Harry Brook’s first masterpiece of the winter, lost in defeat, seems an age ago. It was in his side’s first one-day international against New Zealand back in October, his 101-ball 135 somehow landing in the middle of nine single-figure England scores.
The nightclub bouncer’s punch followed, the Ashes tour went wrong and then came the reveal of the former. A lot has happened, but moments of genius in the middle always lurk close by when it comes to Brook. Here, in their final ODI of the winter, he brought it all together with an unbeaten 136 off 66 balls, taking England to a prized series victory in Sri Lanka, the decider won by 53 runs.
So Brook, after the worst episode of his career, has written a fresh chapter. His 136 not out was the fastest hundred by an England ODI captain on foreign soil, by miles: his strike rate was 206 per hundred balls, when the previous best was 146 by Liam Livingstone in Antigua in 2024. In the last four overs of England’s innings, Brook scored 64 while Root made four. He handled his seven bowlers well too, held three catches and pulled off a run-out. After labouring to 42 off 75 balls in the previous game, he had one of those days when everything suddenly goes right. His position as captain, so nearly thrown away on a foolish night out in Wellington, is secure for the moment, and so is Brendon McCullum’s as the white-ball coach.
We hope you’ll join us for the T20 series between these two sides, which starts on Friday at 1.30pm GMT. For now, as ever, thanks for your company.
Updated
Asked to comment on the pitch, Brook chuckles knowingly. “No, it was a decent wicket,” he says. “Ended up being better than we thought!”
He accepts the trophy, which is much like the one for the Champions League in football, only even bigger. When the team line up with it, it all but oscures Jamie Overton, which takes some doing.
Here’s Harry Brook, bringing some English understatement. “I was working on a few things with Rooty in the nets yesterday,” he says, “and thankfully it paid off.”
Time for the presentations. You’ll never guess who the Player of the Match is … yes, it’s Harry Brook. He collects a trophy and 2,000 US dollars. Player of the Series is almost as straightforward: it’s Joe Root, who today became the first Englishman to make 20 hundreds in ODIs. “More than anything, Root says, “you want to help the team win games… Harry came in and just took the game on – showed his versatility after the way he played the other day.”
And now Root is heading home. “I’m quite looking forward to it, to be honest.”
Updated
As if it wasn’t enough of a shock to see England win an ODI series, we also have an email. “England’s varied spin attack has been a pleasure to watch,” says Colum Fordham. “Obviously, Rashid leads the pack and I’m relieved he has outfoxed the dangerous Hasaranga, Duckett making amends for his drop off Bethell. But Dawson, Rehan, Jacks and Bethell have all played their part. Whether they are good enough to trouble the better teams in the T20 World Cup remains to be seen.”
True. And you’re right, they all did their bit – Dawson recovering from a bad start to deliver an excellent finish, Jacks taking two wickets, Bethell being economical (5-0-28-0), Rehan emulating him until one big over. The seamers did well too, taking three wickets along with some punishment on a pitch that was a batters’ paradise.
Updated
England won by 53 runs. In the book, it won’t even look close, but it was, thanks to a magnificent first hundred from Pavan Rathnayake. He matched Joe Root by motoring along at a run a ball. At the end, he tried to match Harry Brook and briefly threatened to, but Sam Curran’s smarts proved too much for him.
For Brook, it’s been the best day he’s had since becoming England’s official white-ball captain. After starting this series with their customary collapse, they’ve bounced back and won it in style. Brook’s innings was one of the best ever played for England in this format – 136 off just 66 balls, so he faced only 11 of the 50 overs, but used them to make all the difference. I’m not sure who decides the Man of the Match but they’ve got the easiest job in the ground.
Updated
ENGLAND WIN THE SERIES! Rathnayake b Curran 121 (SL 304 all out)
Curran produces a yorker, and that is that! What a day for Harry Brook.
Updated
46th over: Sri Lanka 298-9 (Rathnayake 115, Fernando 0) That’s a masterly over from Dawson – one wicket, one run, the required rate suddenly leaping to 15. But it’s his last one, so now Jacks may have to find four overs from the seamers, Jacks, Bethell and Rehan. Or even Root, who found himself bowling the last over the other day.
WICKET! Vandersay c Curran b Dawson 14 (Sri Lanka 298-9)
Dawson has got better and better this evening and now he lures Vandersay into a skyer. Curran, at mid-off, makes no mistake.
Updated
45th over: Sri Lanka 297-8 (Rathnayake 114, Vandersay 14) The picture on my telly disappears at the wrong moment – just as Rathanayake is hitting his first six! Rehan is bowling and Rathnayake smells blood. Vandersay comes to the party with a reverse sweep for four. That’s 14 off the over! SL need 61 off the last five. Just possible.
Updated
44th over: Sri Lanka 283-8 (Rathnayake 106, Vandersay 8) That single came off Rashid, who’s just bowled his final over. He almost takes a wicket with his last ball as Rathnayake lofts a sweep close to Rehan in the deep, but it goes for four. Rashid finishes with 10-1-61-2, so they’ve played him pretty well. SL need 75 from the last six overs. It’s a huge ask, but while there’s Rathnayake, there’s hope.
Updated
A hundred to Pavan Rathnayake!
There it is! A first fine careful hundred for Rathnayake, who is 23, bowls off-breaks, bowls leg-breaks, and bats with great aplomb. He reaches three figures with a dance down the track, an easy single and a big smile.
Updated
42nd over: Sri Lanka 271-8 (Rathnayake 99, Vandersay 3) Brook does have two close catchers now, but only for the new batter. Rashid thinks he’s got another wicket as Vandersay misses a sweep and the ball loops up to Brook at slip. The review takes forever when it’s clearly the forearm, not the glove. Rathnayake, undaunted, comes down the track to make a full toss, which he whacks for four. Maybe he’s going to play the role of Brook as well as Root.
WICKET! Hasaranga c Duckett b Rashid 9 (Sri Lanka 264-8)
Gone! Rashid lures Hasaranga into a chip which just isn’t timed. Duckett takes the catch as if he’d never dropped one a few minutes ago.
41st over: Sri Lanka 263-7 (Rathnayake 94, Hasaranga 9) Hasaranga fancies this. Facing Curran, he plays himself in for two balls, then strokes a gorgeous off-drive on the up for four, folowed by a pull for four more. Eleven off the over!
40th over: Sri Lanka 252-7 (Rathnayake 92, Hasaranga 0) Meanwhile Rathnayake motors on into the 90s. He’s done a Root, but now he needs someone to impersonate Brook. Cometh the hour, cometh Hasaranga?
WICKET! Wellalage c Jacks b Dawson 22 (Sri Lanka 252-7)
Liam Dawson returns, produces a fine over and finishes it with a wicket as he tempts Wellalage with an arm ball outside off. Wellalage swings but can only sky it and Jacks, at backward point, redeems himself with a calm catch.
Updated
39th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Rathnayake 89, Wellalage 21) Brook takes Rashid off after just one over and goes back to seam. It’s Sam Curran, grunting as he goes, and he does well, restricting the batters to three – and one of those is down to a misfield from Jacks. The rate required creeps into double figures: 109 needed off 11 overs. They can’t manage that, can they?
38th over: Sri Lanka 246-6 (Rathnayake 87, Wellalage 21) Brook persists with Bethell, who’s done pretty well. He nearly does even better as a slog-sweep from Wellalage sails towards Duckett at deep square – but it’s dropped! That’s the first blemish in the field from England today. Wellalage celebrates by hitting the last ball of the over for six over long-off. That’s ten off the over.
37th over: Sri Lanka 236-6 (Rathnayake 86, Wellalage 13) Rashid takes over from Rehan, the master replacing the apprentice. The batters aren’t bothered: they take six singles. SL need 122 from 13 overs at 9.38.
Updated
Drinks: SL's hopes rest on Rathnayake
36th over: Sri Lanka 230-6 (Rathnayake 83, Wellalage 10) Bethell needs to get through this over without conceding a four, and he does. That’s drinks, with SL needing another 128 from 84 balls, and Pavan Rathnayake doing his damnedest to stop this being Harry Brook’s finest hour in ODI cricket.
Updated
35th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (Rathnayake 79, Wellalage 9) Do Sri Lanka still believe? Pavan Rathnayake does! Facuing Rehan, he thumps a full toss for four, then makes a decent ball into another full toss by coming down the track and belting that for four too. Nine off the over – but that’s what they need every over now, so England remain the favourites.
34th over: Sri Lanka 216-6 (Rathnayake 70, Wellalage 9) If Morgan was still in charge, England would have had a slip for all these spinners and maybe a short leg too. Brook, who did well to bring a slip in a while ago, has now taken him out again and it costs him as Jacks twice finds the edge of Dunith Wellalage’s bat. One nick is stopped by short third, the other sneaks away for four. Seven off the over.
Updated
33rd over: Sri Lanka 209-6 (Rathnayake 68, Wellalage 4) Another decent over from Rehan, another four singles. The rate required has risen to 8.76, which will be too much for the lower order unless somebody launches a blitz.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 205-6 (Rathnayake 66, Wellalage 2) Will Jacks may not look much of a bowler but he has 2-36 off seven overs today, while England’s other four spinners have 1-97 from 18 overs between them.
WICKET! Dhananjaya c Brook b Jacks 9 (Sri Lanka 202-6)
Another catch in the ring! Dhananjaya’s attempted slog goes straight to midwicket, and Brook has his third catch of the day. He may also have his hands on the Player of the Match award.
Updated
31st over: Sri Lanka 202-5 (Rathnayake 65, Dhananjaya 9) And here comes England’s fifth spinner, Rehan Ahmed. Like Bethell, he’s an exciting cricketer, and he too starts well – four singles.
At this stage of England’s innings, the score was 166-2 and Harry Brook hadn’t faced a ball.
30th over: Sri Lanka 198-5 (Rathnayake 63, Dhananjaya 7) Rashid bowls his seventh over and almost picks up a caught-and-bowled as Rathnayake mistimes a shovel off the back foot, but it’s one of those nasty ones that you have to dive forward for. With 20 overs left, Sri Lanka need 160. The arithmetic is straightforward; the task is not.
29th over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Rathnayake 61, Dhananjaya 4) Bethell offers his first freebie, straying outside off, and Rathnayake helps himself to a cut for four. Eight off the over, which is just what SL need. According to CricViz, they have a 6pc chance of managing it.
28th over: Sri Lanka 185-5 (Rathnayake 55, Dhananjaya 2) Rathnayake, facing Rashid, glances for two to reach a first fine careful fifty in his fourth one-day international. He will have to make at least another fifty and he’s already on the way, adding four more as a thick edge squirts away to third man.
Updated
27th over: Sri Lanka 177-5 (Rathnayake 48, Dhananjaya 1) Bethell continues and does well again, going for only two. The rate required is climbing, to 7.86 now, and SL are still not quite halfway there.
26th over: Sri Lanka 174-5 (Rathnayake 46, Dhananjaya 0) Another over from Dawson was unfolding with the odd comfortable single and no alarms. And then Liyanage pushed into the off side, set off for a run – and found Rathnayake stopping half-way. Liyanage turned back but he was doomed as Brook just had to send a half-decent throw into Buttler.
WICKET! Liyanage run out 22 (Sri Lanka 174-5)
Out of nowhere, a calamity for the Sri Lankans!
Updated
25th over: Sri Lanka 171-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Brook turns to his fourth spinner. It could be Rehan Ahmed, but instead it’s Jacob Bethell: maybe Brook feels a bit bad about overshadowing his fine 65. Bethell starts well, getting the ball to grip and prompting both batters to mistime it. Only three off the over.
24th over: Sri Lanka 168-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Facing Dawson again, these two do better, taking six off the over. There’s a minor scare as England review for LBW, but Liyanage got some glove on his attempted sweep and it goes into the book as three more to the batter. Sri Lanka need 190 off 26 overs at 7.3.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 162-4 (Rathnayake 42, Liyanage 14) Brook keeps Jacks on. He may be regretting it after the first ball – Rathnayake dancing down the track and cover-driving for four – but Jacks recovers to allow only two singles. For all the carnage today, there have been hundreds of dot balls.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 156-4 (Rathnayake 37, Liyanage 13) Liam Dawson is in the groove now, a sight that Hampshire fans have relished since time immemorial. He finds turn, and some uneven bounce, and goes for just a single off the over. The rate required (7.21) has finally nudged above the rate achieved so far (7.09).
21st over: Sri Lanka 155-4 (Rathnayake 33, Liyanage 12) Brook decides to keep five overs of Rashid up his sleeve. Back comes Jacks and the batters show more intent with their shots – a reverse sweep for two from Liyanage, an orthodox sweep for three from Rathnayake. With their running, they’re more lackadaisical, whereas that three comes about because Dawson busts a gut to get a boot to the ball, just inside the rope at fine leg. And Sri Lanka did drop Brook earlier in the day ….
20th over: Sri Lanka 148-4 (Rathnayake 32, Liyanage 10) Another four off Dawson’s over. Even on a day like this, which has already yielded 500 runs, he dull middle overs refuse to die.
19th over: Sri Lanka 144-4 (Rathnayake 31, Liyanage 7) Brook has worked out that it’s all about wickets: as Rashid continues, he brings himself in to slip. But maybe the Sri Lankans have worked out that it’s all about staying there. They work the ball into the gaps and help themselves to four singles, which is good enough against Rashid. They’ve seen off half his overs now.
18th over: Sri Lanka 140-4 (Rathnayake 29, Liyanage 5) Brook decides the time is right to rehabilitate Dawson, who was treated like a seamer by the Sri Lankan top order. He does better now, conceding only four off the over.
Drinks: SL getting lots of runs, but losing too many wickets
17th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Rathnayake 28, Liyanage 2) Another over from Rashid goes for just three singles. And that’s drinks with England on top, even though the Sri Lankans got off to a wonderful start. Overton, Curran and Dawson went for 94 off nine overs between them, but Rashid and Jacks have restored order with combined figures of 8-0-42-2.
SL need 222 off 33 overs; England need six wickets.
16th over: Sri Lanka 133-4 (Rathnayake 27, Liyanage 0) Brook keeps Jacks on, quite reasonably, and he whisks through a nice tight over – five dots and a paddle for two from Rathnayake. But even after this quiet spell, the rate required is still only 6.61. It’s all about the wickets.
15th over: Sri Lanka 131-4 (Rathnayake 25, Liyanage 0) So Rashid strikes, as he always does. And a calm has descended on Colombo after that frantic start.
WICKET! Asalanka c Brook b Rashid 13 (Sri Lanka 131-4)
Another promising knock ends with a catch in the ring! It was a poor ball from Rashid, short and straight, and Asalanka, who had just had an escape with a leading edge, couldn’t decide whether to pull it up or down.
Updated
14th over: Sri Lanka 124-3 (Rathnayake 18, Asalanka 13) Jacks continues, strays down the leg side and Jos Buttler thinks he’s got a stumping, but Rathnayake did well to get his bat down. As the decision goes upstairs, the on-field umpire forgets to call a wide. Good over, though: just three off it, and Jacks finishes by beating the left-handed Asalanka all ends up.
Updated
13th over: Sri Lanka 121-3 (Rathnayake 16, Asalanka 12) Rashid, drawing on his immense experience, gets through an over without a boundary.
12th over: Sri Lanka 117-3 (Rathnayake 15, Asalanka 9) Brook, like these batters, is nothing if not fearless. He brings back Jacks, a show of faith after that flaky first over. And it works out quite well – only one run off the first five balls, before Rathnayake finds another of those artful dabs and gets four. Still, in a minor triumph for England, the run rate achieved so far has fallen below ten an over. Rate required: a mere 6.34. All the Sri Lankans have to do to win this now is not to be bowled out. All England have to do is to take seven wickets.
11th over: Sri Lanka 112-3 (Rathnayake 11, Asalanka 8) With the powerplay done, here’s Adil Rashid. The batters are suddenly watchful – but only for two balls. After a couple of dots, Rathnayake plays a deft leg glance for four and Asalanka dabs for two. Eight off the over.
At this stage, England were 45-2. Overton alone has conceded more than that – 48 off his four overs. Almost every bad ball has been punished, the exception being the stinking long hop from Jacks that somehow defeated Mishara.
10th over: Sri Lanka 104-3 (Rathnayake 6, Asalanka 5) So, two new batters at the crease: surely SL will go into their shell? It seems not. Charith Asalanka drives his first ball for four, and then Pavan Rathanayake plays a classy dab for four more. Ten off the over! A ton off the powerplay!
WICKET! Nissanka c sub (Banton) b Overton 50 (Sri Lanka 94-3)
But now he’s gone! Befuddled by a slow bouncer from Overton, Nissanka can only chip it to deep midwicket.
Updated
9th over: Sri Lanka 94-2 (Nissanka 50, Rathnayake 1) Brook reverts to seam at both ends. Not sure about that … Nissanka welcomes Curran back with a pull for six, then cruises to his fifty off only 24 balls. He’s been superb: now he just needs to make a hundred more.
Updated
8th over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Nissanka 42, Rathnayake 0) After seeing his spinners go for 32 off three overs, Brook turned back to Overton. It looked like a blunder as Mendis went berserk with a bludgeon for four, a pull for six and a ramp for four. But then came the breakthrough. Still, Mendis made 20 off nine balls, whereas, at much the same stage of England’s innings, Ben Duckett managed only seven off 17.
WICKET! Mendis c Brook b Overton 20 (Sri Lanka 85-2)
A goal against the run of play! Mendis plays a loose drive and picks out Brook at mid-off.
Updated
7th over: Sri Lanka 70-1 (Nissanka 42, Mendis 6) Dawson continues and again gets it wrong with his first ball as Nissanka pulls for four. The mnidle of the over is fine, but the last ball is launched for six as Nissanka dances down the track.
At this stage, England were 20-1.
6th over: Sri Lanka 58-1 (Nissanka 31, Mendis 5) Jacks likes that long hop so much, he bowls it again, and again. Nissanka and Kusal Mendis give it what it deserves – a slap. Well done Jacks getting the wicket, but that may be the last we see of him for a while.
WICKET! Mishara c Rehan b Jacks 22 (Sri Lanka 48-1)
Harry Brook’s magic day continues! He gambles by bringing on Will Jacks, who starts with a rank long hop – and Mishara flaps it straight to Rehan Ahmed at backward point.
5th over: Sri Lanka 48-0 (Nissanka 26, Mishara 22) Yes, here’s Liam Dawson. He’s not easy to batter – but nobody told these openers, both of them cut him for four. England are still favourites, through sheer weight of runs, but Sri Lanka have made a glorious start.
4th over: Sri Lanka 38-0 (Nissanka 21, Mishara 17) Now it’s Curran’s turn to get a hammering. When he goes full, Mishara drives the ball back past him for four. When he goes straight, Nissanka flicks him past fine leg, who is up in the ring. When he slips in his celebrated slower ball, Mishara waits for it and late-cuts for four. Time for one of England’s six spinners!
3rd over: Sri Lanka 24-0 (Nissanka 16, Mishara 8) Overton continues, tightens up his line and manages half a maiden – but then all hell breaks loose. Nissanka lofts a half-volley for six, straight-drives for four and dabs for two. Sri Lanka are ahead of the rate!
2nd over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Nissanka 4, Mishara 8) Sam Curran makes a strong start, five dots and a single. Sri Lanka are behind the rate! But they’ve still started with more intent than England, who crept to 20-1 off their first seven overs.
1st over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Nissanka 3, Mishara 8) So how are the Sri Lankans going to approach this mammoth target? Fearlessly! Jamie Overton’s first over isn’t bad, as he has Pathum Nissanka technically dropped at midwicket by Ben Duckett, beats the bat of Kamil Mishara and then draws an edge that flies away for four. But there’s also a genuine four, a square drive from Mishara. Sri Lanka are ahead of the rate!
Updated
Thanks Rob and afternoon everyone. You don’t have to be a Sri Lankan bowler to be feeling a little dazed right now. Harry Brook has just played one of the greatest innings you’ll ever see. He gave Joe Root a 65-run head start – and ended up with 25 more than him, even though Root is in princely form. Off the last four overs of England’s innings, Brook hit 64 from 20 balls, while Root made four from four.
Remember when Brook hit a blistering 135 in New Zealand, four months and half a lifetime ago? This innings was 50 per cent faster than that one. Of the 29 ODI hundreds ever made by England captains, it was the second-fastest, just behind Eoin Morgan’s blitz against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup. But that was at home – at Old Trafford, with the boundaries close enough to allow a batter to hit 17 sixes. This was in Colombo, at a ground where Brook had inched to 42 off 75 balls at the weekend. Today, he faced fewer balls than that (66) and made three times as many runs. Staggering stuff.
Sri Lanka need 358 to win
No team has chased more than 320 to win an ODI in Sri Lanka, so England should have enough runs. Thanks for your company and emails; the great Tim de Lisle will be here for the runchase.
Updated
50th over: England 357-3 (Root 111, Brook 136) Root hooks Fernando for a single to get Brook back on strike. I mean, it makes sense because Brook is hitting almost every ball to the boundary. He makes room to hit Fernando inside-out for his eighth six, then makes even more room to carve four over backward point.
One ball remaining… and Brook drives it lazily over extra cover for another six. With that, he reaches his highest ODI score. That was a helluvan innings: 136 from 66 balls with 11 fours and nine sixes. It included – and you’ll like this – 90 from his final 27 deliveries. Madon.
Oh, and Joe Root scored 111 at more than a run a ball as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Updated
Brook blasts a 57-ball hundred!
49th over: England 339-3 (Root 110, Brook 120) Brook clatters Vandersay to the cover boundary to reach a coruscating century, his third in ODIs: 57 balls, eight fours, six sixes. The second fifty took just 17 balls.
He celebrates by smashing the next two delliveries for six and four, then smears a pull shot high in the air. Vandersay tries to take the catch running back but only clasps fresh air.
Brook smashes a pull towards deep midwicket, where Dhananjaya does incredibly well to save the six. He caught the ball as he swooped over the boundary, then threw it back onto the field while in mid air. The big screen flashes up ‘Not out’, as if they were checking the catch. Brook completes a huge over, 22 from it, by smoking the last ball to the cover boundary.
“May I be the 4,097th reader to note that, given his performance today, presumably, ahem, last night Brook dreamt of Vandersay again,” writes Gareth Wilson.
48th over: England 317-3 (Root 110, Brook 98) Fernando bowls a fullish ball to Brook, who snaps his wrists as he slaps it over extra cover for four. Disgusting brilliance. A deft steer over short third takes him into the nineties, then he pulls four more with the aid of some botched relay fielding on the boundary.
Fernando is so reluctant to put anything in Brook’s arc that he bowls three wides in the over. Brook has 98 from 56 balls and is on course for one of the fastest ODI centuries by an Englihsman not called Jos.
“On the all-time list, all formats, I think Root has the second highest average of those with 10000+ runs,” writes Gary Naylor. “Such an old-fashioned cricketer. (Kohli, since you asked).”
Look at the fella at No4.
47th over: England 299-3 (Root 110, Brook 83) Brook is running riot. He hoicks a gentle legbreak from Vandersay over midwicket for his third six in as many overs.
It’s not all bish-bosh. Back-to-back twos and a single take him to 83 from 50 balls, including 74 from the last 37. This is now England’s highest score in an ODI in Sri Lanka.
Joe Root wasn’t great in ODIs between the end of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, but since his recall in 2025 he has been one of the best players in the world. In fact, only the magnificent Daryl Mitchell has scored more ODI runs since the start of last year.
46th over: England 285-3 (Root 106, Brook 72) Too short from Hasaranga, and Root eases back to pull him for four. Brook wallops six over the fielder at wide long-on to make it 16 from the over.
England are going to make their highest score in an ODI in Sri Lanka; the current record is 298 for 8 against Zimbabwe in the 2002 Champions Trophy. That included a pulsating 97-ball 75 from Nasser Hussain.
Updated
Joe Root's 20th ODI century!
45th over: England 269-3 (Root 101, Brook 63) Root works Wellalage for a single to reach his 20th ODI century, and his 61st in international cricket, from exactly 100 balls. It’s been the usual masterclass – a study in low-risk, run-a-ball batting.
Brook does things differently, by spanking boundaries, and he hits Wellalage for two in a row to bring up the hundred partnership.
England have scored 83 from the last 10 overs; Brook has hit 54 from his last 30 balls.
Updated
44th over: England 256-3 (Root 99, Brook 52) Root, on 99, survives a run-out referral after being sent back by Brook. He was fine. Brook then lashes an imperious six over extra cover to reach a 40-ball fifty.
43rd over: England 246-3 (Root 97, Brook 44) England hanve never scored 300 in an ODI in Sri Lanka but they’re on course here. Fernando’s seventh over goes for 13, including four byes and a brilliant drive for four from Brook.
43rd over: England 246-3 (Root 97, Brook 46) England have never scored 300 in an ODI i nSri Lanka but they have a good chance today. Fernando’s seventh over goes for 13, including four byes and a brilliant drive for four from Brook.
42nd over: England 233-3 (Root 94, Brook 38) Root has to bend his back to keep out a grubber from Wellalage. That’s a good sign for England’s spinners. A good over from Wellalage includes another delivery that turns sharply; just two runs from it.
41st over: England 231-3 (Root 93, Brook 37) The seam bowler Asitha Fernando returns to the attack. Root clumps a full toss to mid-on and has to scrambler make his ground; that would have been tight with a direct hit. I think he’d have been out.
Updated
40th over: England 227-3 (Root 91, Brook 35) Root moves into the nineties with a marvellous sweep to the square-leg boundary off Vandersay. That shot was a model of timing and placement.
39th over: England 218-3 (Root 85, Brook 32) Outrageous brilliance from Harry Brook, who makes room to drive Dhananjaya inside-out over extra cover for six. That brings up the fifty partnership in less than eight overs. Brook has hit 23 from his last 10 deliveries.
Updated
38th over: England 208-3 (Root 83, Brook 24) Hasaranga continues. Four singles, two dot balls. Next!
37th over: England 204-3 (Root 81, Brook 22) Sri Lanka have won the last five ODI series at home, with India and Australia among the opposition, but they’re under serious pressure here.
That said, this looks a much better pitch than the first two. I thought 280 was a winning score; maybe we should revise it to 300.
36th over: England 198-3 (Root 77, Brook 19) After a patient start, 9 from 13 balls, Brook skips down to swipe Hasaranga over mid-on for six. For good measure he carts the next delivery to wide long-on for four more.
Updated
35th over: England 186-3 (Root 77, Brook 8)
Drinks The umpire Rod Tucker is feeling unwell and has been replaced. It’s very humid in Colombo so hopefully that’s the reason.
34th over: England 181-3 (Root 75, Brook 5) Root reverse laps Vandersay for four, then dumps a long hop through midwicket for another. A master is at work.
“What’s a good total for England here?” wonders John Ryan. “A while ago I was thinking around 330 if they pushed on... and they’re still in a good spot and with seven wickets in hand... thoughts?”
I’m terrible at reading pitches but 280 feels like a matchwinning total.
Updated
33rd over: England 173-3 (Root 67, Brook 5) A quiet over from Wellalage, and why not. Root is still scoring at more than a run a ball, 67 from 66.
Updated
32nd over: England 170-3 (Root 65, Brook 4) A gentle delivery from Vandersay is steered for four by Brook a nice way to get off the mark. Then he bowls a beauty, a fair bit slower, that turns past the edge. Adil Rashid will have noted that.
“I recently joined a cult and was surprised to learn how knowledgeable most of the members were about cricket,” writes Ian Copestake. “Was good to talk, so I feel that cults are maybe not all that bad…”
Wait till you hear about Bazball.
WICKET! England 166-3 (Bethell c Liyanage b Vandersay 65)
What did I tell you about getting carried away? Bethell pulls Vandersay fiercely to deep midwicket, where Liyanage takes one of the sharper boundary catches. Sri Lanka needed that.
Bethell played nicely for his 65: 72 balls, eight fours.
Updated
31st over: England 166-2 (Root 65, Bethell 65) Joe Root (remember him?) sweeps Wellalage precisely for four, then smacks a slog sweep into the wide open space for another boundary.
“Finding it difficult to focus on work with the master and apprentice batting together in Colombo,” writes Rob Knap. “It’s funny, given his fairly astonishing start in international cricket, but rather than Brook it’s Bethell who feels like the batter to take on Root’s mantle. It’s like when Gooch and Atherton were batting together (though perhaps a cut above them, even). As you’ve said, let’s not get carried away by Bethell just yet. But...
“On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else mistake mentions of Vandersay for Vandelay?”
Of course we do. Also, did I really say we shouldn’t get carried away with Bethell? If so, I apologise Fkuc that!
Fifty for Jacob Bethell
30th over: England 154-2 (Root 55, Bethell 63) Bethell clips a slower ball from Fernando for four to reach a patient half-century from 64 balls. He glides the next delivery behind square for four more, a beautiful stroke from a player of the rarest class. Bethell isn’t done there: he pulls savagely through square leg and threads a pristine extra-cover drive to make it four boundaries in the over.
Bethell’s first 22 runs took 41 balls; the next 41 have come from 28. My god we are going to enjoy him over the next 15 years,
“As someone who is not English (although I admit more than a passing interest in the England cricket team), I’m constantly fascinated by the stubborn inability of many to accept greatness in one of their own,” writes Matt Dony. “Root is so clearly one of history’s finest cricketers. Likewise, Harry Kane is a phenomenal footballer. Hell, Tim Henman was number 4 in the world, and Pete Sampras chose him as a doubles partner! The list goes on, but there’s a weird pattern of not giving due recognition. I don’t get it.”
We’re in denial. Just leave us to it, it’s best for all concerned.
Updated
28th over: England 138-2 (Root 55, Bethell 47) England are starting to go through the gears. Root reverse sweeps Dhananjaya for three in on over that yields 10 runs, even without a boundary.
Fifty for Joe Root
28th over: England 128-2 (Root 51, Bethell 41) Root works the returning Fernando (a seamer; I know) to bring up his fifty, his third of the series, from 54 balls. If you want to understand the concept of expertise, just watch a video of this innings.
Root didn’t play an ODI in 2024. Since his recall he’s averaging 62 with a strike rate of 92.
27th over: England 125-2 (Root 49, Bethell 40) A couple of wides and some wristy singles make it seven from Asalanka’s over.
“Flat and low” begins Matt in a wet, flat Gloucester “...are words that can be applied both to the wicket and my cricketing mood. The all-too-predictable political shenanigans ahead of the T20 and yet more perfunctory ODIs have done little to lift the Ashes gloom. Here’s a dram to Scotland ruffling a few feathers and sparking atmosphere.”
Quite. Whatever the rights and wrongs, Bangladesh not being in the T20 World Cup is profoundly dispiriting.
26th over: England 118-2 (Root 47, Bethell 37) Four more to Bethell, swept fiercely off Hasaranga. He survives a run-out chance later in the over after taking a sharp single to mid-off; the throw missed the stumps and we don’t know yet whether he would have been home.
25th over: England 111-2 (Root 46, Bethell 31) Bethell gets moving with two boundaries in four balls off Asalanka, a sweep and a lash through the covers. It feels like England are in a pretty good position here.
“Joe Root, as ever, the anchor in tough(er) batting conditions than the England boys are used to,” writes Elliot Brooks. “As we start to contemplate the day when he will leave us for a well earned retirement - who is the natural successor for that dogged you’ll-never-take-me-alive batting style that the team needs?
“Is Bethell too much a swashbuckler? Does Brook have the brain cells? Is Duckett too eager for bat on ball? I need the assurances that there’s a young buck in the stable ready to emulate the master.”
Bethell. He can play at the same cruising tempo as Root, as he showed in that Sydney masterpiece. But even if we live to 299, I doubt we’ll see an England batter as good as Root. We/I don’t appreciate him enough.
24th over: England 102-2 (Root 46, Bethell 22) Root carts Hasaranga for six, then Bethell survives an LBW review after missing a sweep off Hasaranga. It pitched fractionally outside leg. Sri Lanka are all out of reviews.
Root is batting majestically, since you asked.
23rd over: England 92-2 (Root 37, Bethell 21) The captain Charith Asalanka comes on to bowl his offspin. Bethell top-edges a sweep well short of the man at deep backward square. Even this nondescript innings (20 from 38 as I type) is signifcant because he will learn so much from watching Joe Root stockpile low-risk singles.
Talking of which, another singles brings up the fifty partnership.
22nd over: England 88-2 (Root 35, Bethell 19)
21st over: England 83-2 (Root 32, Bethell 17) Root’s quiet mastery continues with a back-foot pull for four off Wellalage. He is never better than on awkward subcontinental pitches.
“Morning Rob, and (I think) a happy birthday to you!” writes Guy Hornsby, on today of all days. “No better place to be spending it, of course. This may be a bit of a blink-and-you-miss it ODI series with limited value to some, but I’m here for it. Rehan opening! Bethell-watch! Brook redemption arc! Hasaranga! Dawson cementing his place! An England spin armada! Kusal Mendis! There’s a lot going on and it’s better than the Manchester rain in January.”
I want what you’re having. (You’re right, of course – cricket rarely fails to make the world a better place.)
$460,000 gets you a lot these days
Updated
20th over: England 77-2 (Root 28, Bethell 17) Sri Lanka review unsuccesfully for LBW whe Root misses a sweep off Vandersay and is hit on the rump. He was outside the line.
It looked a poor review to the naked eye, never mind the technology, but you can understand why they went for it given Root’s importance.
19th over: England 73-2 (Root 26, Bethell 15) The pitch looks slow and awkward rather than downright difficult. Root (strike rate: 81) is rotating the strike much better than Bethell (SR: 54), a reflection of their experience. But overall England are in a decent position at drinks.
This is a good read on a miserable situation.
Updated
18th over: England 69-2 (Root 24, Bethell 13) Two from Vandersay’s over.
17th over: England 67-2 (Root 23, Bethell 12) Another quiet over from Hasaranga. We need someone else’s glasses, ideally someone from the 1980s, because this isn’t the usual bish-bosh ODI series: 250 may well be a matchwinning score.
Updated
16th over: England 65-2 (Root 22, Bethell 11) With the occasional exception, low-risk singles are England’s currency at the moment; they bank three more from Vandersay’s over.
15th over: England 62-2 (Root 20, Bethell 10) The pitch looks okay at the moment. There’s some turn but nothing disgusting. And Joe Root, as is his wont, is making it look easy: he has 20 from 20 balls and I can barely remember a stroke.
We are living in the time of an all-time batting genius, and he’s English, and I’m not sure we appreciate him enough. He is also – and this matters – one of the nicest human beings around.
Updated
14th over: England 57-2 (Root 17, Bethell 8) The legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay concedes five singles from his first over.
13th over: England 52-2 (Root 14, Bethell 6) Bethell reverse sweeps Hasaranga past slip for four. That’s a fine shot from a player who some idiots reckon has a future in the game.
He almost offers a return catch later in the over. But he doesn’t, so on we go.
12th over: England 47-2 (Root 13, Bethell 2)
11th over: England 45-2 (Root 12, Bethell 1) The new batter is crickerotica subject Jacob Bethell. After he gets off the mark, Root reverse sweeps expertly for four.
Updated
WICKET! England 40-2 (Rehan c Vandersay b Hasaranga 24)
The skiddy legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, rested for the first two games, comes into the attack. Rehan survives an LBW appeal first ball after missing a pull at a delivery that would have missed leg stump – but two balls later he pulls another googly straight to midwicket to end a promising innings.
Updated
10th over: England 40-1 (Rehan 24, Root 8) Root misses a lusty slog-sweep at a ball from Wellalage that bounces sharply. As in the first two games, this feels like a handy toss to win.
9th over: England 37-1 (Rehan 22, Root 7) Rehan belts Dhananjaya for successive boundaries, a slog-sweep and a flamboyant slap over mid-off. Root carts another to cow corner to make it 16 from the over.
8th over: England 21-1 (Rehan 11, Root 2) Spin from both ends with the left-armer Wellallage coming on. Just one from the over. This is a very 1990s start.
7th over: England 20-1 (Rehan 11, Root 1) Some fresh-faced genius has walked out to bat.
WICKET! England 19-1 (Duckett c Wellalage b Dhananjaya 6)
The first wicket falls to the fifth ball of spin. Duckett plinks a reverse sweep straight to cover off Dhananjaya and is on his way for six.
Updated
6th over: England 17-0 (Rehan 10, Duckett 6) Six dot balls in a row from Liyanage to Rehan. I thought England might go after the seamers, given how spin-dominated this series has been, but Fernando and Liyanage have bowled well.
5th over: England 17-0 (Rehan 10, Duckett 6) Duckett slashes Fernando behind square for two; it would have been four but for a good sprawling stop. All very quiet at the moment.
4th over: England 14-0 (Rehan 9, Duckett 4) Rehan takes a quick single to mid-on, one of three in another low-key over.
3rd over: England 11-0 (Rehan 7, Duckett 3) That Rehan boundary, it’s been a low-key start to the innings. No clues yet on the pitch – we’ll get that when the spinners come on.
2nd over: England 8-0 (Rehan 5, Duckett 3) A quiet first over from Liyanage, the highlight of which is a slash by Duckett that is well stopped on the boundary.
Updated
1st over: England 4-0 (Rehan 4, Duckett 0) Notorious D. I. G. – David Ivon Gower – is on commentary and the game is under way. After hitting the field with a couple of shots off Asitha Fernando, Rehan Ahmed times a beautiful push through the covers for four. This ain’t no nighthawk.
Liam Dawson has been around for England’s finest white-ball moments in the past decade. He was an uncapped inclusion in the 2016 World T20 touring party, when Eoin Morgan’s fresh-faced team were denied right at the end by Carlos Brathwaite’s “remember the name” sixes. He was there as a squad member on that golden day at Lord’s in 2019 and a travelling reserve when England won the T20 World Cup in Australia three years later.
But, remarkably, the 35-year-old is still waiting to make his debut at a global tournament. It has been an international career spent on call, limited to 33 appearances in all formats, his left-arm spin and handy batting there to use in case of emergency.
Team news
Sri Lanka Nissanka, Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya, Asalanka (c), Liyanage, P Rathnayeke, Wellalage, Hasaranga, Vandersay, A Fernando.
England Rehan, Duckett, Root, Bethell, Brook (c), Buttler (wk), Jacks, S Curran, J Overton, Dawson, Rashid.
Updated
England win the toss and bat
England are unchanged; Sri Lanka have brought in the brilliant Wanindu Hasaranga for Pramod Madushan.
Updated
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to the first series decider of 2026: Sri Lanka v England in Colombo, the third and final match of a largely meaningless and yet still engaging series. A mini-masterpiece from Joe Root on a dodgy wicket brought England level on Saturday; we’ll soon find out what kind of pitch we have today.
The match starts at 9am.
