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England vs Sri Lanka: Eoin Morgan hopes side can beat the weather and seal series

Home side can go 2-0 in one-day series with win on Wednesday

David Clough
Tuesday 28 June 2016 18:20 BST
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Eoin Morgan in the nets ahead of England's one-dayer against Sri Lanka
Eoin Morgan in the nets ahead of England's one-dayer against Sri Lanka

England may need to act quickly at The Oval if they are to seal the Royal London Series with a match to spare against Sri Lanka.

The hosts' winning momentum has been stalled already by rain in Bristol, and captain Eoin Morgan is aware that another poor weather forecast may limit England's options again on Wednesday.

They were stopped in their tracks on Sunday, on 16 for 1 in reply to 248 for 9 after their seam attack had restricted Sri Lanka impressively. The tourists can therefore still win 2-1, with back-to-back successes in London and Cardiff.

Morgan knows a second consecutive no-result would mean England at least cannot lose the five-match one-day international series. But game time is top of the captain's agenda as he seeks sustained consolidation of improvements made since the debacle of the 2015 World Cup.

In the 15 intervening months, Morgan's England first made a dramatic gear change in last summer's victory at home to New Zealand - a series notable for record-breaking big totals - and have since won in Pakistan and fought hard in defeat against World Cup winners Australia and South Africa.

The Irishman was also in charge for England's run to the final of this year's ICC World Twenty20, and a dramatic tie at Trent Bridge to open this series was followed by a princely performance in the 10-wicket win at Edgbaston. Morgan therefore just wants to get back in the middle and keep up the good work.

“We want to play as much cricket as we can, and I suppose [the weather] has halted a little bit of the momentum we've had,” he said. “Tomorrow is about regaining that a little bit.”

The first game was a kick up the backside more than anything - so bouncing back from that at Edgbaston, I thought, was brilliant

&#13; <p>Eoin Morgan, England captain</p>&#13;

England were not at their best in Nottingham last week, but were very much so three days later in Birmingham. “I think the cricket we've played, bar the first game, has been pretty good,” added Morgan.

“The first game was a kick up the backside more than anything - so bouncing back from that at Edgbaston, I thought, was brilliant. Then backing that up with our bowling performance at Bristol was also very good.”

Most of Morgan's team, like the rest of the country, were watching on TV as their football counterparts made a hugely disappointing exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland. As debate rages nationally about who should replace coach Roy Hodgson, who resigned on Monday night after England's 2-1 defeat, England's limited-overs crickters are living proof that triumphs can follow apparent disaster.

Morgan added: “The learning experience we've had over the last 12 months, with the new group of players, has been so significant that there is almost a completely different team. I suppose for us, it was going with a new method and a new group of players.”

Among them, Joe Root has begun the summer - in Tests as well as against the white ball - in modest form by his own often brilliant standards. In the fleeting opportunity to rediscover his best in Bristol, however, England's No 3 played with promise. He had time only to make an unbeaten 11 before the rain swept in, but Morgan is confident Root will soon be properly in the runs again.

“He looks in magnificent touch. I pair up with him in the nets, and it doesn't make me feel any better,” he said. “Joe is a class act who has scored a huge amount of runs.”

England are likely to name an unchanged team at The Oval, again preferring four seamers to an extra spinner.

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