England continued their white-ball dominance over Sri Lanka as an 89-run victory in the first ODI in Durham saw them take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Will Jacks starred with bat and ball, hitting an handy 46 not out off 47 balls before completing a career-best 5-22 to wrap up the Sri Lankan tail. Captain Harry Brook (67 off 69 balls) top-scored after electing to bat at the toss but a middle order wobble inspired by debutant Sachindu Colombage (3-44) restricted England to 265 in 48.1 overs.
England took steady wickets to hamper Sri Lanka's pursuit of 266 before Jacks struck three times in the final over as the tourists were bowled out for 176 in 37 overs. England 265 in 48.1 overs (elected to bat): Harry Brook (67 off 69 balls), Will Jacks (46 off 47), Joe Root (44 off 52); Sachindu Colombage (3-44), Asitha Fernando (3-53) Sri Lanka 176 all out in 37 overs (chasing 266):Dunith Wellalage (45 off 36 balls), Kusal Mendis (42 off 60), Pathum Nissanka (27 off 37); Will Jacks (5-22), Jamie Overton (2-21) Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player England's decision to bat first after winning the toss was immediately tested when Tom Banton fell to a jaffa from Asitha Fernando, the delivery nipping back to clip the bail on top of off stump. The hosts weathered the early setback, with Joe Root sharing 50-run partnerships with Ben Duckett and Harry Brook to steer England to 135-2 after Duckett was trapped lbw by Dunith Wellalage.
Root's 68-run stand with Brook was ended when he was deceived and bowled by the mystery spin of debutant Colombage, six runs short of his half-century. The dismissal of England captain Brook, caught off the bowling of Dushmantha Chameera after reaching a seventh ODI century in 49 balls, sparked a middle-order collapse. Jos Buttler was trapped lbw before Rehan Ahmed was run out by a superb direct hit from Charith Asalanka, while Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer were all bowled by Colombage, Dilshan Madushanka and Fernando respectively, as England lost six wickets for 65 runs in 15.5 overs.
Will Jacks led England's resistance with a handy unbeaten 46 from 47 balls, including an explosive 18 in the 48th over as the hosts passed the 250-run mark. But the late salvo was cut short when Fernando produced a reverse-swinging yorker to clean up Josh Tongue. Sri Lanka negotiated the first five overs of their chase of 266 without alarm before Kamindu Mendis holed out to Duckett at short midwicket off Atkinson.
Tongue then accounted for Sri Lanka's other opener, inducing an edge through to wicketkeeper Buttler as the tourists slipped to 51-2. Banton produced a stunning, sharp catch at extra cover to dismiss the driving Pavan Rathnayake, before Jacks trapped a sweeping Asalanka lbw three balls later to leave Sri Lanka 85-4 and in deep trouble. Overton struck again three overs later, luring Janith Liyanage into a waft outside off as he edged behind to leave Sri Lanka 100-5.
The writing was on the wall when captain Kusal Mendis was trapped lbw by Jacks, leaving Sri Lanka floundering at 105-6, before their plight was compounded when Colombage suffered the same fate against Rehan Ahmed. Wellalage led the Sri Lanka fightback, plundering 17 from an Ahmed over, and his 42-run partnership with Chameera revived hopes at 133-7. However, Jacks extinguished those hopes by removing Wellalage, Fernando and Madushanka in a decisive final over.
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