- By Vishal Pushkar
- Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:04 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis's match-defining 93 off 117 balls helped hosts prevail over England in the first of the three-match ODI series on Thursday. England batting mainstays Joe Root and Ben Duckett produced a strong reply in the chase; however, fell 19 runs short of the target at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Notably, Sri Lanka scored 271 for 6 in the first innings on the back of a commanding innings from Mendis, well supported by lower-order batters Janith Liyanage (46 off 53 balls) and Dunith Wellalage (25 off 12).
England's former captain Root scored 61, while Duckett made 62, but it was Sri Lanka's disciplined bowling and fielding that ultimately took the cake. With this win, Sri Lanka took an important 1-0 lead in the series.
Wellalage Earned 'Player Of The Match'
After his quickfire contribution with the bat, Wellalage also secured two wickets, highlighting his all-round performance. Due to his exploits, he earned the 'player of the match' award.
England were dented early by the loss of Zak Crawley, while Root and Duckett put up a strong foundation. But it was Sri Lanka's spin trio that turned the game, with Jeffrey Vandersay's breakthrough triggering a collapse.
England never raced ahead of the required rate at any stage of the innings, but the century second-wicket stand between Root and Duckett was potentially a platform they could have launched from.
The pair, however, found it difficult to shift gears against Sri Lanka's spinners, who made full use of the conditions and struck at regular intervals.
England lost five wickets between the 28th and the 40th over, and that required rate kept climbing.
Vandersay (2/39), Pramod Madushan (3/39) also took advantage of England's middle-order vulnerabilities.
ALSO READ: WPL 2026: Sophie Devine's All-round Brilliance Helps Gujarat Giants Beat UP Warriorz By 45 Runs
Despite Jamie Overton's (34) late resistance, England fell short by 19 runs, crumbling to 252 all out in 49.2 overs.
Inputs from Agency