Read the article of England vs Sri Lanka 21st Match Prudential World Cup 1983 - Prudential World Cup 1983 tournament of the 21st ODI match played between Sri Lanka and England at Headingley, Leeds in 20th June 1983.
Bowlers attack before An superb unbeaten 81 by Graeme Fowler steers to England easy nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and qualify for the world cup semi-final in a one-sided game of the 21st match of a Prudential World Cup.
Sri Lanka scored 136 for all-out in 50.4 overs with top scorer by Sidath Wettimuny scored 22 off 49-balls including 3-fours.
Rumesh Ratnayake hit a unbeaten 20 off 32-balls including one-six & a four, Guy de Alwis hit 19 off 20-balls included 2-fours & a six, Somachandra De Silva and Vinothen John each scored 15-runs.
England best bowler by Paul Allott picked up 3-wickets for 41-runs in 10.4-overs, Ian Botham, Vic Marks, Norman Cowans each two 2-wickets and one for Bob Willis.
England chased 137-1 in 24.1 overs with top scorer by Graeme Fowler blasted a unbeaten 81 off 77-balls including 11-fours with strike rate of 105.19, David Gower hit a unbeaten 27 off 24-balls included 3-fours and Chris Tavaré 19.
Sri Lanka best bowler by Ashantha de Mel took 1-wicket for 33-runs in 10-overs including a maiden.
Bob Willis named Player of the match for his economical bowling performance to took 1-wicket for 9-runs in 9-overs including four maidens with economy rate of 1.
This match reported by Michael Carey (Third Party Reference from The Daily Telegraph)
ENGLAND confirmed their supremacy in Group A of the Prudential World Cup, crushing Sri Lanka by nine wickets at Headingley, They needed only 24.1 overs to score the necessary 137 runs to complete victory.
Most of these came in ebullient style from Fowler who put an uncertain start behind him to make an unbeaten 81, his fourth successive half-century and his highest score in the competition.
While a surprisingly large crowd may have been disappointed at not seeing a more even contest, England's attitude could scarcely be faulted and they bowled particularly well.
Willis set the standard, as he has almost throughout the competition and Cowans, on his first appearance, mostly found a full length and some movement away from the right-hander
Lamb's diving catch
A certain amount of bounce, sometimes irregular, allied to the accuracy of the bowlers contributed to Sri Lanka's problems as they slid to 81 for seven, with Botham also playing his part.
Though he got away with It more than usual when straying down the leg side, he beat the bat with some regularity and was hostile enough to summon up a short leg for the benefit of the unhappy Ranatunga, who was caught there brilliantly and one-handed by the diving Lamb soon afterwards.
Latterly Fowler saw England home with some bold, well-timed and often lofted strokes, though he had played and missed with horrible regularity at the start against the lively De Mel and John.
Perhaps it was this suggestion of frailty which helped to persuade Richard Hutton, the adjudicator, to give the Man of the Match award not to Fowler, but to Willis, whose howling had done so much to undermine Sri Lanka's batting line-up which is not without talent.
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