Chandimal and Herath drop

Sri Lanka has dropped talented batsman Dinesh Chandimal, allrounder Thisara Perera and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath from the squad for the final two one-dayers against Australia, who led the series 2-1. Seekkuge Prasanna, the 26-year-old legspinner, has been called up and has to fly reverse from England, where he was on behalf of Sri Lanka A.

The other major news was that vice-captain Angelo Mathews, who miss the third ODI due to an injury is fit for the residual matches. "He should be alright for the rest of the series," Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said. "He could have even played on Tuesday, but we didn't want to take a risk. If great had happen he would have been ruled out for two months. He has got three more days to get well from the injury. Angelo is a key member of our side and when he goes out it's a big loss."

Chandimal, 21, had made an winning century at Lord's and 54 in the decide game of the ODI series against England last month, but suffer a string of failures since, managing only 41 in four innings.

Perera played only one ODI since his hard-hitting cameo in the World Cup final, with the role of the third fast bowler to be filled by Mathews, Suranga Lakmal or Shaminda Eranga, who made an impact on first appearance in the third ODI on Tuesday. Herath has also had only one ODI since the World Cup, with the appearance of legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis and the spin pair of Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv warning his opportunities.

Herath's place in the squad was taken by Prasanna, who hit the headlines on Sunday with a six-wicket haul against England A. Prasanna plays for the Sri Lanka Army, impress in their youth ranks before making his domestic one-day debut in 2006. He built up an outstanding List a record over the past five years, taking 73 wickets at 18.38 in 45 matches.

Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv

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'Strange' end can't stop Sri Lanka

Angelo Mathews confused both his own captain and England's Alastair Cook with his resolve to ensure team-mate Dinesh Chandimal put a Lord's hundred.

Cook was even enthused to propose the "gods of cricket" might have view the bizarre end to this NatWest Series match with "revulsion", as Sri Lanka briefly in danger to blow certain victory for the sake of one batsman's personal attainment.

As it was, 21-year-old Chandimal finished an unbeaten 105 in a six-wicket win which came with 10 balls to spare as Sri Lanka went 2-1 up with two to play.

There was, however, a brief instant when Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan began to wonder whether Mathews was put his team under unnecessary pressure. The all-rounder broken up with one not out from 21 balls, having pat the 47th over of the innings back to Jade Dernbach for a maiden.

Word, in the shape of a substitute bat for Chandimal, came from the tourists' bandage room that sufficient was enough, and the number three respond by clubbing a six over long-on off Tim Bresnan to arrive at his hundred and put the result beyond lasting doubt.

Cook, who had earlier made a strong-minded 119 in England's under-par 246 for seven, said of Mathews' antics: "It was dissimilar. I've never seen that before.

"You'll almost certainly have to ask them precisely what they were doing, although I think it's quite clear.

"They're perfectly free to do it if they want. It's just slightly strange and you never know, the cricketing gods might look down in a bit of revulsion.

"It was receiving close, wasn't it?"

It was clear that Dilshan thought similarly, as aggravation forced him from his seat on the pavilion balcony.

Asked afterwards about Mathews' behaviour, he obviously still had mixed feelings.
"That bit dissatisfied me," he said. "But they are youngsters and they are learning every time in the middle.

"I'm actually happy Chandimal got a hundred, particularly at Lord's. "Angelo Mathews not attractive the singles shows we are working like a family, a team, a unit - and overall I'm really happy."

Cook had less to smile about, in spite of his own second ODI century, accepting England simply did not make sufficient runs.

"We had a bit of a slow start and lost a couple of wickets," Cook added. "Then I and KP [Kevin Pietersen] had a good partnership but we just kept losing wickets at the wrong time and were then forever playing re-building cricket.

"That's never a way of receiving a big score and we were almost certainly about 40 short. I thought 280 or 290 was defendable."

England requires winning at Trent Bridge on Wednesday to keep away from a series defeat, and Cook added: "We will review this game, where we think we can get better.

"Our batting line-up hasn't fired, hasn't scored enough runs in the last two games. "If we want to win games we're going to have to fire more time after time."

However, Cook does not acknowledge what some see as a potentially chronic problem with a limited-overs team which has to put up his and Jonathan Trott's naturally accumulative style of batting.

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