Kusal, spinners seal narrow win over England: 1st ODI (RPS)

Sri Lanka made a solid start to the ODI series by defeating England in the first match in Colombo, posting 271/6 after opting to bat.

The innings was anchored by Kusal Mendis, who played a composed and unbeaten knock of 93 off 117 balls, striking 11 fours and controlling the tempo on a slow surface. He received good support from Janith Liyanage (46 off 53 balls), while Pathum Nissanka (21) and Kamil Mishara (27) provided steady starts at the top. For England, Adil Rashid was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 3/44 to keep the total within reach.

England’s chase began well, led by a fluent opening stand and confident batting from Ben Duckett (62) and Joe Root (61), who kept the required rate under control through the middle overs. However, regular wickets against spin stalled their progress, and the lower middle order failed to sustain momentum. Despite late resistance, England were bowled out for 252 in 49.2 overs, falling 19 runs short.

Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling and smart field placements proved decisive, giving the hosts a 1–0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Sri Lanka 271 for 6 (Mendis 93*, Liyanage 46, Rashid 3-44) beat England 252 (Duckett 62, Root 61, Overton 34, Madushan 3-39) by 19 runs.

Jan 2026.