After two and a half years of approaching run chases like they were speed-eating contests, England opted to take it slow and steady. They beat Sri Lanka by five wickets late on the fourth evening in Manchester, a target of 205 reeled in without cause to reach for the antacids and only the odd hiccup along the way.
It was the only way, quite frankly, after Sri Lanka fought tooth and nail in the field. Buoyed by a sublime 113 from Kamindu Mendis earlier in the piece, the tourists set about squeezing their hosts and a cagey, tense affair ensued. England eventually got over the line at 7.17pm – a first victory for their stand-in captain, Ollie Pope – but only after Jamie Smith, centurion in the first innings, had stepped on the accelerator.
