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NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Saturday, March 26, 2011

England win toss, elect to bat against Sri Lanka

Updated at: 1339 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011
COLOMBO: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to bat in the last of the World Cup quarter-finals against Sri Lanka here at the R. Premadasa stadium on Saturday.England kept the same side which beat the West Indies in their last Group B match, still keeping paceman James Anderson on the bench and playing with two off-spinners in Graeme Swann and James Tredwell.Sri Lanka included left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for paceman Nuwan Kulasekara as the only change in the squad which beat New Zealand by 112 runs to give them three frontline spinners The R. Premadasa stadium pitch is likely to help batsmen but will take slow turn as the match progresses.The weather could play a major role with rain expected in the evening.Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Chris Tremlett.Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZ)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)