England’s Ben Stokes kept his cool amid a dramatic collapse to help his side scrape past Sri Lanka and reach the World Cup semi-finals, while also knocking Australia out of the tournament.
The match was a tense affair, with Sri Lanka needing to win to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. They got off to a great start, with Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis putting on a century partnership to put the pressure on England.
However, England’s bowlers kept their composure and managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 232-9 from their 50 overs.
In reply, England got off to a good start, with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow putting on a century partnership of their own. But then the wheels started to come off, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers began to take wickets at regular intervals.
England were reduced to 212-8, with just two overs remaining and needing 21 runs to win. It looked like Sri Lanka were on the brink of a famous victory.
But then Ben Stokes stepped up. He kept his cool and managed to score the winning runs off the last ball of the match, sparking wild celebrations from the England team.
Stokes’ heroics meant that England reached the semi-finals, while also knocking Australia out of the tournament. It was a remarkable performance from the all-rounder, who showed great composure under pressure.
The semi-finals will be a tough test for England, but with Stokes in their side, they will be confident of going all the way.