Key events
16th over: England 94-2 (Root 31, Brook 19) Chameera is back as Sri Lanka decide, strangely, to take Colombage off after two good overs.
15th over: England 90-2 (Root 29, Brook 17) Brook wallops a sweep off Wellalage for four. My mind has just gone back to Colombo in January, when the England captain and Root both reached three figures to secure a series victory.
14th over: England 82-2 (Brook 10, Root 28) Always a joy watching a leggie, the hardest thing to bowl in this stupidly hard game. Colombage bowls another tight over.
13th over: England 80-2 (Root 28, Brook 8) It’s not a long-hop by Wellalage, but it’s short enough for Brook, who is so quick to get back and cut for four. Root then plays the cutest of reverse-dabs for a couple. Time for drinks.
12th over: England 72-2 (Root 25, Brook 3) A huge moment in the life of Sachindu Colombage. The debutant is on to bowl. He’s got a funky start to his action, arms everywhere … and he’s appealing for leg-before against Root! The ball goes straight on from the leg-spinner and Sri Lanka decide to go upstairs … I think it’s missing leg-stump … and DRS agrees. It’s a tidy start from Colombage: not much turn there but he’s accurate enough.
11th over: England 68-2 (Brook 1, Root 23) Out comes the captain, who punches for one to keep the strike.
WICKET! Duckett lbw Wellalage 32 (England 67-2)
Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage is on as Root and Duckett take their stand beyond 50. But Wellalage traps Duckett leg-before! It’s flat and quick, with Duckett failing to connect with his sweep. The batter reviews immediately, hoping he’s been struck outside the line of off-stump … but DRS shows three reds. Spin gives Sri Lanka the breakthrough – a smart piece of bowling by Wellalage.
10th over: England 64-1 (Root 21, Duckett 31) Fernando is back after changing ends … and Root plays an immaculate cover drive for four. Nasser Hussain asks the question on comms: why don’t Sri Lanka bring the keeper up to the stumps? Root then marches out of his crease to guide the ball through the covers again. Duckett clips for another boundary and the powerplay belongs to England. Sri Lanka need to sort out their lines.
9th over: England 51-1 (Root 12, Duckett 27) Time for Dushmantha Chameera, replacing Fernando. Sri Lanka are bowling a bit too straight to Root, who clips again for four. Duckett copies his partner, finding the midwicket boundary to move to 27.
8th over: England 42-1 (Root 7, Duckett 23) Root opens up his blade to play his trademark guide to third for a single. Duckett’s timing is getting better, too, the ball starting to ping off the bat.
7th over: England 36-1 (Root 6, Duckett 18) Better from Duckett, who middles the cut this time, off Fernando and away for four. A whip through midwicket follows and Duckett is finding his flow. Root, meanwhile, has become the eighth man to hit 23,000 (!) international runs. Duckett very nearly gifts square leg a catch before punching through the off-side for three.
Adil Rashid ruled out of the ODI series
6th over: England 25-1 (Root 6, Duckett 7) Madushanka goes wide and Duckett can’t nail his cut. An in-form version of the left-hander would probably have found the boundary. And some news from England: Adil Rashid has been ruled out of the series with an injury to his bowling hand. Time for Rehan Ahmed to step up. Root closes the over with a lovely clip through midwicket.
5th over: England 20-1 (Root 2, Duckett 6) Asitha Fernando had a strong Test series in England a couple years ago, taking 17 wickets in three matches at 24.64. He goes a bit too straight against Duckett, who clips away for one, and Root plays a similar shot for two.
4th over: England 17-1 (Root 0, Duckett 5) A strong follow-up over from Madushanka, who is getting some tasty shape. There’s a bit of bother for Kamindu Mendis, at slip, who takes a blow to the right knee at the end of the over.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Root 0, Duckett 4) In comes Joe Root.
WICKET! Banton b Fernando 10 (England 16-1)
Poor work at deep fine leg by Madushanka, who goes for a one-handed stop by the rope but lets it slip away for four. Banton very nearly offers a return grab to Fernando … before a corker to hit the top of off! Brilliant from Asitha Fernando, who nips it away from the right-hander, beating the prod forward to take the off bail.
2nd over: England 12-0 (Banton 6, Duckett 4) Dilshan Madushanka is on from the other end. The left-armer hoops the ball into Banton, who whips away for his first boundary. A wide down the leg-side follows but Madushanka eventually finds his spot, threatening the stumps with his inswinger.
1st over: England 5-0 (Banton 1, Duckett 4) A bit of shape away from the right-hander for Fernando as Banton gets going with a single. Ben Duckett had a poor Test series against Pakistan but did hit 141 in England’s last ODI, against India in July. He clips a full toss away for four.
Right, time to get going. Tom Banton is opening in an ODI for the very first time. Asitha Fernando has the new ball.
There’s an international debut for the legspinner Sachindu Colombage. Some ask to come in and bowl at that England middle order. I’m fascinated to see how Rehan Ahmed, carded at six, goes; he’s in because Adil Rashid has an issue with his bowling hand.
The teams
England: Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
England win the toss and choose to bat first
Wood is part of Sky’s commentary team for this game, and he’s joined by his former captain Eoin Morgan. They take in the toss … which is won by Harry Brook. England will have a hit.
Mark Wood retires from international cricket
The big news this morning is that Mark Wood has called it a day at the highest level. Go to his Cricinfo profile and the numbers won’t jump out … but that doesn’t tell his story. You’re better off heading to YouTube to watch that spell at Headingley or the one in St Lucia, bowling at absurd pace. The body, inevitably, suffered. He took 18 wickets when England won the 2019 World Cup and nine at 12 when they won the T20 equivalent in 2022. He won the Ashes at home and, while things didn’t work out for the collective, he thrived in Australia, too. Some career.
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the last series of the English summer, stretching its way right until the close of September. It’s back to 50-over cricket, the forgotten child, with Sri Lanka hoping that the longer form gives them more of a chance; the T20 series was a miserable affair for the visitors, with defeats by 119 runs, six wickets (47 balls to spare) and eight wickets (62 balls).
After a few lean years in the ODI game, England have won their last two series, away to Sri Lanka at the start of the year and then at home against India. Brendon McCullum has lost the Test job but his white-ball group have had a pretty impressive 2026. It would be quite the splash if Kusal Mendis’ side halt the streak here. We get going in Durham at 12.30pm BST.