Sri Lanka defeated England by 19 runs in a thrilling first One Day International at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Chasing a target of 271, England battled bravely until the final wicket, with Jamie Overton smashing 34 runs off just 17 balls. However, the target ultimately proved too challenging for the visitors.
Earlier, Kusal Mendis anchored Sri Lanka’s innings with a composed unbeaten 93 off 117 deliveries. He was well supported by Janith Liyanage, who scored 46, while Dunith Wellalage provided late momentum with a quickfire 25 not out off 12 balls, guiding Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 271 for 6.
Wellalage then made a crucial impact with the ball, dismissing Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran, before taking an outstanding catch to remove the dangerous Overton and seal the victory for the hosts.
Score Summary:
Sri Lanka 271/6 (Pathum Nissanka 21, Kamil Mishara 27, Kusal Mendis 93, Janith Liyanage 46, Dunith Wellalage 25; Adil Rashid 3/44)
England 252 all out (49.2 overs) (Ben Duckett 62, Joe Root 61, Jamie Overton 34; Pramod Madushan 3/39, Dunith Wellalage 2/41, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/39)
