Kusal Mendis ton, Wellalage three-for help Sri Lanka level ODI series

Sri Lanka levelled the three-match ODI series with a 16-run win over England in Leeds, defending 321 for 6 as they restricted the hosts to 305 for 9. Kusal Mendis led the way with 121, with Kamindu Mendis (54) and Pavan Rathnayake (48) coming up with supporting roles. Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, and Will Jacks scored half-centuries for England, but they were ultimately unsuccessful as Sri Lanka responded strongly after a century-plus opening stand.

With Duckett and Banton scoring boundaries in the first Powerplay, England quickly got going in the chase. In the first ten overs, they combined to hit 14 fours, putting the hosts at 82 for 0. England got off to a strong start thanks to Asitha Fernando's 23 runs in his first two overs and Dilshan Madushanka's 22 runs in his first two. The other bowlers also scored runs. With 44 balls, Duckett reached fifty for the first time. England reached 100 in the 14th over thanks to Banton's four and six off Eshan Malinga. He hit two sixes off Sachindu Colombage to reach fifty off 39 balls.

Before Dunith Wellalage quickly turned things around and brought Sri Lanka back into the game, the openers added 143 runs in 20 overs. He had Duckett bowled for 67 to end the opening stand, struck again in his next over by having Banton out stumped for 73, and then bagged the big wicket of Harry Brook by trapping the England white-ball captain lbw. From 143 for 0, England slipped to 157 for 3. The revival was led by Jos Buttler and Joe Root, the wicketkeeper-batsman counterattacking with a flurry of fours and sixes. However, England suffered another setback when Sachindu Colombage substituted Root for 15.

Buttler, on the other hand, continued to attack, hitting two sixes off Colombage in one over to reach fifty off 36 balls. Buttler also became the first England player to score more than 1000 runs in men's white-ball internationals during his knock. Will Jacks also dealt in boundaries, struck a six off Wellalage, and also got a leg-before decision reversed early in his innings. Buttler, on the other hand, appeared to have a problem with his hamstring, and he had to get some help from the physio before getting hurt halfway through the 38th over. Rehan Ahmed, who came in next, only lasted a few balls before Madushanka caught him in the leg side for a five-ball duck.

England needed 63 runs to win in the last 10 overs, but Jacks and Gus Atkinson kept them in the game. Sri Lanka didn't give up a boundary for a few overs, but the pacers used the reverse swing and cutters well. The equation was 42 off the last five overs, which became 33 off 18 as the boundary drought continued, and England also lost Atkinson to Malinga. Jacks finally got a four, off Fernando, but the bowler sent Jamie Overton back soon after. Jacks drilled a six in the same over to bring up a 59-ball fifty.

Buttler tried again to bat, but his movements were restricted, and he was struggling to score runs. Malinga struck a crucial blow as Jacks was out caught in the deep trying to clear the fence. Malinga bowled an excellent over, giving up only one run to leave England needing 19 runs in the final over. Buttler attempted to hit a leg-side six off Madushanka but was caught in the deep, effectively ending the bowler's good over and sending the ODI series to The Oval for a decider.

Prior to deciding to bat, Sri Lanka made a steady start. Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis put on 45 for the first wicket. In the ninth over, Atkinson caught Nissanka lbw for 25. Nissanka was kicked out after hitting three fours and a six. After ten overs, Sri Lanka was at 46/1, but England's quicks kept them at bay with hard-length bowling, which resulted in as many as 43 dots being bowled in the first Powerplay.

After that, Kusal and Kamindu gradually increased the pace, and both batters reached 50 and a century in a stand. It was also the first time on this tour that Sri Lanka had two individual 50-plus scores in an innings, after going without one across the first four games, including the T20Is. The 137-run second wicket stand came to an end when Kamindu came down the track and attempted a loft off Atkinson, only to hand a catch to Brook at mid on.

Kusal, on the other hand, came close to scoring a century and had a caught-behind decision overturned on 99 before reaching three figures with a boundary off Jamie Overton in the 31st over, becoming the first Sri Lankan player since Angelo Mathews in the 2019 World Cup match against India to score a hundred in an ODI. After that, Kusal and Pavan Rathnayake added 40 more before the partnership came to an end when the centurion failed to clear the fence with a slog-sweep off of Rehan. After a few overs, Charith Asalanka went down, becoming Rehan's second wicket and leaving Sri Lanka at 237 for 4 after 40 overs.

Rathnayake led the charge with the bat in the death overs with regular boundaries, and even pulled Atkinson for a six. He added 40 with Janith Liyage before attempting a second on a Root misfield and being run out, missing out on a fifty. In the 48th over, Liyage hit two fours off Overton, putting Sri Lanka over 300. Sri Lanka had a strong finish, scoring 84 runs in the final 10 overs, despite England not conceding a single boundary in the final two overs.