England Fall Short in Chase as Sri Lanka Seal 19-Run Win

Chasing 272, England struggled to build momentum and bowled out for 252 in 49.2 overs at R Premadasa Stadium. Sri Lanka’s bowlers struck at regular intervals to gain a 19-run victory in the first ODI.

Elected to bat first, Sri Lanka scored 271/6 in 50 overs. While chasing, England lost Zak Crawley early, being dismissed for six inside the first three overs, putting the top order under pressure. A second wicket partnership was stabilised by Ben Duckett and Joe Root. Duckett scored 62 off 76 balls, while Root made 61 off 90, carrying England through the middle overs.

The turning point came when Sri Lanka removed both set batters in quick succession. Duckett was out after a review, and with Root following soon after, both lbw. England were left with too much to do in the last phase. The wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with Sri Lanka mounting pressure.

Dunith Wellalage played a decisive role, taking two wickets and three sharp catches. His middle-over bowling tightened England’s scoring options, and they were compelled to take risky shots. Other important breakthroughs were made by Jeffrey Vandersay and Dhananjaya de Silva, and this prevented England from regaining control.

A late burst from Jamie Overton in the lower order briefly raised the hopes of England. He struck 34 off 17 balls, including four fours and two sixes, putting England over 200. However, the required run rate climbed, and Pramod Madushan cleaned up the tail, capturing three wickets and securing the win for Sri Lanka.

England were eventually dismissed for 252, falling 19 runs short of the target in this Sri Lanka vs England clash, as Sri Lanka’s balanced bowling effort and sharp fielding made the difference on the night.

Player of the Match: Dunith Wellalage for his all-round contribution of 25 not out, two wickets, and three catches.