Key events
Kusal Mendis is the player of the match for his century but he also deserves credit for a big call with the ball: continuing with Sachindu Colombage after Jos Buttler tucked into him, leading to the wicket of Joe Root.
Not a bad way to close the summer this: a series decider at the Oval on Sunday. Weather’s been decent in London the last couple of days, too.
I’ll be honest, I have my moments where I question the point of 50-over cricket … but this was a nice reminder of how thrilling this format can be.
After four comprehensive defeats, Sri Lanka are finally up and running on this tour. The turning point has to be Jos Buttler’s injury, tweaking his left hamstring when the game was heading England’s way. In the end, the matchwinners are Kusal Mendis with his 121 and Dunith Wellalage with his three wickets.
Sri Lanka win by 16 runs!
We’re heading to a decider!
49.5: Another dot.
49.4: Archer swings hard outside off but the ball finds short extra cover. That should be the game. England need 17 from two.
49.3: WHAT A STOP! Archer smashes the ball down the ground for what seems a certain six, but Kamindu Mendis leaps to his left to keep it in. It’s, well, a dropped catch … but let’s not be silly.
49.2: Full toss from the seamer, and Tongue bunts for one. Archer can certainly hit them. England need 17 from four.
49.2: Madushanka sends down a wide!
England need 19 from five balls. Josh Tongue is the last man in.
WICKET! Buttler c Kamindu Mendis b Madushanka 69 (England 303-9)
Madushanka is in from over the wicket, Buttler – somehow – connects … but finds the man at deep midwicket.
49th over: England 303-8 (Buttler 69, Archer 0) Archer can’t get Malinga away and England need 19 from the last over, with Buttler – in serious pain – on strike.
WICKET! Jacks c Liyanage b Malinga 52 (England 303-8)
Buttler tries a scoop but doesn’t get any bat on it. He then awkwardly swishes to long-off and hobbles again for one. Malinga nails his yorker to Jacks, who is swinging for the hills now. And he goes! The ball flies high into the sky and Janith Liyanage runs in from long-on to collect. Jacks can’t finish the job tonight.
Half-century for Will Jacks
48th over: England 302-7 (Buttler 68, Jacks 52) Buttler returns with a dodgy left hamstring and is clearly in pain as he swings away for one. And Jacks middles the last ball of the over for a straight six! What a game! England need 20 from 12 balls.
JOS BUTTLER’S BACK!
LET ME REPEAT: JOS BUTTLER’S BACK!
WICKET! Overton c Asalanka b Fernando 2 (England 295-7)
Overton crunches Fernando to long-off for one before Jacks swings to the square-leg rope for four! That’s the first boundary in years! The yorker follows before a full toss … Overton doesn’t middle it and Asalanka takes a brilliant grab running back to mid-off! There’s a check to see if it’s a waist-high no-ball but I think it’ll be OK … and it is.
47th over: England 289-6 (Overton 1, Jacks 41) Some turnaround this. England need 33 from 18 balls.
WICKET! Atkinson c Rathnayake b Malinga 16 (England 288-6)
Malinga sends in a fierce yorker, living up to his name. An off-cutter follows and Jacks can’t connect properly. And then another terrific, reverse-swinging yorker that Jacks plays back to the bowler.
Oh, that feels harsh from the umps, calling a wide on a slower ball. That looked OK to me. And then, finally, a wicket! Atkinson pulls straight to deep midwicket and Malinga fully deserves it. Sri Lanka are well in control here.
46th over: England 285-5 (Atkinson 15, Jacks 40) Atkinson dives to make his ground at the non-striker’s end and take a blow to the helmet from the throw directed at the stumps. Ow. Jacks flicks down the leg-side but Kusal Mendis makes a vital stop to deny a boundary. Fernando continues to search for the toe-thumping yorker before surprising Atkinson with a bouncer. This is strong death bowling, and I reckon this is Sri Lanka’s game now. England need 37 from 24 balls.
45th over: England 280-5 (Atkinson 12, Jacks 38) Wellalage rips the ball past the outside edge and narrowly misses off-stump. The dots are really piling up now for England, with Atkinson getting a big forward-defence out. The left-arm spinner concedes just one as Atkinson keeps the strike and he finishes with figures of three for 49. England need 42 from 30 balls.
44th over: England 279-5 (Atkinson 11, Jacks 38) Asitha Fernando finds Atkinson’s front pad and roars in appeal … but that looks to be sliding down the leg-side. But he’s out the next ball! It’s a tailing yorker, one of Fernando’s specialities, and Atkinson’s going to review after being hit on the toes … that’s sliding down leg I reckon. Yep, just missing. The barest of margins. Nonetheless, it is another dot ball, that required rate climbing. A wide helps England and they need 43 from 36 balls.
43rd over: England 275-5 (Atkinson 9, Jacks 37) Wellalage tweaks away in his penultimate over, the singles continuing. England need 47 from 42 balls.
42nd over: England 269-5 (Atkinson 5, Jacks 35) Madushanka is keeping it very tight from around the wicket, with Atkinson taking a single after a couple of dots. The seamer opts for a slower-ball bouncer to Jacks, who remains calm. The equation still favours England as these two keep churning out ones.
41st over: England 265-5 (Atkinson 3, Jacks 33) Colombage is back, that required rate above six now. Rathnayake has been great at short extra cover and makes another diving stop there. Jacks and Atkinson have to settle for singles. England need 57 from 54 balls.
40th over: England 259-5 (Atkinson 0, Jacks 30) Gus Atkinson gets a go at No 8. England need 63 from 60 balls.
WICKET! Ahmed c Kusal Mendis b Madushanka 0 (England 259-5)
Jacks very nearly punches into extra cover’s hands off Madushanka, who gets Ahmed! The seamer goes short and the batter gets a bit of glove down the leg-side, failing with his pull shot.
39th over: England 256-4 (Ahmed 0, Jacks 27) A good stop at short extra cover from Rathnayake keeps Jacks on strike as Wellalage tries to squeeze out a few dots. Rehan Ahmed gets the forward defence out and it’s a good over for Sri Lanka. England need 66 from 66 balls.
38th over: England 255-4 (Ahmed 0, Jacks 26) Rehan Ahmed walks in with still quite a bit of work to do. It might not be how they wanted, but Sri Lanka are back in this. England need 67 from 72 balls.
Jos Buttler retires hurt on 67
Buttler is on strike and clearly doesn’t look right as he blocks the ball. He punches behind point … and walks through for a single. And that’s enough: Buttler retires hurt. This is a massive shame – he’s played so well tonight.
Buttler is up but he doesn’t look in a state to carry on … well he’s got the helmet on so he’s going to have a go.
Malinga’s been getting the ball to skid on while going stump-to-stump. Buttler sprints for two but is in quite a bit of pain, down on the ground and calling for the doc. Oh, it’s the left hamstring that’s in trouble here and this looks serious.
37th over: England 251-4 (Buttler 64, Jacks 25) Dropped! Wellalage leaps to his left for a return grab off Buttler but can’t claim a stunner. And then it gets worse: Jacks slogs away for six.
36th over: England 244-4 (Buttler 63, Jacks 19) Jacks has been so impressive in white-ball cricket for England this year, and he nails a straight drive off Malinga for four.
35th over: England 239-4 (Buttler 62, Jacks 15) Wellalage is back and Jacks finds the boundary – it’s still puzzling me as to why the two spinners aren’t bowling together.
34th over: England 233-4 (Buttler 61, Jacks 10) Malinga is back and Jacks absolutely pummels a pull shot for four. But the quick gets his revenge with a leg-before! The batter decides to review. It looks high, having hit Jacks on the back leg and above the pad … and it’s missing the stumps.
Half-century for Jos Buttler
33rd over: England 228-4 (Buttler 61, Jacks 5) Colombage’s really good fun to watch and Buttler’s having to be patient now, the bowler having found his spot … scrap that, the former England captain launches over deep midwicket for six. And then a thump down the ground for six more!
32nd over: England 214-4 (Buttler 48, Jacks 4) Kusal Mendis doesn’t agree with me. Fernando continues, and Buttler very nearly clunks the ball to midwicket. Just three runs off it as pressure builds on the batting pair.
31st over: England 211-4 (Buttler 45, Jacks 4) Colombage’s found his rhythm, keeping Jacks on strike with a string of dots. There’s turn there when Buttler finally gets a hit, and it’s another really good over from the leg-spinner. Time to get Wellalage back on from the other end I reckon.
30th over: England 209-4 (Buttler 43, Jacks 3) Fernando continues as Jacks and Buttler collect singles.
29th over: England 205-4 (Buttler 42, Jacks 1) Lovely shape from Colombage as he flights it up outside Will Jacks’ off-stump. Just two runs off the over – and the dismissal of Joe Root.
WICKET! Root c Rathnayake b Colombage 15 (England 203-4)
The leggie is kept on by Kusal Mendis and he strikes! Tossed up outside off, inviting the drive, and Root finds the hands of short extra cover. Good captaincy and well bowled by the man under pressure. Sri Lanka keep themselves in the game.
28th over: England 203-3 (Buttler 41, Root 15) Wellalage is off, Asitha Fernando back. Buttler dabs the ball into the leg-side … it looks a gentle hit but it sprints to the deep midwicket rope. And then a chance! Buttler edges, Kusal Mendis leaps to his right, but it’s just out of reach, running away for four. Buttler has 41 off just 22 balls.
27th over: England 194-3 (Buttler 33, Root 14) Colombage returns after a poor first over early on, and he begins with a full toss. Buttler’s surely going to go after him … and thumps down the ground for six. Colombage continues to toss it up – the right thing to do – but Buttler can still mis-hit for six, over long-off. And then a long-hop down the leg-side that Buttler puts away with ease. The leggie closes the over with a dot and he shouldn’t feel too annoyed with himself – he’s bowling against one of the most destructive white-ball hitters ever.
26th over: England 177-3 (Buttler 17, Root 13) Buttler misses with his reverse sweep against Wellalage, and he’s lucky that leg stump is still intact. The spinner gives it air, and Buttler middles it this time, through the covers for four. And then a massive hit down the ground for six! A little too much flight there from Wellalage and Buttler doesn’t want a patient rebuild.
25th over: England 166-3 (Buttler 7, Root 12) Oh no. Buttler pulls Madushanka, it should be cut off by the rope, but a misfield gifts the new batter a boundary. It looks a lovely late summer evening at Headingley … but there are plenty of empty seats. We do have a decent game on, though. England need 156 runs from 25 overs.
24th over: England 158-3 (Buttler 1, Root 10) Buttler cuts for one but that’s another delicious over from Wellalage. He’s got three for 17 from four overs.
WICKET! Brook lbw Wellalage 1 (England 157-3)
Sky have just shown Marco Jansen’s one-handed grab for South Africa to get rid of Matt Renshaw in their ODI against Australia today. Ridiculous.
Here’s a leg-before shout against Brook, prodding forward, and Sri Lanka want to go upstairs. There’s no bat on it, and DRS says it’s smashing leg-stump! What a spell this is from Wellalage! England have lost three wickets for 14 runs.
23rd over: England 156-2 (Brook 1, Root 9) OK then, have we got ourselves a game? Madushanka bounds in from around the wicket against Harry Brook and he’s found some accuracy after his struggles with the new ball.
WICKET! Banton st Kusal Mendis b Wellalage 73 (England 153-2)
Root greets Wellalage with a sweep, helping the ball around the corner for four. The spinner then gives it some air, but Banton and Root nab quick singles. There’s some turn on offer … and he uses it to dismiss Banton! Again, tossed up, inviting Banton down the pitch for a whack, but the right-hander’s nowhere near it and Kusal does the rest. Lovely, loopy, left-arm bowling.
22nd over: England 153-2 (Brook 0, Root 7)
21st over: England 146-1 (Banton 72, Root 1) Madushanka is back and Joe Root has his first run, flicking off the pads.
20th over: England 143-1 (Banton 71, Root 0) A fine over by Wellalage, just 23 but already such a smart bowler.
WICKET! Duckett b Wellalage 67 (England 143-1)
Duckett can’t help himself – out comes the reverse sweep, one of his trademarks, against Wellalage, and off it runs for four. And then the breakthrough! It’s beautifully bowled by the left-arm spinner, tossed up outside off, inviting the loose drive and there’s enough turn to knock back the stumps.
19th over: England 137-0 (Banton 70, Duckett 62) Banton and Duckett look at ease, knocking Asalanka for ones. There’s no need to do anything risky after such a rapid start.
18th over: England 131-0 (Banton 67, Duckett 59) Dunith Wellalage is up next for Sri Lanka and his left-arm spin is on target, conceding just two from his first over.
17th over: England 129-0 (Banton 66, Duckett 58) Asalanka’s been economical but Sri Lanka need a wicket – fast. Duckett and Banton run through the singles.
16th over: England 124-0 (Banton 64, Duckett 55) Here’s Sachindu Colombage, who bowled so well on debut the other day. But he starts with a long-hop and Banton sends it into the crowd! Another short one follows, but Banton pulls to the fielder for a single. The leg-spinner is struggling with his length here as Banton smacks another six, turning it into a 14-run over.
Half-century for Tom Banton
15th over: England 110-0 (Banton 51, Duckett 54) Banton knocks Asalanka for one to move to his second ODI half-century – his first came six years ago! I remember that series against Ireland really well because it was Covid and, well, I didn’t have much else on. Strange times.