Captain Kusal Mendis led from the front with his 7th ODI ton and was ably supported by Kamindu Mendis among others, while others played around him as Sri Lanka put in an awesome batting display to finish with 321/6 in 50 overs. This was Kusal Mendis‘ first ODI hundred vs England and in England, and what a time to get it to put England under pressure.
For England, it was a mixed bag performance. Gus Atkinson picked up 3 wickets while Rehan Ahmed finished with 2 wickets. The others went for runs and now need to bat well to pull this off. A fascinating second innings awaits us all.
Sri Lanka gets off to a steady start despite losing Pathum Nissanka inside the power play
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pathum Nissanka came out to open the batting for Sri Lanka while Jofra Archer had the ball in hand for England. Archer bowled a tight first over. Gus Atkinson had the ball in hand from the other end. Nissanka hit the first boundary of the day as he tried to drive away from the body and got the outside edge past cover point for a boundary. Archer continued as Kamindu looked to pull and got a top edge over the keeper and away to the long leg fence.
Atkinson continued as Nissanka pulled it past fine leg for a boundary. Archer continued as Nissanka took him on as he dismissed him in front of square, middling it for the maximum. Kamindu got into the act as he pulled it away past fine leg for a boundary and then pulled it in front of square for the maximum. Atkinson continued and bowled a better over.
Josh Tongue came into the attack next. Kamindu got into the act as he pulled him through midwicket for a boundary. Atkinson continued as Nissanka guided it past the point fielder for a boundary. Tongue continued and bowled a better over. Atkinson continued and drew the first blood for the hosts as he removed Nissanka for 25 off 33 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name, LBW. Nissanka reviewed in hope, and the umpire’s call saved the DRS for the batting side. Kusal Mendis, the captain, came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Sri Lanka were 46/1 in 10 overs at the end of the powerplay, with Kamindu unbeaten on 19 off 22 balls and Kusal unbeaten on 1 off 5 balls. We now entered the middle phase of the game.
Kusal & Kamindu Mendis drove England into a commanding position at the halfway stage of the game
Josh Tongue continued to start the next phase of play, and bowled a tight over. Will Jacks came into the attack next. The 50 came up for Sri Lanka in 11.3 overs. Kusal Mendis got into the act as he whipped it away behind square for a boundary. Tongue continued as Kusal took him on and swiped it away behind square for the maximum. Jackes continued and bowled a decent over. Jamie Overton came into the attack next. Kusal got a reprieve as he, batting on 17*, then got a reprieve as Gus Atkinson put a sitter down at long-leg to give the captain a lifeline. Overton was the unlucky bowler.
Jacks continued as Kusal got into the act and swept it past the fine-leg region for a boundary. Overton continued and kept things tight. Sri Lanka were 82/1 in 17 overs when we paused for the first Drinks Break of the contest. Rehan Ahmed came into the attack after the break as Kamindu welcomed him with a maximum with a pull over deep midwicket. Overton continued as Kamindu rocked back and cut it past the point region for a boundary.
Rehan continued as Kusal swept it away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. The 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 18.3 overs. Kusal then took on Rehan as he rocked back and cut the ball to guide it past the short third man fielder for a boundary as he completed 500 runs against England in ODIs. Sri Lanka were 105/1 in 20 overs. Overton continued as Kusal was squared up and got the outside edge past the slip cordon for a boundary. Kamindu took on Overton and pulled it over deep backward square leg for the maximum.
Archer returned for a fresh spell. He gave a wide but bowled a tight over. Jacks returned as Kusal drilled it over the bowler’s head for a boundary as he got to his fifty in 47 balls. Kusal took on Jacks and deposited it down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Archer continued as Kamindu got to his fifty in 56 balls. Tongue came back to bowl the 25th over. Kusal welcomed him back with a shuffle across and hit it through mid-on for a boundary. Kusal cut the ball past backward point for another boundary.
Kusal took on Tongue and hit it straight over wide long-on for the maximum. The 150 came up for Sri Lanka in 24.4 overs. Kusal then leaned into the drive for a crisp cover drive for a boundary. At the halfway stage of the game, Sri Lanka were 159/1 in 25 overs with Kusal unbeaten on 80 off 61 balls and Kamindu unbeaten on 50 off 56 balls to leave them well-placed at the moment.
Kusal Mendis falls after a scintillating ton as England hit back with a few wickets till the completion of 40 overs
Jofra Archer continued and bowled a tight over. Tongue continued and gave a wide, but kept things under control. Atkinson returned to the attack as Kusal got a triple towards the deep third man region. He conceded a wide as well. Tongue continued as Kusal picked it up and looked to work it to square leg to get an outside edge past Atkinson at short third man for a boundary. Kusal got another outside edge past the fielder and away for another boundary. Atkinson finally broke the stand as he removed Kamindu for 54 off 65 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he was caught in the deep by Harry Brook, the captain.
Pavan Rathnayake came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Atkinson delivered a wide while Kusal reached 99*; Sri Lanka were 188/2 in 30 overs. Overton returned as Kusal was saved by the DRS as he was given out caught behind, but there was no bat and the decision was overturned. Kusal’s moment arrived as he crisply drove the bowler for a boundary to get to his hundred, his 7th ODI ton and his first vs England. Kusal then got the upper cut away past Buttler for a boundary.
Atkinson continued as the 200 came up for Sri Lanka in 31.4 overs. Sri Lanka were 203/2 in 32 overs when the second and final Drinks Break of the innings was taken. Overton continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Rehan returned to the attack and bowled a tight over. Overton continued as Kusal shuffled across and crouched to ramp the ball towards the deep fine leg region for a boundary. Rehan continued and got the big fish as he dismissed Kusal for 121 off 100 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he was holed out in the deep.
Charith Asalanka came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Jack’s continued and bowled a tight over. Rehan continued as Asalanka charged down the track and pumped it over the infield for a boundary. England then burnt a review against Asalanka as the impact was outside the off-stump. Atkinson came back into the attack as Asalanka swatted the ball over cow corner for a boundary.
Rehan continued to bowl the 40th over of the innings as Asalanka tried to sweep him and was holed out in the deep by Atkinson at deep midwicket region. Janith Liyanage came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. After 40 overs, Sri Lanka were 237/4 with Rathnayake unbeaten on 18 off 22 balls alongside Liyanage unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls as we entered the last phase of this innings.
Late order fireworks help Sri Lanka post 321/6 in 50 overs
Gus Atkinson continued to bowl the 41st over. Rathnayake took him on with a hook over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Then he swatted the ball past deep square leg for a boundary. The 250 came up for Sri Lanka in 40.5 overs. Atkinson finished his spell. Rehan continued and bowled a quiet over. Archer returned to the attack and was welcomed back with a boundary past diving backward point. Liyanage got into the act with a dab over the keeper for a boundary.
Rehan continued as Liyanage reverse-swept the ball over short third man for a boundary. Archer continued and delivered a wide, and then a wicket came for England as Rathnayake was run out for 48 off 39 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name. Dunith Wellalage came out to bat next as Archer bowled a wide. Sri Lanka were 285/5 in 45 overs. Overton continued and bowled a decent over.
Archer continued as Liyanage cut it away past backward point for a boundary. Overton continued as Liyanage backed away and smashed it away over mid-off for a boundary. The 300 came up for Sri Lanka in 47.1 overs. Wellalage shuffled across and ramped it over short fine leg for a boundary as a tough catch by Josh Tongue went down. Archer continued to bowl the 49th over, and he dismissed Liyanage for 32 off 26 balls with 4 fours to his name as Root took the catch at extra cover. Sachindu Colombage came out to bat next.
He got off the mark soon. Archer finished his spell as Overton bowled the last over of the innings. Sachindu got a lifeline as Buttler dropped him behind the stumps to drop a tough catch. In the end, Sri Lanka ended with 321/6 in 50 overs, with Wellalage unbeaten on 16 off 15 balls with one four to his name alongside Colombage unbeaten on 3 off 4 balls. 11 extras were given by the fielding side.
England had a mixed day with the ball and in the field. Gus Atkinson was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/55 in 10 overs. Rehan Ahmed finished with 2/48 in 8 overs. Jofra Archer finished with 1/68 in 10 overs. Josh Tongue finished with 0/50 in 7 overs. Will Jacks finished with 0/33 in 5 overs. Jamie Overton went for 63 runs in 10 overs. So, this means that England would require 322 runs to win off 20 overs to clinch the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Who’s Winning, England or Sri Lanka?Â
Sri Lanka, courtesy of their captain Kusal Mendis and with the help of others, have done well to post 321 on the board on a good pitch at Leeds. They have done well to fight and challenge England on a good track, and the bowling and fielding for the hosts was a mixed bag. The pitch is good, and England have depth in batting to chase this down for sure. Can they and will they?
We are in for a terrific run chase in the second innings.
Also Read: ENG vs SL: 3 Reasons For Sri Lanka’s Crushing Loss In 1st ODI