SL batsmen sing in the rain to post 305 for 5

LONDON: Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka scored 128 runs together before Dinush Chandimal and Angelo Mathews provided acceleration to power Sri Lanka to a challenging 42-over total of 305 for 5 in a dank and rain-affected fourth One-day International (ODI) against England at the Kia Oval on Wednesday.

Mendis and Gunathilaka put their side into their most dominant position of the series so far.

Mendis produced his fourth and highest half-century of the tour and his most fluent yet. He had cruised along to 75 not out from 59 balls when rain interrupted the game.

After the resumption, Adil Rashid accounted for both not-out men.

Mendis departed for 77 from 64 balls. Gunathilaka scored 62 off 64 balls.

England struggled once again to separate Mathews and Chandimal. The latter scored 63 from 51.

Mathews brought up his fifty from 47 balls with an arrow-straight drive off a near-perfect Plunkett yorker, then celebrated with two more fours in consecutive balls — a flip over the shoulder followed by an exquisite clip through deep midwicket. He remained not out on 67.