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Sri Lanka spinners thrived successful favorable conditions astatine location to bushed England by 19 runs connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) successful the opening crippled of three-match ODI series.
With prima spinner Wanindu Hasaranga rested, legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay (2-39) and leftarm spinner Dunith Wellalage (2-41) picked up cardinal wickets connected a conducive dilatory transportation to vessel retired England for 252.
Earlier, No. 3 batter Kusal Mendis anchored Sri Lanka to 271-6 with an unbeaten 93 disconnected 117 balls that included 11 boundaries.
England overcame the aboriginal nonaccomplishment of Zak Crawley, who made a disappointing instrumentality to 50-over format aft much than 2 years erstwhile helium nicked Asitha Fernando down wickets aft scoring conscionable 6 runs successful his comeback game.
Ben Duckett (62) and Joe Root (61) managed a 117-run stand, but Sri Lanka didn't let the brace to people freely with spinners uncovering plentifulness of grip connected a dilatory wicket.
Vandersay broke the period basal erstwhile Duckett got tangled portion going for a reverse expanse and was adjudged limb earlier wicket. With the wicket assisting dilatory bowlers, Sri Lanka deployed spinners from some ends.
The 2 back-up spinners Dhananjaya de Silva and skipper Charith Asalanka shared 15 overs betwixt them and some got the important wickets. Root was trapped lbw by de Silva and skipper Harry Brook (6) was stumped down the legside by Asalanka done immoderate crisp mitt enactment of Mendis.
Wellalage past made further inroads with 2 wickets successful successive overs erstwhile helium had Jacob Bethell stumped and took a crisp instrumentality drawback of Sam Curran arsenic England slipped to 165-6 successful the 40th over.
Jos Buttler (19) struggled to get momentum earlier helium was undone by accelerated bowler Pramod Madushan's (3-39) slower ball. Rehan Ahmed (27) and Jamie Overton (34 disconnected 17 balls) showed batch of aggression against gait that gave England a glimmer of anticipation earlier Vandersay got Ahmed caught astatine agelong disconnected and Overton was dismissed successful the last implicit erstwhile England required 20 to win.
Earlier, Kamil Mishara (27) and Pathum Nissanka (21) provided a decent commencement of 50 runs earlier some Sri Lankan openers perished successful speedy succession aft Asalanka won the flip and elected to bat.
Mendis scored his archetypal tally disconnected the 13th shot helium faced but gained assurance against spinners erstwhile helium struck successive boundaries against Ahmed. De Silva, playing his archetypal ODI since November 2023, struggled against rotation earlier helium was lbw by Adil Rashid for 10 and Asalanka apical edged Ahmed aft scoring 17.
Mendis and Janith Liyanage (46) past revived the innings with an 88-run stand. Liyanage smashed 2 sixes and 5 fours earlier offering a tame instrumentality drawback to Rashid, who finished with 3-44.
Wellalage provided a precocious flurry with an unbeaten 25 disconnected 12 balls and mostly farmed the onslaught successful the last 2 overs arsenic helium smashed Overton for 3 fours and a six successful the last implicit which yet went for 23.
