Sri Lanka vs England 1st ODI Highlights: SL Beat England by 19 Runs

At the R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka maintained composure under duress to defeat England by 19 runs in the opening ODI, establishing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. After winning the toss and batting first, Sri Lanka scored 271 for 6 in the 50 overs they were given. Holding one end while wickets dropped all around him, Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with an undefeated 93 off 117 balls. Dunith Wellalage's late cameo of 25 off just 12 balls gave the total a boost in the last overs, while Janith Liyanage contributed 46.

With an early wicket, England's chase got off to a shaky start, but Ben Duckett and Joe Root helped the side recover by hitting fifty and maintaining sight of the mark. But England lost five wickets for just 36 runs after the spinners were brought in. There was a tiny glimmer of hope after Jamie Overton's late fight, but Pramod Madushan dismissed him in the last moments to ensure victory.

Sri Lanka vs England 1st ODI Result:

In their run chase of 272, the visitors were cruising at 129/2 after 27 overs, but they lost their final nine batters for just 123 runs. The Harry Brook-led team had half-centuries from Joe Root and Ben Duckett, but other players were unable to contribute with the bat.

Due to his all-around effort, DUNITH WELLALAGE of Sri Lanka is named PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He claims that because Kusal Mendis was batting so brilliantly, he wanted to help him when he got to the middle. He continues, "They concentrated on scoring as many runs as possible in the final three overs." He emphasises that changing his tempo and keeping the proper line were the most crucial elements of his bowling.

In the series opener, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis made sure his bat spoke for itself. Mendis scored 93* off 117 when he came in at number three, missing out on a well-earned century by seven runs. With a strike rate of 79.48, the right-handed batsman peppered his knock with 11 boundaries. Mendis made care to expertly handle the opposition bowlers as wickets were falling from one end, enabling the squad to reach a fair score.

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