Sri Lanka Captain Kusal Mendis celebrates an 82-ball hundred
Kamindu Mendis helped Kusal Mendis in a big stand of 137 off 120 balls
Dunith Wellalage made the vital breakthrough for Sri Lanka
Ben Duckett and Tom Banton put on an opening stand of 143 for England
England lost Jos Buttler with a hamstring twinge at a crucial phase of the game
- First ODI win in England in seven years
- Decider at The Oval tomorrow
LEEDS: Skipper Kusal Mendis led from the front with his seventh ODI century to help Sri Lanka level the three-match ODI series with a 16-run win over England at Headingley Thursday.
Defending 321-6 Sri Lanka restricted England to 305-9. Kamindu Mendis (54) and Pavan Rathnayake (48) played supporting roles to their Captain. For England Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks struck half-centuries but they eventually fell short as Sri Lanka came back well after a century opening stand to record their first ODI win in England in seven years.
England were off the blocks quickly in the chase with Duckett and Banton striking 14 fours between them in the first 10 overs of the powerplay, powering England to 82-0. Asitha Fernando went for 23 in his first two overs, Dilshan Madushanka conceded 22 off his first two, while the other bowlers went for runs too as England were off to a powerful start. Duckett was the first to reach fifty, getting there in 44 balls. England brought up the 100 in the 14th over and Banton reached his fifty off 39 balls.
The openers added 143 inside 20 overs before Dunith Wellalage turned things around quickly, bringing Sri Lanka back into the game. He had Duckett bowled for 67 off 63 balls (9 fours), then struck again in his next over by having Banton out stumped for 73 off 62 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes), and bagged the big wicket of Harry Brook by trapping the England white-ball Captain lbw. From 143-0, England slipped to 157-3. Buttler and Joe Root led the revival, but England had another setback as Sachin Colombage sent Root back for 15.
Buttler continued to attack hitting Colombage for two sixes in an over, the first one helping him to a 36-ball fifty. During the course of his knock, Buttler also became the first England player to aggregate 10,000-plus runs in men’s white-ball internationals. Buttler however appeared to be having an issue with his hamstring and was forced to retire hurt midway into the 38th over. It was at this point England lost their momentum.
Needing 63 to win off the last 10 overs, Jacks and Gus Atkinson kept England afloat, although Sri Lanka did well not to concede a boundary for a few overs, with the pacers using the reverse swing on offer and their cutters to good effect. The equation was 42 off the last five overs, which became 33 off 18 as the boundary drought continued, and England also lost Atkinson to Eshan Malinga. Jacks finally got a four, off Fernando, but the bowler sent Jamie Overton back soon after. Jacks brought up his fifty off 59 balls.
Buttler returned at the fall of Overton’s wicket but his movements were hampered and he was limping to complete runs. Malinga struck a crucial blow as Jacks was out caught in the deep trying to clear the fence for 52 off 61 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes). It was an excellent over from Malinga, who conceded only one run, leaving England needing 19 in the last over. Buttler tried to get a leg-side six off Madushanka but was caught in the deep for 69, scored off 49 balls (5 fours, 5 sixes), which effectively was the final nail as the bowler completed a good over to ensure the ODI series headed into a decider at The Oval.
Earlier, opting to bat, Sri Lanka made a steady start, with Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis putting on 45 for the opening wicket before Nissanka was trapped lbw by Atkinson for 25 (3 fours, 1 six) in the ninth over. Sri Lanka reached 46-1 after 10 overs, with England’s quicks keeping them subdued with hard-length bowling – as many as 43 dot balls were bowled in the first Powerplay.
Kusal and Kamindu then gradually increased the tempo, with both batters bringing up their fifties and a century stand. It was also the first time on this tour that Sri Lanka had two individual 50-plus scores in an innings, after going without one across the first four games, including the T20Is. The 137-run second wicket stand off 120 balls came to an end when Kamindu came down the track and attempted a loft off Atkinson, only to hand a catch to Brook at mid-on. He scored 54 off 65 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes).
Kusal, meanwhile, closing in on his century got a caught-behind decision overturned on 99, before reaching three-figures with a boundary off Overton in the 31st over to become the first Sri Lankan to score an ODI hundred in England since Angelo Mathews in the 2019 World Cup match against India. Pavan Rathnayake and Kusal added 40 before the partnership ended when the centurion failed in his attempt to clear the fence with a slog-sweep off Rehan and was out for 121 scored off 100 balls (14 fours, 3 sixes). Charith Asalanka fell cheaply once again to leave Sri Lanka at 237-4 after 40 overs.
Rathnayake led the charge with the bat in the death overs with regular boundaries, and even pulled Atkinson for a six. He added 40 with Janith Liyanage before falling two short of a fifty (48 off 39 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) as he was run out attempting a second on a misfield from Root. Sri Lanka crossed 300 in the 48th over. England didn’t concede a single boundary in the last two overs but Sri Lanka had a good finish nevertheless, getting 84 runs in the last 10 overs. The defeat was England’s fourth straight in ODIs at Headingley.
The two teams meet for the series decider at The Oval on Sunday.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 321-6 (50) (Pathum Nissanka 25, Kamindu Mendis 54, Kusal Mendis 121, Pavan Rathnayake 48, Janith Liyanage 32, Gus Atkinson 2/55, Rehan Ahmed 2/48) beat England 305-9 (50) (Tom Banton 73, Ben Duckett 67, Jos Buttler 69, Will Jacks 52, Dilshan Madushanka 2/54, Eshan Malinga 2/50, Dunith Wellalage 3/49)
