Ali’s report is in and, with that, goodnight. Thanks for joining.
Elsewhere:
Kusal Mendis is the player of the match for his century but he also deserves credit for a big call with the ball: continuing with Sachindu Colombage after Jos Buttler tucked into him, leading to the wicket of Joe Root.
Not a bad way to close the summer this: a series decider at the Oval on Sunday. Weather’s been decent in London the last couple of days, too.
I’ll be honest, I have my moments where I question the point of 50-over cricket … but this was a nice reminder of how thrilling this format can be.
After four comprehensive defeats, Sri Lanka are finally up and running on this tour. The turning point has to be Jos Buttler’s injury, tweaking his left hamstring when the game was heading England’s way. In the end, the matchwinners are Kusal Mendis with his 121 and Dunith Wellalage with his three wickets.
Sri Lanka win by 16 runs!
We’re heading to a decider!
49.5: Another dot.
49.4: Archer swings hard outside off but the ball finds short extra cover. That should be the game. England need 17 from two.
49.3: WHAT A STOP! Archer smashes the ball down the ground for what seems a certain six, but Kamindu Mendis leaps to his left to keep it in. It’s, well, a dropped catch … but let’s not be silly.
49.2: Full toss from the seamer, and Tongue bunts for one. Archer can certainly hit them. England need 17 from four.
49.2: Madushanka sends down a wide!
England need 19 from five balls. Josh Tongue is the last man in.
WICKET! Buttler c Kamindu Mendis b Madushanka 69 (England 303-9)
Madushanka is in from over the wicket, Buttler – somehow – connects … but finds the man at deep midwicket.
49th over: England 303-8 (Buttler 69, Archer 0) Archer can’t get Malinga away and England need 19 from the last over, with Buttler – in serious pain – on strike.
WICKET! Jacks c Liyanage b Malinga 52 (England 303-8)
Buttler tries a scoop but doesn’t get any bat on it. He then awkwardly swishes to long-off and hobbles again for one. Malinga nails his yorker to Jacks, who is swinging for the hills now. And he goes! The ball flies high into the sky and Janith Liyanage runs in from long-on to collect. Jacks can’t finish the job tonight.
Half-century for Will Jacks
48th over: England 302-7 (Buttler 68, Jacks 52) Buttler returns with a dodgy left hamstring and is clearly in pain as he swings away for one. And Jacks middles the last ball of the over for a straight six! What a game! England need 20 from 12 balls.
JOS BUTTLER’S BACK!
LET ME REPEAT: JOS BUTTLER’S BACK!
WICKET! Overton c Asalanka b Fernando 2 (England 295-7)
Overton crunches Fernando to long-off for one before Jacks swings to the square-leg rope for four! That’s the first boundary in years! The yorker follows before a full toss … Overton doesn’t middle it and Asalanka takes a brilliant grab running back to mid-off! There’s a check to see if it’s a waist-high no-ball but I think it’ll be OK … and it is.
47th over: England 289-6 (Overton 1, Jacks 41) Some turnaround this. England need 33 from 18 balls.
WICKET! Atkinson c Rathnayake b Malinga 16 (England 288-6)
Malinga sends in a fierce yorker, living up to his name. An off-cutter follows and Jacks can’t connect properly. And then another terrific, reverse-swinging yorker that Jacks plays back to the bowler.
Oh, that feels harsh from the umps, calling a wide on a slower ball. That looked OK to me. And then, finally, a wicket! Atkinson pulls straight to deep midwicket and Malinga fully deserves it. Sri Lanka are well in control here.
46th over: England 285-5 (Atkinson 15, Jacks 40) Atkinson dives to make his ground at the non-striker’s end and take a blow to the helmet from the throw directed at the stumps. Ow. Jacks flicks down the leg-side but Kusal Mendis makes a vital stop to deny a boundary. Fernando continues to search for the toe-thumping yorker before surprising Atkinson with a bouncer. This is strong death bowling, and I reckon this is Sri Lanka’s game now. England need 37 from 24 balls.
45th over: England 280-5 (Atkinson 12, Jacks 38) Wellalage rips the ball past the outside edge and narrowly misses off-stump. The dots are really piling up now for England, with Atkinson getting a big forward-defence out. The left-arm spinner concedes just one as Atkinson keeps the strike and he finishes with figures of three for 49. England need 42 from 30 balls.
44th over: England 279-5 (Atkinson 11, Jacks 38) Asitha Fernando finds Atkinson’s front pad and roars in appeal … but that looks to be sliding down the leg-side. But he’s out the next ball! It’s a tailing yorker, one of Fernando’s specialities, and Atkinson’s going to review after being hit on the toes … that’s sliding down leg I reckon. Yep, just missing. The barest of margins. Nonetheless, it is another dot ball, that required rate climbing. A wide helps England and they need 43 from 36 balls.
43rd over: England 275-5 (Atkinson 9, Jacks 37) Wellalage tweaks away in his penultimate over, the singles continuing. England need 47 from 42 balls.
42nd over: England 269-5 (Atkinson 5, Jacks 35) Madushanka is keeping it very tight from around the wicket, with Atkinson taking a single after a couple of dots. The seamer opts for a slower-ball bouncer to Jacks, who remains calm. The equation still favours England as these two keep churning out ones.
41st over: England 265-5 (Atkinson 3, Jacks 33) Colombage is back, that required rate above six now. Rathnayake has been great at short extra cover and makes another diving stop there. Jacks and Atkinson have to settle for singles. England need 57 from 54 balls.
40th over: England 259-5 (Atkinson 0, Jacks 30) Gus Atkinson gets a go at No 8. England need 63 from 60 balls.
WICKET! Ahmed c Kusal Mendis b Madushanka 0 (England 259-5)
Jacks very nearly punches into extra cover’s hands off Madushanka, who gets Ahmed! The seamer goes short and the batter gets a bit of glove down the leg-side, failing with his pull shot.
39th over: England 256-4 (Ahmed 0, Jacks 27) A good stop at short extra cover from Rathnayake keeps Jacks on strike as Wellalage tries to squeeze out a few dots. Rehan Ahmed gets the forward defence out and it’s a good over for Sri Lanka. England need 66 from 66 balls.
