Sri Lanka Outplays England by 19 Runs in Thrilling First ODI

Colombo: The host nation, Sri Lanka, defeated England by 19 runs in an exhilarating encounter during the first ODI of the three-match series at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, today, 22 January.

Sri Lanka Wins the Toss and Sets a Competitive Total
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bat first. The hosts posted a challenging total of 271 for 6 in their allotted 50 overs. Kusal Mendis was the star performer, remaining unbeaten on 93 runs, including 11 boundaries. Janith Liyanage contributed 46 runs, while Kamil Mishara added 27 runs. Dunith Wellalage provided a late flourish, scoring an unbeaten 25 off just 12 balls.

England’s experienced leg-spinner Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers for England, claiming 3 wickets, while Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed chipped in with 1 wicket each.

England Falls Short in Run Chase
Chasing a target of 272, England struggled and were bowled out for 252 in 49.2 overs, handing Sri Lanka a 19-run victory. Jamie Overton tried to turn the match in England’s favour with a quickfire 34 off 17 balls, featuring 4 boundaries and 2 sixes, but he was dismissed by Pramod Madushan in the final over.

Opener Ben Duckett top-scored for England with 62 runs, including 5 fours and a six, while Joe Root contributed 61 runs off 5 boundaries. The rest of the batting lineup failed to make a significant impact, with Jack Crawley and Harry Brook scoring just 6 runs each, Jos Buttler 19, Jacob Bethell 15, Sam Curran 5, and Rehan Ahmed 27.

Pramod Madushan was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 3 wickets. Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay claimed 2 wickets each, while Asitha Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Charith Asalanka picked up 1 wicket apiece.

Sri Lanka’s impressive all-round performance in the first ODI has set the tone for what promises to be an exciting series against the visiting English side.