Jacks' all-round brilliance powers England to 89-run win over Sri Lanka
Will Jacks starred with bat and ball as England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the first ODI at Chester-le-Street
England produced a commanding all-round performance, riding on Will Jacks' allround brilliance, to defeat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the series-opening ODI at Chester-le-Street. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, England were bowled out for 265 in 48.1 overs, with Jacks contributing an unbeaten 46 off 47 balls after Harry Brook's half-century. Jacks then ran through Sri Lanka's middle and lower order with a fifer to deny them a shot at recovery, keeping them to 176 in reply.
Captain Harry Brook spearheaded the innings with a top score of 67 off 69 deliveries. He was well supported by Jacks, who crafted a fluent 46 not-out, and veteran batsman Joe Root, who contributed a vital 44. Root's knock was particularly historic, as he crossed the landmark milestone of 23,000 international runs across all formats. Key contributions also came from opener Ben Duckett, who struck 32, and Jos Buttler, who added a steady 31 to help build a defendable total, if not an overly commanding one.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack worked tirelessly to keep the host side in check, and all five bowlers deployed got on the board. Debutant legspinner Sachindu Colombage delivered an impressive spell, taking 3 for 44. Fast bowler Asitha Fernando also impressed with 3 for 53, while Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, and Dunith Wellalage claimed a wicket apiece to prevent England from batting through their allotted overs.
Chasing 266 for victory, Sri Lanka struggled to stitch partnerships and were eventually dismissed for 176 in 37 overs. Opener Pathum Nissanka reached the milestone of 3,000 ODI runs en route to his 37-ball 27. Kusal Mendis provided middle-order resistance with a solid 42, while Dunith Wellalage launched a spirited late counter-attack, top-scoring for the visitors with a quickfire 45 off just 36 balls. However, the rest of the Sri Lankan batting lineup failed to cope with the sustained pressure applied by England's attack.
The star performer of the match was undoubtedly Jacks, who earned Player of the Match honours for his equally crucial contribution with the ball. He tore through Sri Lanka's lower order to record his maiden five-wicket haul in ODI cricket, finishing with magnificent figures of 5 for 22 in seven overs. That said, it was Jamie Overton's twin strikes in quick succession that triggered a late collapse for Sri Lanka. Wellalage's fightback could only take the visitors as far as 176 in the face of regular wickets from a once comfortable position of 84/2 in the 20th over.
Brief scores: England 265 all out in 48.1 overs (Harry Brook 67, Will Jacks 46*, Joe Root 44; Sachindu Colombage 3-44, Asitha Fernando 3-53) beat Sri Lanka 176 all out in 37 overs (Dunith Wellalage 45, Kusal Mendis 42; Will Jacks 5-22, Jamie Overton 2-21) by 89 runs
