Hales' blitzkrieg nails it for England

Alex Hales hit a sensational unbeaten hundred as England pulled off a dramatic six-wicket win over Sri Lanka to throw open Group 1 in the ICC World Twenty20, here on Thursday.

Chasing a huge 190-run target, England rode on Hales’ maiden T20 hundred to overhaul the target with four balls to spare after losing two wickets for no score in the first over.

In an extraordinary display of power hitting, Hales punished the Lankan bowlers with half-a-dozen sixes and 11 boundaries in his blistering 116-run knock which came off just 64 balls. He finished the match with a huge six off Angelo Mathews to keep England afloat in the tournament. Sri Lanka posted a huge 189 for four as Jayawardene came up with a blistering 89-run knock while Dilshan played a perfect second fiddle with a 47-ball 55 in their huge 145-run second-wicket partnership after being invited to bat.

England, who chose to field, could not have dreamt of a worse start as they lost Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali to Nuwan Kulasekara in the very first over, without a run on the board.

However, Hales and Eoin Morgan turned the match on its head with sensational hitting as the two batsmen joined hands to rattle up a 152-run stand for the third wicket.