In the first One Day International (ODI) in Colombo, England lost to Sri Lanka while chasing a target of 272 runs. Although this target seemed modest, it was historically difficult to chase at this venue.
England’s Struggle in Colombo ODI
Only a handful of teams have successfully chased down more than 272 runs at this ground. England began their innings with Zak Crawley, who was dismissed early for just six runs. This marked his return to ODIs after a hiatus of over two years.
Key Players and Performance
Despite Crawley’s early wicket, Joe Root and Ben Duckett gave England a fighting chance. Duckett initially struggled to settle, scoring just 21 runs off his first 37 balls. However, he soon found his rhythm, hitting two boundaries in one over.
- Duckett’s score of 21 was his highest in ODI cricket since July, during the last Test match against India.
- Joe Root exhibited excellent form, expertly finding gaps and running between wickets.
At one point, England stood at 129-1, but soon faced a collapse. Duckett fell to Jeffrey Vandersay’s leg-spin, and Root was dismissed by Dhananjaya de Silva’s off-spin. England’s middle order crumbled under pressure.
Late Resistance
Harry Brook was stumped after misreading Chamira Asalanka’s delivery, while Jacob Bethell, who scored a mere 15 runs off 32 balls, was also stumped by Dunith Wellalage. Rehan Ahmed managed to score 27 runs before being remarkably caught by Wellalage.
While Jamie Overton’s quick-fire 34 runs off 17 balls provided some late hope, it became clear that a successful chase was unlikely. This match highlighted England’s batting vulnerabilities as they faced a determined Sri Lankan bowling attack.
