers interrupting the evening may temper expectations of a repeat.

Stats and trivia

• England's victory World T20 over Sri Lanka was their highest successful chase and saw Alex Hales score the first T20 hundred by an Englishman
• Sri Lanka have won both of their previous T20s against England in England
• Tillakaratne Dilshan can take advantage of Jayawardene's retirement to overtake him in the leading run-scorers list - he needs 42 to move into second behind Brendon McCullum

Quotes

"There's a huge opportunity tomorrow for individuals right down, batting and bowling, as well as collectively as a unit."
Eoin Morgan expresses the sense of possibility that currently pervades around England

"We had a tough match against England in the World Cup. But the past is past."
Lasith Malinga was not captain for the defeat in Chittagong but he has not forgotten a painful night

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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Hathurusingha named Bangladesh coach

	Chandika Hathurusingha has left New South Wales for his first stint as head coach at international level © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : BCB in talks with Chandika Hathurusingha News : Jurgensen resigns as Bangladesh coach Features : New coach and board must adjust and adapt Players/Officials: Chandika Hathurusingha | Mario Villavarayan Teams: Bangladesh | Sri Lanka

The BCB has appointed Chandika Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lanka batsman, as Bangladesh's head coach for a two-year period. He has left his position as the assistant coach of New South Wales and coach of Sydney Thunder, and is expected to arrive in Dhaka on June 10. This will be his first stint as head coach of an international side.

"The two-year agreement has been finalised with Chandika Hathurusingha," BCB president Nazmul Hassan told reporters. "Although the agreement begins on July 1 this year, since we are playing against India next month, we are hoping he will arrive by June 10.

"We had a few alternatives apart from Chandika Hathurusingha. The first reason to choose him is his knowledge of subcontinental conditions. Plus he has worked in Australia and with the World Cup coming up, this is a good combination for us. Hathurusingha is among high-profile coaches from around the world, as far as I am concerned."

He has had experience at the helm of both New South Wales, in the latter half of the 2012-13 season, and Sydney Thunder. New South Wales won the Sheffield Shield in March, their first domestic title since 2008. His tactical acumen was highly acclaimed during his tenure as shadow coach with the Sri Lankan team but a disciplinary issue had terminated his association with the side in 2010.

Hathurusingha replaces Shane Jurgensen who resigned as Bangladesh coach in April after completing 14 months of his two-year stint. A five-member special committee was put in charge to find new coaches to replace Jurgensen, trainer David Dwyer, batting and fielding coach Corey Richards and Richard McInnes, the head coach of the National Cricket Academy.

Dwyer has been replaced by Mario Villavarayan as the new strength and conditioning coach, although BCB is still in discussion with candidates for the role of fast bowling coach.

During the press conference, Hassan was asked about Chaminda Vaas as the potential bowling coach while ESPNcricinfo has learned that Champaka Ramanayake is also being approached by the BCB. Ramanayake used to be Bangladesh's bowling coach between 2008 and 2011. It was also understood that another former fast bowler is being approached for a short-term role.

"We have appointed Mario Villavarayan as the strength and conditioning coach, also for two years. He will join us by the fifth or sixth of June. We are also looking for specialist coaches, especially fast bowling, spin and fielding.

"We are trying to [appoint someone soon], but I don't think we will get everyone before the India series. We are communicating with them, because not all of them are full-time coaches, so we are trying to work out a time slot. We haven't gone too far in this regard, so we don't want to talk much about it," said Hassan.

Regarding Vaas, he said, "His [Vaas'] name is also there in the list for fast bowling coach. But we are talking elsewhere too."

Hathurusingha had expressed interest towards a role with Sri Lanka, who are also looking for a new head coach after Paul Farbrace agreed to become England's assistant coach.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

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Crunch game for Royal Challengers, Sunrisers

Match facts

Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)

	Will captaincy help Darren Sammy emerge from one of the toughest periods of his career? © BCCI Enlarge

Big picture

With another 10-odd games left in the league stages of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders have their noses ahead by a proverbial inch but Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad are also in with a chance of finishing in the top four, although the latter will need a little help from the other teams.

With five wins from 11 games, Royal Challengers need to win all their remaining matches and hope that Sunrisers can beat Knight Riders in their next match to smoothen the route to the playoffs. For Sunrisers, a loss to Royal Challengers will draw the curtains on their chances of a playoff spot. If Sunrisers win, they need to keep that form going for the rest of their games and hope for other teams to fail in order to boost their chances.

The teams come to this contest on the back of contrasting form. Revived by Yuvraj Singh's form and AB de Villiers' knack for match-turning innings, Royal Challengers have turned a floundering campaign around with wins over Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. The form of Sunrisers, on the other hand, seems to have tapered off with three successive losses. Unlike last season, where they had the art of defending small totals down pat, and had a strong home record, they have been pegged back this season by an indifferent bowling attack and a misfiring top order and, much like Delhi Daredevils, have failed to utilise the home advantage.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad: LLLWW (completed games only, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore: WWLLL

Where they stand

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Sixth with four wins from 11 games
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Fifth with five wins from 11 games

Previous encounter

An astounding onslaught from AB de Villiers downed Sunrisers Hyderabad the last time the two teams met in Bangalore. A fifty from David Warner had guided Sunrisers to 161 and Bangalore were floundering at 95 for 5 in the 15th over before de Villiers' 89 off 41 took them home in the last over. De Villiers struck six sixes and took 24 runs off Dale Steyn in the penultimate over.

Watch out for

After an unbeaten fifty at the start of the tournament, Parthiv Patel's form has taken a dip. As the one steady opening batsman, Parthiv's busy style was expected to work as a foil for the more flamboyant Chris Gayle. The pair, however, have an average of 22 and just one fifty-plus stand. While Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers look to be carrying the team through, a strong opening partnership would help lift the team through the next few games.

Tuesday's game will also be a clash of captains, and the challenge before Darren Sammy is altogether tougher. He has been appointed captain for the rest of the season with the team barely hanging on to their chances of qualification. He is captain of a side he hasn't played for regularly this season, his own form has been a worry and outside of the IPL his cricketing career is going through an upheaval. Yet a captaincy change can sometimes also inspire a side, as was the case with Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers themselves, last year.

Stats and trivia

• Royal Challengers have won two of their three matches against Sunrisers so far. The only loss came in a Super Over in IPL 2013
• Royal Challengers have hit 76 sixes in IPL 2014, of which 48 have come off the bats of Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers.
• Shikhar Dhawan and Aaron Finch are the best batting pair [in terms of runs scored] for Sunrisers this season. Together, they have scored 285 runs at an average of 25.9
• Amit Mishra has conceded 21 sixes in this IPL and is joint leader on the list of bowlers to concede most sixes in one season of the IPL. The other bowler at the top is Piyush Chawla, who had given away 21 sixes in the first season

Quotes

"With guys like Yuvraj it's just about reminding them what they are capable of. And that doesn't have to happen in the nets. That can be over a coffee or taking a walk."
Trent Woodhill, the Royal Challengers batting coach, on how players like Yuvraj Singh find their way back to form

"If we do consider playing him, it would mean we would be playing with three specialist spinners, and we have to have the right conditions to consider that combination."
Tom Moody, the Sunrisers coach, on the team's plans around Parvez Rasool

Rachna Shetty is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Vohra, Akshar deliver for Kings XI

 Kings XI Punjab 165 for 6 (Akshar 42*, Vohra 42, Tahir 3-22) beat Delhi Daredevils 164 for 7 (Karthik 69, Pietersen 49) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Kings XI Punjab became the first team to confirm their seat in the playoffs, with a four-wicket win over bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils, but what should have been a comfortable chase turned into a scramble for the finish line. Against the best chasing team in the competition, Daredevils had to produce their best batting effort but they frittered a strong platform in the last four overs to post 164. Kings XI also suffered a few hiccups after a typically blistering start, and despite

experimenting with their batting order, got home in the final over with two balls to spare.

An impetuous shot by Kings XI captain George Bailey - caught in the deep in the penultimate over - gave Daredevils a sniff and it came down to nine needed off in the 20th. Akshar Patel, the unlikely hero with the bat for Kings XI, was well set on 41 off 34 balls when Rishi Dhawan joined him. The pair ensured there were no dot balls in the final over from Wayne Parnell to pile on the pressure, and with four needed off three Dhawan pulled to the deep midwicket boundary to seal the win.

The Kings XI's openers Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra blazed 67 off 6.2 overs, with Vohra the more dominant partner. Vohra's sixes down the ground stood out, particularly the back-foot punch off Mohammad Shami that sailed over deep cover. But in trying to attack Imran Tahir, he found M Vijay at long-off and went for 42 off 19 balls.

It was one of those rare days on which both Glenn Maxwell and David Miller failed. They also fell trying to attack the spinners - Maxwell off Tahir and Miller off JP Duminy. Kings XI were 95 for 4 off in overs but they had a contingency in the event of a Miller-Maxwell no-show. Bailey promoted Akshar over himself and it paid off.

Akshar ensured he never got bogged down, looking for singles and keeping the required rate within manageable levels. Having moved to 18 off 19 balls, he had a productive over against Parnell, fetching three boundaries though he was lucky when an inswinging yorker deflected off his pad to third man. It was a close lbw shout but eventually given as runs. A six off Jaydev Unadkat brought the equation to 11 off 12 and the capacity crowd at the Kotla had to see the home team slump to a seventh straight defeat.

After being put in, Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Karthik were commanding during their stand of 71 for the second wicket. Karthik was not afraid to play audacious shots off the seamers, such as his sweep off Sandeep Sharma that went flat over deep square leg. Pietersen took 18 off an over from Hendricks, and by the end of ten overs Daredevils were 84 for 1.

Just when his first fifty of the season was there for the taking, Pietersen fell to his old nemesis - the left-arm spinner. Batting on 49, he played down the wrong line to one that ripped off the pitch from Akshar and beat the bat. Karthik meanwhile was dominant against the spinners, lofting exquisitely down the ground.

Daredevils took 30 off overs 15 and 16 but it started going downhill with a spurt of wickets. Their best finishers, Duminy and Kedar Jadhav failed and the responsibility fell on Karthik for late acceleration. When Karthik departed for 69 - caught at deep square leg - his was the fourth wicket to go down in the space of nine balls. Daredevils managed only 20 off the last three overs and it cost them.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Sri Lankans start to hit their stride

Sri Lankans 301 for 7 (Mathews 51, Thirimanne 49, Chandimal 47*, Joseph 4-58) beat Kent 173 (Blake 60, Lakmal 3-16, Perera 3-33, Mendis 3-55) by 128 runs
Scorecard

	Angelo Mathews was the one Sri Lankan batsman to pass fifty but plenty had useful innings © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Angelo Mathews | Dinesh Chandimal | Alex Blake Matches: Kent v Sri Lankans at Canterbury Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland Teams: England | Kent | Sri Lanka

Angelo Mathews hit fifty and Dinesh Chandimal an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls to set up a hefty thumping of Kent in Sri Lanka's second tour match in England. Having put out a strong side - only Lasith Malinga was rested - Sri Lanka gave a truer measure of themselves than in defeat to Essex on Tuesday, sweeping up a mixture of Kent first-teamers and irregulars for 173 on a cool, clear evening.

Suranga Lakmal immediately applied a tourniquet at the top of the innings, his opening spell of 4-1-10-2 providing both control and penetration. Alex Blake played neatly for his 60, which included reverse-sweeping Ajantha Mendis for four, but Thisara Perera plucked out key wickets during the middle overs and a long tail succumbed quickly. Without the likes of Rob Key, Darren Stevens and Brendan Nash, a Kent target in excess of 300 proved steeper than the Dover cliffs.

A partnership of 84 between Lahiru Thirimanne and Mathews provided the ballast for Sri Lanka, after a sprightly but evanescent performance from the top order. Thirimanne's high front elbow was a feature of his strokeplay, his first and only boundary coming off his 63rd delivery, while Mathews showed greater muscularity in an innings replete with bottom-handed clubs to the rope.

Mathews struck the first sixes of the contest before spooning a full toss to mid-off but Chandimal and Perera skipped along in his footprints during a rapid 71-run stand from 48 balls. Chandimal might have been caught at deep midwicket attempting to go to his half-century from the penultimate delivery of the innings but Fabian Cowdrey had to throw the ball back in as he fell towards the boundary rope.

Robbie Joseph, the one-time England Lions bowler who returned to Kent at the start of the summer, claimed 4 for 58, while James Tredwell also put in the sort of dependable shift he is known for, ahead of his involvement in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. He dismissed Thirimanne with one that lured the batsman out to be stumped for 49, though his figures were slightly smudged when Chandimal lofted the fourth and fifth balls of his final over for four and six.

Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond and Cowdrey, grandson of Colin, with the score on 17, as they struggled to get going during the Powerplay. Blake's half-century, his third in the format and first since 2010, came at a run-a-ball and a stand of 68 with Sam Billings kept them afloat but, from 148 for 5, Kent lost their last five wickets for 25. Only the combined figures of spinners Mendis and Tillakaratne Dilshan - 3 for 92 from 15 overs - would have given the tourists a moment's pause.

Sri Lanka were beaten in their first warm-up fixture, a soggy, 21-over affair in Chelmsford, but with the sun shining over hop country they found the St Lawrence ground to be a more welcoming venue. Kent's is probably the closest English ground to Colombo (though still 8,000km as the crow flies) and there were several Sri Lanka shirts on display in the crowd, as well as a flag being waved in the breeze on the Old Dover Road grass bank.

The vexed issue of Sri Lanka's junior-senior question will not be solved by one tour match but, after Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene fell for scores between 30 and 35, the contributions from Nos. 5, 6 and 7 will have encouraged Marvan Attapatu, the team's interim coach.

Sangakkara joined up with the Sri Lanka squad on Thursday, having missed the early part of the tour to play in two Championship matches for Durham, and reclaimed the wicketkeeping gloves off Chandimal (before swapping halfway through the innings). Following his 159 at Hove, he looked in good order until playing down the wrong line against Kent left-armer Adam Ball to have his stumps rattled.

After Sangakkara's dismissal, Sri Lanka appeared content to settle in, only for the longueurs to get the better of Jaywardene. Between the end of the 14th over and the beginning of the 36th only three boundaries were struck, before Mathews and Thirimanne, then Chandimal and Perera redoubled their efforts. The rate had dipped below five an over but 129 runs flowed from the last 15 as a team that should be a contender at the 2015 World Cup flashed their credentials.

After Sri Lanka's well-oiled start on a decent pitch, 300 always looked in range. Dilshan could not be much more buccaneering if he batted with a parrot on one shoulder while wearing a tricorne hat. He cut, pulled and drove his way to 35 off 28 balls before Joseph, bowling with decent pace and hitting an awkward length in his first List A game since August 2012, had him caught skying a piratical hack high to third man.

That was Joseph's second wicket, having removed Sri Lanka's other opener, Kusal Perera, with his first delivery, the batsman caught on the crease and fencing to slip. David Griffiths was not able to match Joseph's economy, however, as the tourists reached the end of the ten-over Powerplay on 64 for 2.

Charlie Hartley, Kent's 20-year-old debutant, came on for his first bowl against a pair with more than 25,000 ODI runs between them. Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene dismissed him for boundaries as the over leaked 10 runs but Hartley found better control after switching ends. Jayawardene became the third member of Sri Lanka's illustrious triumvirate to depart in the 30s when he miscued a lofted drive to mid-on to provide Hartley with his first senior wicket.

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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