Jos Buttler’s left-hamstring injury proved pivotal as Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs at Headingley to level the three-match one-day international series at 1-1.
England had been well placed in pursuit of 322 when Buttler was forced to retire hurt, with 68 runs still required from 75 balls. He returned late in the innings but was visibly restricted between the wickets and was dismissed for 69 as England fell 16 runs short.
The result sends the series to a deciding match at The Oval on Sunday 27 September. The Guardian reported that Buttler will miss that game, leaving England to respond after an opportunity to seal the series with a match remaining slipped away.
Sri Lanka recover after England’s rapid start
Sri Lanka made 321 after captain Kusal Mendis made a century and shared a second-wicket partnership of 137 with Kamindu Mendis, who contributed 54. Kusal Mendis reached his hundred after England had missed an early chance when Gus Atkinson dropped him on 17, according to the Guardian.
Kusal Mendis also successfully reviewed a caught-behind decision on 99, according to the BBC and Sky Sports. His innings gave Sri Lanka a total that proved sufficient despite England’s early momentum in the chase, while the contributions around him helped the visitors recover from the difficult start to the tour described in the reports.
England did make inroads later in the innings. Rehan Ahmed returned two for 48, while Atkinson took two for 55, including the wicket of Kamindu Mendis. But Sri Lanka’s lower-order contributions carried their total beyond 320 on a Headingley surface which offered the batters considerable value.
England’s reply began emphatically. Ben Duckett and Tom Banton put on 143 for the first wicket, with Duckett making 67 and Banton 73. Their stand gave the hosts a strong platform, but left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage changed the shape of the chase.
Wellalage bowled Duckett, stumped Banton and trapped England captain Harry Brook lbw for one, finishing with three for 49. England lost Duckett, Banton and Brook for 14 runs, then Joe Root fell to Sachindu Colombage for 15 as Sri Lanka regained control.
The middle-order wickets meant England’s opening advantage did not remove the need for a rebuild. Sri Lanka’s recovery with the ball was particularly important after Duckett and Banton had dominated the new-ball bowling, and Wellalage’s spell removed both openers as well as Brook before Colombage dismissed Root.
Buttler’s exit changes the finish
Buttler counterattacked after the middle-order wobble, striking Sri Lanka’s spin for five sixes, and his innings appeared to have restored England’s control of the chase. Will Jacks also made 52 as England continued to have a workable equation.
At the point Buttler retired hurt, Sky Sports reported that England were 254 for four in the 38th over. Sri Lanka’s bowlers then restricted the lower order, with only one four and one six coming from the 37th over onwards, according to Sky Sports. England’s position remained competitive when Buttler returned, but the wickets of Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton increased the pressure on Jacks and the injured batter at the end of the innings.
But the momentum altered when Buttler pulled up with the hamstring problem. Rehan Ahmed was dismissed without scoring, while Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton also fell as Sri Lanka’s bowlers tightened their grip. The BBC reported that England’s lower order struggled against reverse swing, while the Guardian described a sustained use of yorkers in the closing overs that limited boundary opportunities.
Sri Lanka’s recovery was especially notable because England’s opening pair had taken charge during the early part of the chase. Wellalage’s wickets removed both openers and Brook, while Colombage’s dismissal of Root left Buttler and Jacks to rebuild rather than simply maintain the initial pace. The later pressure was therefore built through both the middle-overs breakthroughs and Sri Lanka’s control in the final phase.
Buttler returned with England needing 27 from 14 balls but could barely run singles. Jacks was caught off Malinga for 52 before Buttler holed out at deep mid-wicket, leaving England 19 short with the final over to come. Only three more runs followed.
England had won the preceding T20 series 3-0 and the first ODI by 89 runs, so Sri Lanka’s first victory of the tour has reset the immediate contest. England captain Harry Brook said the decider would provide an opportunity for his side, while Sri Lanka’s win was built on Kusal Mendis’s century, Wellalage’s middle-overs breakthroughs and disciplined late bowling and fielding.