Sri Lanka batting coach backs Mendis and Mathews to come good

Sri Lanka batting coach Jon Lewis believes it is just a matter of time before Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews hit form at the World Cup.

Experienced all-rounder Mathews has yet to open his account after ducks against both New Zealand and Afghanistan while Mendis has scarcely been more productive with a nought in the defeat by the Black Caps followed by just two runs in a tense win over the Afghans.

Sri Lanka, whose last match against Pakistan was abandoned without a ball bowled, face Bangladesh in Bristol on Tuesday.

"We have some experienced players in the middle with Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews," Lewis said on Monday.

"They obviously haven't quite fired yet but Afghanistan let us get away with that. I'm confident players of that quality will definitely come to the party soon.

"With Angelo you have to have faith in a guy who has done as much as he has over a long period of time and he tells me he is in a good place and good headspace."
"He's had two low scores and of course it would be good if he had more runs behind him, but I think he's probably only 20 balls from being really away."