Match report
After a year in the job, it was on: a first one-day international victory away from home for Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach, a touch of joy in a troubling winter. With Ben Duckett and Joe Root hitting watchful half-centuries, the base was set on a turner, chasing a target of 272.
But the discontent continued as 129 for one turned into 164 for six, Sri Lanka’s spinners ripping everything apart under lights in the first of three ODIs. The left-armer Dunith Wellalage combined his 12-ball 25 with two wickets in the collapse as the hosts, chasing their eighth consecutive ODI series win at home, triumphed by 19 runs.
Righto, that’s all from me, but our match report will be up shortly and we will of course be back soon – very soon if you fancy some football, in not much longer than that if you’re after tennis, and on Saturday with the second ODI in the three-match series. But otherwise, peace and love.
Asalanka says he wasn’t worried but there are areas in which his team can improve, such as fast bowling. In the first 25 overs, the ball doesn’t spin, but then it started to, and the three tweakers then had an impact.
Finally, he says what Wellalage did it’s very big because he didn’t have much time to bat, and that’s about it.
Brook says the toss was crucial in the end but Sri Lanka played well and deserved to win. He doesn’t think he needed another death bowler, the spinners did well in the middle and though England got collared in the final over, that can happen in white-ball cricket.
Duckett and Root both came off saying it was hard to start, so subsequent England batters getting out early in their innings was a problem.
Wellalage says he came to the wicket looking to support Mendis, but they planned to score in the last three overs. The most important thing when bowling was pace variation and keeping line, and that’s all he’s allowed to tell us.
Player of the match is, of course, Dunith Wellalage
Rightly so; he may never play such a definitive all-round match again.
There are pluses for England – Root is brilliant in these conditions, while Duckett, though he was scratchy, now has a score and time at the crease on which he can build. But the team doesn’t look balanced or confident; they need clear instructions, and Eoin Morgan back as captain.
That’s England’s 11th straight defeat away from home, and they’ve a lot of work to do. They’ve no quicks anyone could possibly fear – though stick Archer and wood into the team and that changes – and have lost the balance between aggression and idiocy. They need to find solutions before the T20 World Cup gets going in three weeks.
WICKET! Overton c Wellalage b Pramod 34 (England 252 all out) Sri Lanka win by 19 runs
Overton swings, slices, and Wellalge pouches the catch at cover. Well done him – he turned this game in the final over of the Sri Lanka innings, then bowled nicely, took a terrific catch, and held the winning one. You’d take it.
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49.1: England 252-9 (Overton 34, Rashid 0) Target 272 Let’s go ball-by-ball: Pramod in, slower ball, and Overton swings to long-on; no run.
49th over: England 252-9 (Overton 34, Rashid 0) Target 272 The Sri Lanka tops are much, much better than the England ones, so really they deserve this position, and Overton goes hard at Fernando’s first ball only to edge into his foot. A wide follows – that’s four in 17 balls – then Overton flat-bats up in the air, a miscue … but it’s going to drop safe and they run two. If England could find two boundaries in what’s left of this over, the Lankans will begin to wonder, but he picks out the main at long-on … then stomps down and annihilates six over midwicket! England need 25 off eight, the last over the difference and who bowled it? None other than James Overton. But have a look! Fernando gives him one on the pads, he squeezes out a glance … and it scuttles away through midwicket for four more! One to come, he’s got 33 off 14 and Rashid has 0 off six – does he swing for the fences or make sure he retains strike? The delivery gives him the answer: he can only turn it away for one and England need 20 to win off six deliveries. They couldn’t could they?
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48th over: England 238-9 (Overton 21, Rashid 0) Target 272 Pramod returns and Overton can’t quite get at a wide one. So the bowler goes again and this time, he’s able to muscle it over backward point for a one-bounce four. A wide follows, then a half-volley is caressed over cover for four more, and that last over of the Sri Lanka innings, 23 from it, looks like being the difference. Can Overton go again? This time, he forces down the ground and they run one, then another wide has Lasith Malinga, the bowling coach, less than gruntled pacing the boundary. But Pramod responds well enough, Rashid missing a slower ball, then playing a forward defensive to give Overton the strike; England need 34 off 12.
47th over: England 227-9 (Overton 12, Rashid 0) Target 272 Fernando back into the attack and Overton drives a slower-ball wide half-volley through cover for four; it’s on, etc. A single follows, then a wide, then a dot, then a leg-bye. I doubt it makes any difference, but I do wonder if sending in Brook before Bethel might’ve helped, given Root was going well, given the bowlers something more to think about once they got rid of Duckett. Meantime, Overton cracks a pull for six, adds one more, and England need 45 from 18.
46th over: England 213-9 (Overton 0, Rashid 0) Target 272 Two dots complete the over, two wickets in it, and england need 59 from 24.
WICKET! Dawson c Dhananjaya b Paramod 2 (England 213-9)
Dawson frees arms and unloads the suitcase, edging hard and, at backward point, Dhananjaya leaps left, holding on to a terrific catch. Sri Lanka have fielded really well today.
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46th over: England 213-7 (Overton 0, Dawson 2) Target 272 Dawson is off the mark with two into the on-side.
WICKET! Buttler b Pramod 19 (England 211-8)
This isn’t even going to be close. A slower-ball yorker from Pramod, a swing and a miss from Buttler, and this feels more like noughties England than Bazball England.
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46th over: England 211-7 (Buttler 19, Overton 0) Target 272 England need 69 off 30 at the start of the over; yeah, I know. But the returning Pramod begins with two wides, then Buttler dances into space before short-arming a chip over the top for six – that’s the first ball he’s got all of, and it went all the way with little apparent effort.
45th over: England 203-7 (Buttler 13, Overton 0) Target 272 Vandersay completes a fine spell of 2-39 off 10.
WICKET1 Rehan c Wellalage b Vandersay 27 (England 203-7)
Again, Rehan goes hard with an open face, it goes to long-off but Wellalage is there, taking the catch almost stuck-on so throwing the ball up, stepping over the boundary, leaping backinto play, and completing the catch. What a day out he’s having!
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45th over: England 203-6 (Buttler 13, Rehan 27) Target 272 Buttler misses with a reverse then forces two to long-on, but he’s not timing it; when he pulls a single, he’l orobably be relieved to give Rehan the strike.
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44th over: England 200-6 (Buttler 10, Rehan 27) Target 272 Fernando returns and Buttler will surely want to use his pace against him. But he goes around the wicket, directs his loosener into the toes; dot. So next ball, the batter tries a ramp, they sprint two abetted by poor fielding, and the umpire signals no ball; can Rehan make something of it? Er, not really, another delivery picking out his body as he makes room, squeezed away for one. A single follows, then a slower-ball full toss is swiped, in theory down the ground … and is sliced over point for four. Oh, and then another low full toss, this time flayed over wide mid-on for four more … and have a look! A half-volley, Rehan goes down, swings hard, and that’s four more over cover! Sixteen off the over – will that fire Buttler? – and England need 72 from 36.
43rd over: England 183-6 (Buttler 8, Rehan 14) Target 272 Singles to start this latest Vandersay over, then one that totally flummoxes Rehan turning and bouncing over his shoulder as he gets down on one knee. Just two from the over, and England need 89 from 42. Don’t laugh.
42nd over: England 181-6 (Buttler 7, Rehan 13) Target 272 A single to Buttler down the ground – I’m surprised he’s not keeping the strike to seek boundaries – but then Rehan lamps four over cover, before adding one to long-on. Again, Buttler contents himself with one, and again, it’s Rehan who does the necessary, forcing back over the bowlers’ head for four before adding a further single. Wellalage finishes with 2-41 off 10l England need 91 from 48.
41st over: England 169-6 (Buttler 5, Rehan 3) Target 272 An inside edge yields a single, the required rate is 11.44 or 103 off 54, and Buttler has no choice now: he’s got to go.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
it turned so much it was missing off.
41st over: England 168-6 (Buttler 4, Rehan 3) Target 272 Vandersay is enjoying himself, finding lovely turn and top-spin to fox Rehan, then again with a slider which goes straight on. Oh, and after he takes a single to mid-off, Buttler misses a sweep, bat miles from a ball which rattles his pad, and though the umpire says no, it looks extremely suss and Sri Lanka review.
40th over: England 167-6 (Buttler 4, Rehan 2) Target 272 Three singles from four balls and England need 105 off the final 10 overs. How many of them do we think we’ll see?
WICKET! Curran c & b Wellalage 5 (England 164-6)
Curran makes room to drive to off then, for reasons known best to no one, flat-bats back to the bowler, who takes a really good catch just above his tootsies. The umpires want to check it was clean, but they’re just making triple sure.
39th over: England 164-5 (Buttler 3, Curran 5) Target 272 Curran takes two off Wellalage’s first ball.
39th over: England 162-5 (Buttler 3, Curran 3) Target 272 So does Buttler look to stick around, then go wild nearer the end? Or try and get it moving now, so there’s no need for anything crazy? For now, it’s singles, three of them, which makes sense: England have batting left, but it’s mainly lads you hope whack you three or four boundaries, not who’ll take you home from this far out.
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38th over: England 159-5 (Buttler 2, Curran 1) Target 272 This is a classic S-Cuzz situation, and he’s off the mark second ball, forcing to cover for one. England need 113 runs off 72 deliveries.
WICKET! Bethell st Mendis b Wellalge 15 (England 158-5)
No need to review this one! Bethell goes at Jeffrey but it’s a bungle, the turn leaving him stretching, off balance. He misses, Mendis whips off the bails, and this is classic subcontinental cricket, slow slow, England losing wickets fast.
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38th over: England 158-4 (Bethell 14, Buttler 2) Target 272 This, of course, can be what happens when you bat sensibly: you lose a few wickets and suddenly your thwacking must be done without security. Buttler takes a single to leg…
37th over: England 157-4 (Bethell 14, Buttler 1) Target 272 Buttler takes a Red Bull single to get himself going, and this is boiling nicely now.
WICKET! Brook st Mendis b Asalanka 6 (England 156-4)
Credit to the bowler, who took off more pace than he might’ve dared to, and Sri Lanka are now favourites with 116 required off 79.
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37th over: England 156-3 (Bethell 15, Brook 6) Target 272 It’s Bethell who goes first, twinkling down only for the ball to die on him; he toes it into the air, shouts of “Catch!” abound … but it drops shy of the fielder as they run one. Oh, but what’s this? Brook comes down to Asalanka, misses, and the keeper breaks the stumps. The umpire wants a review, but I don’t think it’s close…
36th over: England 154-3 (Bethell 14, Brook 5) Target 272 At some point, we’ll need to see a few more big shots, but Wellalage, now back into the attack, has bowled nicely today, and neither batter has seen him before so might want to get used to him. Three singles from the over and I don’t imagine Brook’s Captain Sensible act will sustain much longer.
35th over: England 151-3 (Bethell 13, Brook 3) Target 272 The first four balls of Dhananjaya’s over yield just a single, so Bethell skips into a pull and gets all of it, adding four. But after two more dots, the required rate is 8.06, England needing 121 runs from 90 deliveries.
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34th over: England 146-3 (Bethell 9, Brook 2) Target 272 Oooh, we see footage of Root on his way off, turning back to dispense sentiments; he’s not one to seek confrontation, so I imagine he didn’t like something said to him. Back in the middle, Brook tumps a single to cover, then abandons a cut when turn spits the ball at him; four more dots follow, and that is drinks.
33rd over: England 145-3 (Bethell 9, Brook 1) Target 272 Brook comes to wicket having never been under more pressure in his career; the last thing he needs is a that’s-the-way-I-play dismissal, but he’s the captain and can’t suddenly change who he is because he had a row with a bouncer. This is going to be a fascinating passage, and it begins with a forewrd defensive followed by a single to leg.
WICKET! Root lbw b Dhananjaya 61 (England 144-3)
Now then. Root has controlled this chase, as we suspected he would, but there’s still a long way to go. Can England keep the heid?
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Yes it did, just! Was it hitting?
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There’s no bat involved, but was impact in line?
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33rd over: England 144-2 (Root 61, Bethell 9) Target 272 Dhananjaya returns and when Root misses with a sweep, ball hits pad and there’s a shout. The umpire says no, there’s a conference, and eventually Sri Lanka review…
32nd over: England 144-2 (Root 61, Bethell 9) Target 272 Root takes one to long-off and two more singles follow, then Bethell trots down and humps over the top, the ball bouncing just short of the fence and yanked back as they run two. He didn’t middle that, but the intention is noteworthy – I imagine the plan is for Root to bat through and the rest to take advantage of the wickets in-hand to scoreboard thereby removing any pressure to deliver a massive over.
31st over: England 139-2 (Root 59, Bethell 6) Target 272 Bethell retreats, easing to third man, and eventually they run one, helped by a misfield; four singles follow, the required rate now 7,00.
30th over: England 135-2 (Root 57, Bethell 4) Target 272 Jeffrey begins his sixth over with a wide, saving runs when Bethell drives before spinning one across him as he plays and misses. A drive then picks out the fielder, and a single completes the over, just two from it.
29th over: England 133-2 (Root 57, Bethell 3) Target 272 There is part of me thinking yeah, but if Brook sends himself in at four, 10 overs of him finishes this. But he’s all mature and sensible now so, after a break to replace a faulty zing bail, three singles complete Asalanka’s over.
28th over: England 129-2 (Root 56, Bethell 1) Target 272 Bethell is exactly the kind of batter you want coming in now, a natural able to keep it moving and despatch the bad ball. He’s off the mark second ball with a single, then root does really well to move back and across, playing so late he’s almost posthumous to keep the ball from his stumps. Extravagant turn follows, the globule moving away from Root, and suddenly things feel just a little bit different.
REVIEW! OUT!
Looking again, this was a good delivery from the boy Jeffrey, starting wide and straightening, but also a more than useful knock, especially for a batter so out of form. Duckett will be better for it and leaves his team in a very strong position.
Duckett reviews, but it looks pretty good to me.
WICKET! Duckett lbw b Vandersay 62 (England 129-2)
Another sweep, this time no 670(b), Duckett going down to reverse, missing, and the ball hitting him in the midriff.
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27th over: England 129-1 (Duckett 62, Root 56) Target 272 Ah, now some pace, Fernando returning, and Duckett, who’s looking more like himself now, looks into his book of sweeps and engages no 80,421, meeting the ball nicely; Nissanka does really well to save a boundary but they run three. Then it’s back to tavareball, two singles and one brilliant save from Rathanayake, before Root waits for a short one and flips four over midwicket.
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26th over: England 120-1 (Duckett 58, Root 51) Target 272 The part-time spin of Mishara into the attack, Asalanka hoping to lower England’s guard, and Duckett does indeed fancy eating, jinking down to launch six back over the bowler’s heed. A single follows, making it nine off the over, and I’m surprised Sri Lanka haven’t tried pace from one end, as the sameyness of the bowling is making this easier that it needs to be.
25th over: England 111-1 (Duckett 50, Root 50) Target 272 It’s been a while, but after a single to Root, it’s time for sweep 902, Duckett going down on one knee to flay uppishly to the fence for four. A single then takes him alongside Root on 49, and both complete their half-centuries with ones – in keeping with the tenor of their inningseseseses. And at 111-1, we can only hope David Shepherd is more relaxed celestially than he might’ve been were he standing.
24th over: England 103-1 (Duckett 44, Root 48) Target 272 A decent over from Dhanajaya, just a single to Root from it, and the required rate is now 6.50, but who cares about that when party rock, whatever that is, is in the house tonight.
23rd over: England 102-1 (Duckett 44, Root 47) Target 272 Root drives to point for one, then Duckett reverses and it looks like four, but Liyanage chases, dives, hauls it back just before the rope, lets go just in time, and they run three; great work. Eeesh, then Root watches one pass past his off-stump, eyes never leaving the ball, which misses the peg by the thickness of Rizla blue. A single to leg follows, and though England need to hit out at some point, if these two bat another 10 overs, the wickets in hand will surely get them over the line.
22nd over: England 97-1 (Duckett 41, Root 43) Target 272 England continue to accumulate patiently; why, it’s almost as if they’ve just been battered having treated an Ashes series like a boys’ trip. Two singles off the over, the partnership 85 off 115, and Sri Lanka need a wicket, severely.
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21st over: England 95-1 (Duckett 40, Root 42) Target 272 Vandersay returns at the opposite end and the same thing happens, England milking him for singles – and if there was the Dilscoop, surely we can have the Ducksweep which, as evidenced by the shot played to the third delivery, is in much better working order now. Five from the over, its final delivery a dot.
20th over: England 90-1 (Duckett 37, Root 42) Target 272 Dhananjaya replaces Vandersay and Root twizzles his first ball into the on side for one then, after three dots, Duckett cuts away for one more.
19th over: England 88-1 (Duckett 36, Root 41) Target 272 Two more dots for Wellalage, then Duckett leans forward and hauls a sweet to deep square and they decide late they want a second but sprint through; that’s well done. Then, next ball, he tries a glance, misses, and the turn beats the keeper; the call of leg-bye feels a generous one for Mendis, and two further singles make it eight off the over. England are handling this chase well now, so a wild, unnecessary and self-indulgent heave feels imminent.
18th over: England 80-1 (Duckett 33, Root 40) Target 272 Vandersay into the attack and he’s finding a bit of turn but England milk him for singles, six of them which is bang on the required rate.
17th over: England 74-1 (Duckett 30, Root 37) Target 272 England are letting Wellalage bowl, which makes some kind of sense given the situation but feels like something an in-form Duckett would never permit. Three singles off the over and at drinks, the required rate is 6.00.
16th over: England 71-1 (Duckett 29, Root 35) Target 272 Better from Duckett, who’s refrained from wildness in recent overs: after a single to each batter, sweep 456 is unfurled, earning four, then he skips down to hit over the top, and that’s four more, making it 10 off the over.
15th over: England 61-1 (Duckett 20, Root 34) Target 272 Wellalage is bowling nicely, keeping a tight line and fullish length, Root allowing him four dots before a single to him is followed by one to Duckett. Add a couple of wickets to this and England will start worrying, but for now, they – well, Joe Root – look in reasonable control.
14th over: England 59-1 (Duckett 19, Root 33) Target 272 Asalanka sends consecutive deliveries into Root’s pads and there’s an appeal for the first, but I think it pitched outside leg; the second, bat was involved. Three singles follow, and Sri Lanka will be wanting to get this partnership lozzed a-sap.
“A misprint?” wonders John Starbuck. “Shouldn’t that be ‘rootating the strike’?”
Innit. Collingwood was also good at this, a batter you watch bat, see little, then somehow he’s made 30.
13th over: England 56-1 (Duckett 18, Root 31) Target 272 This does feel like a classic Root situation, the kind of chase he knows he can complete if he just does his thing. After a single to Duckett, he times another cover-drive for four, the sense that the neither the bowlers nor the pitch nor the target have it in them to get him out; he’ll need to give his wicket away.
12th over: England 50-1 (Duckett 17, Root 26) Target 272 Asalanka takes the ball himself and again, Root keeps things moving with a first-ball single then, when Duckett takes another, he adds a two and a one. Ultimately, though it’s not really how they want to play, if England bat sensibly and keep wickets in hand, they should win this, and that’s what they’re doing – so far.
11th over: England 44-1 (Duckett 15, Root 22) Target 272 Wellalage comes into the attack and Root takes his loosener for a single to midwicket, then he sneaks one past Duckett’s edge. And it’s getting to the batter, you can see, because he soon hauls a whole lot of O2 out of the ground with an almighty hoik of a reverse-sweep; he responds with a turn to midwicket for one, then Root drives for one more.
10th over: England 41-1 (Duckett 14, Root 20) Target 272 Root is so balletic with his movements and he retreats in the crease to shove a single into the off-side, then Duckett forces another to mid-on. This is better from England, keeping the scoreboard ticking and ro-tating the strike; Root adds one more and, at the end of the powerplay, the required rate is 5.77.
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9th over: England 38-1 (Duckett 13, Root 18) Target 272 Pramod returns at the other end and after a single to Duckett is too straight to Root, who flicks him for four through square leg then, after a dot, clobbers a cut to deep backward point. A swift single follows and that’s 10 from the over.
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8th over: England 28-1 (Duckett 12, Root 9) Target 272 Root steals a single to square leg and I notice the photo that was at the top of the page and is now below, is an absolute classic of the genre.
Two singles off the over, one stolen by Duckett who’d probably have been gone with a direct hit.
“I’m sorry, Ducky!”
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7th over: England 26-1 (Duckett 11, Root 8) Target 272 Still kvelling in heating-off afterglow, what menial stuff do you do without your significant other knowing that gives you indescribable pleasure? When my wife’s away with work, I neither make the bed nor dry the floor after a shower; *knee slide*. Anyway, three dots to open the over, Root’s turns and shoves well fielded, then a drive earns him one to mid-on and again, Duckett can’t get the ball away. He’s 11 off 18 now, and there’s no sense he’s enjoying himself – which, given that’s the point of the England team, might be the thing that gets him dropped.
6th over: England 25-1 (Duckett 11, Root 7) Target 272 My wife has just left the house, so off goes the heating; whatever else happens today, there’s a triumph we can all enjoy. Otherwise, though, Dhananjaya is into the attack replacing Pramod, and when Duckett tries a reverse, he again almost chops on before beetling down the other end with a single. Root then shows him how to play that reverse, a decent dive on the 45 saving the boundary. So Duckett goes again and I’m afraid he looks like he’s batting with a rake at the moment, hitting himself on the helmet, so there’s a pause while he’s checked over for concussion. But perhaps he’s woken himself up, because the next delivery is short and wide, so he leathers it through cover for four. He, and England, needed that.
5th over: England 19-1 (Duckett 6, Root 6) Target 272 Hang it in the Louvre. Root steps forward, elbow high, waits, and flows through a cover-drive of such gloriously unhurried timing it feels like cheating; forearms, and four runs. But there’s no more scoring in the over, Sri Lanka presumably satisfied with their start.
4th over: England 15-1 (Duckett 6, Root 2) Target 272 Root opens the face for a run-down and they take one, then Duckett looks to cut and instead edges just past his stumps, so to keep things fair he goes again with a drive, again missing the wicket. He’s feeling for form and you feel for him … and a third time, an inside-edge eludes off-stump. Er, he’s growing into his innings; one off the over.
3rd over: England 14-1 (Duckett 6, Root 1) Target 272 But for posterity, another booming drive, another nick-off, and Crawley’s bat is complaining of RSI. A wide follows, then a nurdled single gets Root off the mark, and already, you wonder who’ll get these runs if he doesn’t.
WICKET! Crawley c Mendis b Fernando 6 (England 12-1)
You know what happened.
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3rd over: England 12-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 6) Target 272 Half-volley to begin, so Duckett flays uppishly through point and to the fence; he’ll feel better for that. I know we’re kind of out of friends with them, but in an ideal world, these two opening in this format makes a lot of sense: they’ve got the ability to take any attack apart, but can they find the consistency? Duckett adds a single, then Fernando brings one back in and right through Crawley’s own personal Buland Darwaza, but misses the stumps.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 3) Target 272 Pramod takes the ball from t’other end and, after two further dots, Duckett deploys one of his 69,036 sweeps, earning one to deep square, the nerdy teenager’s favourite position. The best delivery so far follows, the ball holding its line and too good for Crawley’s characteristic air-drive, but he respods with a turn to midwicket for two, then a drive through the same area for four.
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1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Target 272 Fernando opens with one into the channel, ignored by Crawley – no, that is not a misprint – then he comes down the track looking to turn into the on side, wearing ball on pad. There’s an appeal, but it’s going well down. Two dots follow, then another hits the pad and this one looks a better shout, but I think there was an inside edge and also that it was again going down; the umpire doesn’t want to know. Thereafter, Fernando completes the maiden, and after their one-day Test-match batting, are England now importing Test-match batting into a one-day? That’d show us all.
Other hand, if just one of England’s batters comes off, that might be enough. I’m especially interested to see how Ben Duckett does: he was my biggest disappointment in Australia, and needs a score as soon as possible. Anyway, more coming up – our players are in the middle and ready to go.
Looking at our match, I’d agree with Rob: Sri Lanka are favourites. When England were at that World Cup-winning peak, I’d have been confident they’d chase this, but these? They’ve got more than enough batting and the total is low enough for Root to commandeer a chase batting in his usual style, but playing in subcontinental conditions for the first time on this tour, with the ball not coming on? It’s very doable, but set batsmen regularly throwing their wickets away feels the likeliest narrative.
We’re still 12 minutes away from the resumption, so here’s Joy of Six: love for your delectation.
Thanks Rob and good afternoon everyone. There I was planning an opening post reflecting on the match between these two at the 2017 World Cup, when England lost nursing an innings towards a modest target so vowed never to do that again, and wondering if those rules still applied. But then came that final-over assault, and suddenly the chase looks a lot more daunting – especially for a team that ought to be in transition but feels more like the same one, still floundering.
With the reasonably important caveat that nobody knows anything, not where cricket pitches are concerned, I’d make Sri Lanka favourites from here. Daniel Harris will be with you for the run-chase.
Wright to leave role as England selector
Luke Wright will leave his role as a selector after next month’s Twenty20 World Cup in the first major change within the England hierarchy after their comprehensive Ashes defeat in Australia.
Amid speculation over the futures of Rob Key, the men’s director of cricket, and Brendon McCullum, head coach in all formats, Wright has made the call to leave, citing the travel demands of the position with a young family. Wright toured with England during the Ashes but is not present on the tour of Sri Lanka; he will fly out for the World Cup, with England’s campaign beginning on 8 February in Mumbai.
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Something for the innings break
Ricky Ponting’s micro-analysis of cricket matches is extraordinary – I’m not sure any commentator, even Shane Warne, has read a game so well.
England need 272 to win
50th over: Sri Lanka 271-6 (Kusal Mendis 93, Wellalage 25) The final over of the innings, bowled by Jamie Overton, disappears for 23 runs. It was Wellalage who did the heavy lifting, almost all the lifting in fact.
He started with a straight drive for six, then thumped a boundary over extra cover after making room outside leg stump. A jaunty scoop for four was followed by a top-edged pull that flew away for another boundary.
Wellalage finishes with 25 from 12 balls, a thrilling cameo, and Kusal Mendis is left on 93 not out from 117 balls. He anchored the innings in textbook fashion.
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49th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Kusal Mendis 92, Wellalage 5) Curran’s spell of liquorice allsorts concludes with another boundaryless over. Sri Lanka aren’t desperately forcing the pace and are batting like a team who know something England don’t.
48th over: Sri Lanka 241-6 (Kusal Mendis 90, Wellalage 1) Dawson finishes a fine spell with 10-1-31-1. He should have played the last four Ashes Tests, and anyone who says otherwise is a sentient adult fully entitled to their opinion.
“One of the things we saw in the Antipodean series was Stokes’ reluctance to call on his slow bowlers, as if he didn’t quite get it,” says John Starbuck. “Perhaps this is one way Brook can stamp his own authority on the game? Not that his batting should be worse, but it just is.”
Wasn’t the problem that Stokes did get it, it being that his slow bowlers weren’t Test-class? That said, Stokes’ captaincy was weirdly flat all series – it was as if Aphex Twin had released an MOR rock song. Of all the headscratchers from the Ashes, and there are dozens, that might the biggest.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 239-6 (P Rathnayeke c Overton b Dawson 12)
Rathnayeke makes room outside off stump to play a beautiful-looking chip shot off Dawson, inside out over the off side. Alas it goes straight to Overton at long-off.
47th over: Sri Lanka 239-5 (Kusal Mendis 90, P Rathnayeke 12) Kusal Mendis scoops Overton from well outside off stump to end a spell of 24 balls without a boundary. I hope Mendis has time to make his hundred because he has batted beautifully, showing the necessary restraint without overly compromising his effervescent flair.
Under normal circumstances I’d say this reeks of England sliding to 180 all out on a slow subcontinental pitch. I’m less sure today simply because they bat so deep, with Liam Dawson at No10. But I’ll be very surprised if it’s an easy chase.
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46th over: Sri Lanka 229-5 (Kusal Mendis 83, P Rathnayeke 10) No boundaries since the dismissal of Liyanage but Mendis and Rathnayeke are scoring off almost eveyr delivery. In a relatively low-scoring game that isn’t the end of the world.
Rehan Ahmed finishes with 10-0-61-1. The most eye-catching part of his spell was probably the two or three classic legbreaks that beat the bat; he wasn’t bowling those a year or two ago.
45th over: Sri Lanka 223-5 (Kusal Mendis 81, P Rathnayeke 6) Four singles from Rashid’s final over. He ends a masterful spell – the ‘masterful’ is probably tautologous these days – with figures of 10-0-44-3.
44th over: Sri Lanka 219-5 (Kusal Mendis 79, P Rathnayeke 4) Six singles from Rehan’s penultimate over. He hasn’t been perfect today, nor should he be at 21, but it’s valuable experience for a player who could be England’s No1 spinner across formats for a decade. One way or another, his development will be fascinating to watch – right now he could become anything, from a specialist batter to a first-choice spinner.
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43rd over: Sri Lanka 213-5 (Kusal Mendis 76, P Rathnayeke 1) Rashid has one over remaining.
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WICKET! Sri Lanka 212-5 (Liyanage ct and b Rashid 46)
After sweeping another boundary, Liyanage is undone by Rashid’s googly and muscles it straight back to the bowler. Good catch from Rashid and the end of a handy knock by Liyanage: 46 from 53 balls, including 33 from the last 22.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 205-4 (Kusal Mendis 74, Liyanage 41) Buttler comes up to the stumps for Curran, who looks fortunate not to concede a wide when his first ball is taken down the leg side. Maybe it brushed the pad.
Curran concedes only two from his first five balls – but then Liyanage picks the moon ball and hoons it down the ground for six. He has caught up impressively after a slow start to the innings.
41st over: Sri Lanka 197-4 (Kusal Mendis 73, Liyanage 34) Kusal lunges at a gorgeous legbreak from Rehan and is beaten. Buttler has the bails off in a flash but Mendis’s back foot stays in the crease. The next ball is steered through backward point, where Root was beaten by a rogue bounce, and runs away for four.
Nine overs to go. Sri Lanka are on course for a competitive total, and England may need all of their batting depth on a slow, awkward pitch.
40th over: Sri Lanka 191-4 (Kusal Mendis 68, Liyanage 33) Dawson’s penultimate over is another ode to parsimony and includes five dot balls. He has impressive figures of 9-1-29-0, and 11 of those came off one over.
39th over: Sri Lanka 190-4 (Kusal Mendis 67, Liyanage 33) Mendis continues but he’s feeling his back after every delivery.
38.3 overs: Sri Lanka 189-4 (Kusal Mendis 66, Liyanage 33) Kusal Mendis threads Curran wide of extra cover for four, another superb shot in an innings full of them.
That innings may be over because Mendis has damaged something in his back and is lying down just off the pitch. There will be a break in play while he receives treatment.
38th over: Sri Lanka 185-4 (Kusal Mendis 62, Liyanage 33) Rehan beats Liyanage with a classic legbreak, absolutely perfect. England appeal for caught behind but decide not to take it upstairs; they only have one review left.
Liyanage misses a sweep, is hit outside the line and gets four bonus leg-byes. Rehan overcompensates next ball and is swept firmly round the corner for four more.
37th over: Sri Lanka 175-4 (Kusal Mendis 61, Liyanage 28) Harry Brook has rotated his bowlers a lot today. Sam Curran returns and is belted for four when Liyanage picks his slower ball. That brings up the fifty partnership. Curran’s response is an even slower one, the moon ball, and Liyanage negates an LBW appeal with a thin edge onto the pad.
Time for drinks.
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36th over: Sri Lanka 169-4 (Kusal Mendis 60, Liyanage 23) The pressure was building on Liyanage. He releases it with a sweet straight drive for six off Bethell and then a slog-sweep for four. Crawley misjudged the latter at deep midwicket and the ball bounced past him to the fence.
35th over: Sri Lanka 158-4 (Kusal Mendis 59, Liyanage 13) Adil Rashid turns the screw by conceding only two singles from his eighth over. I still think Sri Lanka are in a decent position overall, but the pressure is building on Liyanage in particular.
34th over: Sri Lanka 156-4 (Kusal Mendis 58, Liyanage 12) Liyanage almost offers a return catfch to Dawson. Almost, but not quite, so what’s your point Smyth?
The point is that it’s now five and a half overs since the last Sri Lanka boundary, so something may be about to give. First England need to pick which ball they want to use for the last 16 overs.
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33rd over: Sri Lanka 153-4 (Kusal Mendis 57, Liyanage 10) Mendis sweeps Bethell on the bounce to one of the deep fielders. Liyanage shouts “Nooo!” after hitting the field with a cut stroke. It’s a better over for Sri Lanka overall, six runs from it.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 147-4 (Kusal Mendis 53, Liyanage 8) Liyanage is struggling a bit: he was 4 from 2 balls, he’s now 8 from 19. That includes four dot balls when Dawson returns to the attack.
31st over: Sri Lanka 145-4 (Kusal Mendis 52, Liyanage 7) Time for a bit of left-arm spin from Jacob Bethell, who rushes through a decent over at a personal and collective cost of two runs.
If you’re new to this thing, it’s fair to say bowling is not Jacob Bethell’s primary skill.
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30th over: Sri Lanka 143-4 (Kusal Mendis 51, Liyanage 6) Another good over from Overton ends with a lifter that surprises Liyanage. Overton has recovered well. The first two balls of this spell cost eight runs, the next 16 just six.
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Fifty for Kusal Mendis
29th over: Sri Lanka 140-4 (Kusal Mendis 50, Liyanage 5) Kusal Mendis rushes to fifty with back-to-back boundaries off Rehan, a silky extra-cover drive followed by a clump over mid-on. It’s been an excellent innings: 61 balls, eight fours.
Rehan has had a mixed day so far: 6-0-37-1.
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28th over: Sri Lanka 130-4 (Kusal Mendis 41, Liyanage 4) Another pitch-thumping over from Overton brings just a single to Kusal Mendis. Liyanage, like many of the Sri Lankan players, wants to take a few deliveries to get used to Overton’s pace and bounce.
27th over: Sri Lanka 129-4 (Kusal Mendis 40, Liyanage 4) The new batter Janith Liyanage charges straight down the pitch to thump Rehan for four.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 124-4 (Asalanka c Brook b Rehan 17)
Another Sri Lankan batter dies by the sweep. Asalanka top-edges a growling legbreak from Rehan Ahmed and has no idea where the ball has gone. It’s behind you! Buttler lost sight of it too but Harry Brook tracked it from leg slip and took an easy catch. Replays show that Asalanka top-edged it onto the helmet, which is why the ball went straight up in the air.
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26th over: Sri Lanka 121-3 (Kusal Mendis 39, Asalanka 15) Harry Brook decides it’s time for a change of pace, with Jamie Overton returning to the attack. There’s a change of pace in the scoring, too, with Asalanka edging and slapping his first two balls for four.
Overton keeps charging in and has an LBW appeal against Kusal turned down. It was an off-cutter that kept a bit low, meaning height wasn’t an issue even for Overton, but it would have missed leg stump.
25th over: Sri Lanka 111-3 (Kusal Mendis 38, Asalanka 6)
24th over: Sri Lanka 108-3 (Kusal Mendis 37, Asalanka 4) Kusal jumps on a rare bad ball from Rashid, pulling it crisply for four. With the spinners doing most of the work, England’s over-rate has been phenomenal: 24 overs in just over 90 minutes. Good for the game, not so good for a liveblogger.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 102-3 (Kusal Mendis 32, Asalanka 3) Rehan Ahmed returns to the attack and hurries through a typical middle over: two dot balls, four singles. Next!
22nd over: Sri Lanka 98-3 (Kusal Mendis 30, Asalanka 1)
Asalanka is not out! He was so early on the shot that the ball actually hit the band of his glove. You can’t be LBW off the glove, but had it hit the bare forearm he would probably have been out. Fetch me a cliche, please, and make it the one about fine margins.
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England review for LBW! The new batter, the left-handed Charith Asalanka, misses a sweep and is hit on the pad. This looks really close; he may have just got outside the line.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 97-3 (Dhananjaya LBW b Rashid 10)
Dhananjaya tries to sweep a looping delivery from Rashid, misses and is as plumb as plumb can be. He starts to walk even before the umpire’s finger goes up.
21st over: Sri Lanka 97-2 (Kusal Mendis 30, Dhananjaya 10) A canny maiden from Dawson to Kusal Mendis. Apart from that one dodgy over, he has been excellent today: his figures are 6-1-23-0.
“I’m still licking my wounds from backing England and continuing to believe until the bitter end during the Ashes.” writes Tom Van der Gucht. “I’m not fully sure how I feel about McCullum doubling down on his stuttering test team by then re-selecting/promoting them all for his ODI team.
“It reminds me of the Frog ala Peche Peter Cook sketch where he learns from his mistakes and is sure he can repeat them exactly.
“On that subject, I found this article in the BBC fascinating with McCullum’s quote about changing the man, or changing the man...”
I wish they hadn’t changed Ollie Robinson.
20th over: Sri Lanka 96-2 (Kusal Mendis 30, Dhananjaya 9) Kusal Mendis is such a dangerous player – we’ve known that since 2016. He sweeps four more off Rashid to continue Sri Lanka’s counter-punch. Rashid has bowled very well but Mendis, in particular, is manufacturing enough scoring opportunities off him.
19th over: Sri Lanka 90-2 (Kusal Mendis 23, Dhananjaya 9) Dhananjaya almost chips Dawson to short extra cover. That was nice bowling, a much slower delivery from Dawson. A much better over concludes with two deliveries that turn a decemt amount and are defended by Dhananjaya.
Time for drinks. It’s particularly hard to judge a pitch in a day-night game, but it feels like Sri Lanka are slightly on top.
18th over: Sri Lanka 89-2 (Kusal Mendis 23, Dhananjaya 9) Another skilful stroke from Kusal Mendis, who reacts late to jab/steer Rashid very fine on the off side for four. This experienced pair have regrouped impressively.
“Just stuck the telly on, saw he was bowling and thought, ‘Ah, what a relief. Someone who knows what he’s doing’,” writes Phil Harrison. “Like seeing Jimmy marking out his run towards the end. A guarantee of quality.”
Like those Puma tracksuits of the late 1980s.
17th over: Sri Lanka 82-2 (Kusal Mendis 17, Dhananjaya 8) Dawson, on for Rehan, bowls a poor over that goes for 12. That includes five wides down the leg side and a shortish delivery that Mendis steers expertly past short third for four.
Rashid aside, England look a little flat out there.
16th over: Sri Lanka 70-2 (Kusal Mendis 12, Dhananjaya 6) Rashid beats Kusal Mendis with a delicious flighted delivery, the legspinner’s equivalent of the football hard man who takes retribution when his young teammate is clattered by an opponent.
Later in the over, Dhananjaya picks a similar delivery and larrups it back over Rashid’s head for four. Shot!
15th over: Sri Lanka 65-2 (Kusal Mendis 11, Dhananjaya 2) Kusal Mendis glides Rehan Ahmed for successive boundaries. Ten from the over, which is just what Sri Lanka needed after a mini-spell of 6 for 2 from 4 overs.
14th over: Sri Lanka 55-2 (Kusal Mendis 2, Dhananjaya 1) I’m pretty sure Rashid meant that. It was lovely bowling, because he beat Mishara through flight and then turned the googly enough to hit the stumps.
It sounds odd, I know, but I feel like Adil Rashid is still a bit underrated. He’s a wonderful bowler. Ultimately, despite 2019 and 2022, in English cricket we bestow greatness because of performances in Test cricket. But if you zoom out there’s an argument – a polite one, watch your mouth – that Rashid is in the top 10/20/50 greatest England cricketers of all time.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 54-2 (Mishara b Rashid 27)
Bowled him round his legs! The left-handed Mishara tried to sweep a flighted googly outside leg stump, missed and heard the clatter of doom a split-second later.
Did Rashid mean that? Probably, it’s Adil Rashid after all.
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13th over: Sri Lanka 53-1 (Mishara 27, Kusal Mendis 1) Rehan Ahmed, bourhg tinto the team at the last minute when Will Jacks was taken ill, replaces Sam Curran. A decade ago it would have been impossible to imagine England bowling legspin at both ends. But here we are, and it’s bloody great.
Rehan, all whirling arms and youthful optimism, starts with an accurate over that costs only two runs.
12th over: Sri Lanka 51-1 (Mishara 26, Kusal Mendis 0) Adil Rashid comes on for Liam Dawson. At 37 he has never bowled better – or with as much mischief. His first over is a bit of a range finder, but with enough variation and accuracy to ensure he concedes only one run.
11th over: Sri Lanka 50-1 (Mishara 25, Kusal Mendis 0)
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WICKET! Sri Lanka 50-1 (Nissanka c Dawson b Curran 21)
Sam Curran strikes with the moon ball! Around the wicket, well wide of off stump at around 50mph, and Nissanka drags a lusty heave to mid-on. A beautiful player he may be, but that was pretty ugly.
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10th over: Sri Lanka 49-0 (Nissanka 21, Mishara 24) A touch of class from Nissanka, who stands tall to punch Dawson square on the off side for four. Beautiful player this guy, a strong contender for an all-format World XI now that Ben Duckett’s form has gone to seed.
9th over: Sri Lanka 43-0 (Nissanka 16, Mishara 23) Sam Curran replaces Overton and is slugged over midwicket for two by Nissanka. The pitch is maybe a bit two-paced so Sri Lanka are going along quite nicely.
In other news, it gives me great pleasure to report that the commentary team for this series includes the Notorious D. I. G, known in some cultures as David Gower. He’s currently on with another flamboyant left-hander: Aamir Sohail, a man who commentates with the same no-nonsense approach he brought to opening the batting.
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8th over: Sri Lanka 39-0 (Nissanka 13, Mishara 22) Another good over from Dawson, who has conceded five from his first two – and that’s in the Powerplay.
7th over: Sri Lanka 37-0 (Nissanka 12, Mishara 21) A short ball from Overton sits up nicely for Mishara, who DiMaggios it over midwicket for six. Have some of that!
6th over: Sri Lanka 29-0 (Nissanka 12, Mishara 13) An early look at Liam Dawson, who should have been in the bloody Ashes squad it was so obvious what the hell were England doing picking a specialist No8 when Dawson could have batted there and bowled proper spin has quickly become a key part of England’s white-ball plans. He almost strikes with the last ball of his first over when Nissanka falls over to the off side and chips just wide of the diving Bethell at midwicket.
Only four runs from the last two overs.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 26-0 (Nissanka 12, Mishara 10) Overton, bowling around the wicket, beats Mishara with a spiteful back-of-a-length delivery. When he gets it right, Overton looks thoroughly unpleasant to face. A tall bloke jarring the bat at 90mph: what’s to love?
An excellent over, just one from it – and that came off the edge.
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4th over: Sri Lanka 25-0 (Nissanka 12, Mishara 9) A juicy delivery from Curran is punched through extra cover for four by Mishara. The early signs are that this is a very good pitch. Very flipping good.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 20-0 (Nissanka 12, Mishara 4) A loose delivery from Overton flies off the pads of Nissanka for four leg-byes. Overton responds with angry short ball that forces Nissanka to pull his glove off the bat handle.
Those two deliveries sum up England’s start with the ball – a bit of a mixed bag.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Nissanka 8, Mishara 4) Sam Curran takes the new ball, probably his best role if he is going to play in England’s ODI side. A nice inswinger is defended respectfully by Nissanka, who then plays a sumptuous back-foot drive for four. He’s such a classy player; you will probably remember his matchwinning hundred in the Oval Test of 2024.
1st over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Nissanka 3, Mishara 4) This is the first time Overton has opened the bowling in an ODI. He starts with a short ball that is pulled smoothly for two by Nissanka. A single behind square brings the left-handed Mishara on strike; he’s beaten first ball, chasing a short delivery that snaps away off the seam.
Mishara gets off the mark with a cross-bat edge that lands short of Buttler and bounces through for four.
Jamie Overton will open the bowling to Pathum Nissanka. Let’s get this pyjama party started.
From the archive
Unusual thrashings come no more predictable than Sri Lanka’s demolition of England in the quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup. It was unusual because Sri Lanka had never beaten England in the World Cup and had never qualified for the semi-finals; England had never failed to reach the semi-finals. Yet the buildup to the tournament group stages told us that history was more or less bunk.
Sri Lanka – who were 66-1 outsiders two months before the tournament started – were relatively fresh and in familiar conditions; England were knackered and might as well have been on Mars, so little experience did they have of one-day cricket in Asia. Sri Lanka were playing 21st-century one-day cricket, with pinch hitters and pace off the ball; England’s tactics were straight outta 1985.
There will be consequences. There must be consequences. Perhaps there have already been consequences. Harry Brook is very sorry for getting punched by a bouncer in New Zealand. Rob Key is very sorry for overseeing an Ashes tour that in retrospect could probably have been an email. Brendon McCullum is not sorry, but has promised to “look at things over the next little while”, which is basically the same as an apology, so fine.
In the meantime, the travelling circus of English cricket rolls on. There is a white-ball series in Sri Lanka starting on Thursday morning, for which – consequences, remember – McCullum remains as coach, Key remains as managing director and Brook remains as captain. In addition Zak Crawley returns to open the batting in the 50-over team, a fitting reward for not playing a single 50-over game in the whole of 2024 or 2025. Nature heals.
Perhaps we do, too. Two weeks after the teams left the field in Sydney, the raw emotions awakened by England’s defeat have subsided a little. Sleep and teabags have been replenished. The Twenty20 World Cup starts in a fortnight. Winter nets have already begun. This is the blessing and the curse of cricket: there is always fresh hope around the corner, fresh drifts of snow to cover guilty footprints.
As for McCullum, his contract runs to the end of the 2027 Ashes and according to reports it would cost more than £1m to break it now. Indeed it is possible that this knowledge has informed some of his more obdurate proclamations to the media in Australia, a recognition that in a landscape rich with franchise cash and poor in willing international coaches, he still holds all the cards.
A subcontinental World Cup to close an Ashes winter? History tells us this does not end well for England. In 2014 a whitewash in Australia was followed by a group-stage exit at the World T20 with a 45-run defeat to the Netherlands in Chattogram. In 2011 the 50-over side – largely made up of Test regulars – were brutalised by Kevin O’Brien in Bengaluru before exiting with a 10-wicket quarter-final loss to Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Vic Marks, writing for the Observer, wondered beforehand if England had “anything left to give” after so many months on the road.
And so to the Premadasa again, 15 years on, this time without the goodwill of a recent series victory in Australia. The first one-day international against Sri Lanka will begin just two weeks after Alex Carey struck the winning runs at the SCG, and open the second half of England’s winter, with three T20s to follow in Pallekele. They will hope to end it on 8 March, at the final of the T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad, or Colombo should they face Pakistan, such is the geopolitical mess underpinning the upcoming tournament.
The gap between tours has unsurprisingly been populated with discussion of how it all fell apart in Australia, questions of who goes and who stays and, already, Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, outlining that “our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027”. The English game’s unhealthy obsession with one series lives on.
The teams
There’s a late change to the England team. Will Jacks is unwell and has been replaced by Rehan Ahmed.
Sri Lanka Nissanka, Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya, Asalanka (c), Liyanage, P Ratnayake, Wellalage, Madushan, Vandersay, Fernando.
England Crawley, Duckett, Root, Bethell, Brook (c), Buttler (wk), S Curran, Rehan Ahmed, J Overton, Dawson, Rashid.
Sri Lanka win the toss and bat
And why not, with a gazillion spin options in their team.
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“I’m very excited about today’s match,” writes Nick Parish. “This is my favourite line-up in action again, possibly my favourite of all time. I know there were some dodgy moments in Australia, but I’m confident we’re going to get somebody fabulous entertainment today. But anyway, enough about you and Harris. What do you think of the chancers on the pitch?”
Look, I wrote some shocking sentences during the Ashes but I’ll take the learnings and move forward. Hopefully by never using the word ‘learnings’ again.
England have named their team, which has possibly the shortest tail in English cricket history. There are three changes from the third ODI in New Zealand: Zak Crawley (the very same), Will Jacks and Liam Dawson replace Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.
England Crawley, Duckett, Root, Bethell, Brook (c), Buttler (wk), Jacks, S Curran, J Overton, Dawson, Rashid.
Edit: Jacks was replaced at the last minute by Rehan Ahmed.
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Preamble
Are you over it yet? Nah, me either, but at least we have to some fresh cricket to distract us. A fortnight after the end of the most disappointing Ashes series in living memory, England begin their preparation for the T20 World Cup with – don’t ask – a three-match ODI series.
A lot has changed since England’s last ODI in New Zealand in November. The Ashes dream has gone poof!, Brendon McCullum is fighting for his job. And it’s probably fair to assume Harry Brook had an early night yesterday.
One thing remains the same: if England don’t start winning ODIs soon, they will miss out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. England are currently eighth in the ODI rankings; to qualify automatically, they need to be in the top nine when the music stops in March 2027. If not they will be parachuted into the Cricket World Cup qualifier that summer.
England will surely qualify one way or another. But for a team who were redefining ODI cricket a decade ago, it’s all a bit ignominious.
Today’s match starts at 9am GMT.
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