Harry Brook had called on his England players to continue the “high octane” cricket witnessed during their clean sweep in the Twenty20s but this latest victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international was more of a slow-burn affair.
Gone was the neck-arching carnage of the previous week and in its place, on a tired end-of-season surface, England were bowled out for 265 in 48.1 overs. Brook top-scored with 67 under a warm September sun, before his bowlers rolled the tourists for 176 to take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s second match at Headingley.
Familiarity with conditions doubtless played its part and Sri Lanka, on the wrong side of the toss, never truly felt in the hunt. For Brook it was his 11th victory as England’s ODI captain, nudging him into credit after 10 defeats and continuing what has been a quiet resurgence in the format this year.
The volume will need to increase over the next 12 months as England build towards the next 50-over World Cup. But while hugely relevant lessons were never going to be learned in Chester-le-Street, the role played by Will Jacks was both significant on the day and, as the new vice-captain, underlined his centrality more broadly.
Without Jacks’s unbeaten 46 in the first innings, including 18 runs taken off the 48th over, Sri Lanka might well have had a sniff here. Indeed, since returning in a lower middle-order role last year – one that has taken adjustment given his preference to bat in the top three – Jacks has averaged 43 and struck at over 100.
His off-breaks are also developing into a handy tool for Brook, returning five for 22 from seven overs here – including the top-scorer, Dunith Wellalage, lbw for 45 – as he mixed up his pace and angles. Only Vic Marks, five for 20 against New Zealand in Wellington way back in 1984, boasts better ODI figures by an England spinner – not that the man himself would ever boast about such things.
“[Jacks] is not a part-timer, he’s a very good off-spinner,” said Brook. “He can spin the ball big and contain. He could have moaned and groaned about playing as an all-rounder but he’s accepted that and become a very vital player for us over the past 18 months. He’s a very good leader, with bat, ball and in the field.”
Save for Jofra Archer, who took a bit of tap at the end of his all-format summer, Brook’s attack suppressed their opponents to defend a sub-300 total for the first time since 2022. Jamie Overton picked up two wickets bowling cross-seamers, while the loss of Adil Rashid – out of the series with a hand injury – was not felt.
WinViz actually had Sri Lanka as marginal favourites at the halfway stage but looking on, there was a nagging sense England had plenty. After an initial 10-over power-play in which the hosts reached 61 for one – Tom Banton the man out, bowled by a beauty from Asitha Fernando – batting had started to become trickier.
Although just as relevant to England falling short of 300 was a sparkling debut from Sachindu Colombage, a 28-year-old wrist-spinner with a jerky, quirky action who claimed three for 44. Colombage was playing for Downham Stow in the East Anglian Premier League last summer and has an unremarkable domestic record. But Gary Kirsten, Sri Lanka’s head coach, looked beyond the numbers.
after newsletter promotion
What Kirsten saw was the drift and dip that can trouble the best and in Joe Root and Jos Buttler, Colombage undid a couple of them here. Both were trapped on the back foot, Root hearing his off-stump rattled for 44 and Buttler pinned lbw for 31 by one that straightened. The less heralded Overton was later bowled by a leg-break that went above the eyeline and spun sharply.
Root’s removal in the 23rd over was the first time he had been dismissed in ODI cricket for some 416 deliveries – a streak of 404 runs that goes back to England’s 2-1 win in Sri Lanka last winter. The key wicket was Brook, however, having looked pretty much immovable until he went to charge the seamer Dushmantha Chameera for one of his inside-out scythes and skewed the ball to deep point.
It was one of the rare times that England had looked to clear the rope in what became their first ODI innings for more than seven years without a six. Brook’s demise also triggered the loss of four wickets for 29 runs in 46 balls, as a promising 182 for three became 211 for seven and tempered ambitions with it.
As well as the end of Buttler, this mini-collapse included Rehan Ahmed run out by a direct hit from Charith Asalanka in the ring. England’s new mentor, Kevin Pietersen, had stressed the need for better strike rotation before this match. But there was never a single as Ahmed set off, realised his error, and then pretty much gave up.
Watching all this unfold was Jacks, who with a bit of support from Gus Atkinson steered England to a defendable total. His work had only just begun, however, repeatedly punching holes in Sri Lanka’s lineup before sealing a comfortable win – and his first five-for – with a ripper to bowl the No 11, Dilshan Madushanka.