Sri Lanka levelled the three-match ODI series with a 16-run win over England in Leeds, defending 321 for 6 as they restricted the hosts to 305 for 9. Kusal Mendis led the way with 121, with Kamindu Mendis (54) and Pavan Rathnayake (48) coming up with supporting roles. 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.
England were off the blocks quickly in the chase with Duckett and Banton dealing in boundaries in the first Powerplay. They struck 14 fours between them in the first 10 overs, powering the hosts to 82 for 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. Banton struck a four and a six off Eshan Malinga as England brought up the 100 in the 14th over. He reached fifty off 39 balls and then struck two sixes off Sachindu Colombage.
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 to end the opening stand, struck again in his next over by having Banton out stumped for 73, and then bagged the big wicket of Harry Brook by trapping the England white-ball captain lbw. From 143 for 0, England slipped to 157 for 3. Jos Buttler and Joe Root led the revival, with the wicketkeeper-batter counterattacking with a flurry of fours and sixes. But England had another setback as Sachindu Colombage sent Root back for 15.
Buttler, meanwhile, continued to attack as he struck two sixes in an over off Colombage, with 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 10000-plus runs in men’s white-ball internationals. Will Jacks also dealt in boundaries, struck a six off Wellalage, and also got a leg-before decision reversed early in his innings. However, Buttler appeared to be having an issue with his hamstring and had to receive some attention from the physio before retiring hurt midway into the 38th over. Rehan Ahmed, who came in next, had a short stay as he was caught down the leg side off Madushanka for a five-ball duck.
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 and 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 Malinga. Jacks finally got a four, off Fernando, but the bowler sent Jamie Overton back soon after. Jacks drilled a six in the same over to bring up a 59-ball fifty.
Buttler came back to bat again 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. 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, which was effectively 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 in the ninth over. Nissanka struck three fours and a six before his dismissal. 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 the 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 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.
Kusal, meanwhile, closed in on his century and also got a caught-behind decision overturned on 99, before reaching three-figures with a boundary off Jamie Overton in the 31st over as he became 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 then added 40 before the partnership ended when the centurion failed in his attempt to clear the fence with a slog-sweep off Rehan. Charith Asalanka fell a couple of overs later, becoming Rehan’s second wicket to leave Sri Lanka at 237 for 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 Liyage before falling two short of a fifty as he was run out attempting a second on a misfield from Root. Liyage struck two fours off Overton as 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.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 321/6 in 50 overs (Kusal Mendis 121, Kamindu Mendis 54, Pavan Rathnayake 48; Rehan Ahmed 2-48) England 305/9 in 50 overs (Tom Banton 73, Jos Buttler 69, Ben Duckett 69; Dunith Wellalage 3-49, Eshan Malinga 2-50) by 16 runs.
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