Moores tells top order to shine

ENGLAND head coach Peter Moores has challenged captain Alastair Cook and his fellow top order batsmen to seal a one-day international series win against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston today.

All-rounder Chris Jordan has shone with both bat and ball, while there have been notable contributions late in innings too from Jos Buttler and Gary Ballance, helping to leave the series evenly poised at 2-2.

But Moores said: “Our batting has yet to fully fire at the top of the order, but we have at the back half. The indicators are we are getting better. We just have to put all that together. We are desperate to get a series win.”

Sri Lanka are free to field off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake, despite being the subject of a report to the International Cricket Council for a suspected illegal bowling action.

The 29-year-old must undergo an ICC test within 21 days after both on-field umpires, the TV umpire and match referee raised concerns after Sri Lanka’s victory at Lord’s on Saturday.

Senanayake, one of the stars of last year’s Indian Premier League, is the tourists’ leading wicket-taker in the series with eight dismissals at an average of 12.50.