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New Delhi: Sri Lanka defeated England by 19 runs in the first ODI match at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday, January 22. Kusal Mendis played a crucial knock, while the Lankan bowlers did a great job while defending the total as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka got off to a brilliant start after opting to bat first as Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara forged a 50-run partnership for the opening wicket. Sam Curran removed Nissanka for 21, and Adil Rashid dismissed Kamil Mishara for 27 runs.
Mendis batted well, even though the wickets kept falling from the other end. He stitched a crucial 88-run partnership with Janith Liyanage for the fifth wicket to help the hosts make a comeback in the match. Mendis showed remarkable grit, battling through a back injury that he picked up while batting in the 60s. He scored an unbeaten 93 runs off 177 balls with the help of 11 boundaries.
Dunith Wellalage also played an important cameo in the final over, ensuring Sri Lanka reached the 270-run mark. The spinners found plenty of help from the surface, with Rashid taking three wickets, while Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed also picked up one wicket each.
Chasing the target of 272 runs, England got off to a poor start as Asitha Fernando dismissed Zak Crawley for 6 runs in the third over. But Ben Duckett and Joe Root rebuilt the innings with a steady partnership. Both batters completed their fifties in the 25th over.
The duo, however, failed to shift gears against Sri Lanka’s spinners, who used the conditions very well and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Overton’s late cameo took the match deep, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to take the visitors over the line as England bowled out for 252 runs. Pramod Madushan picked up three wickets, while Dunith Wellalage took two wickets.
