England 357 for 3 (Brook 136*, Root 111*, Bethell 65) beat Sri Lanka 304 (Rathnayake 121, Nissanka 50, Jacks 2-43) by 53 runs
England sealed a statement 53-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI at Colombo to clinch the series 2–1, riding on a breathtaking display of batting muscle that overwhelmed the hosts on a surface traditionally hostile to chases.
England’s innings gathered momentum slowly before erupting into something altogether more destructive. After choosing to bat, they were kept quiet early, crawling to 40 for 2 inside 11 overs with Ben Duckett and Rehan Ahmed unable to break free. Joe Root, arriving in the seventh over, provided calm amid the restraint, restoring order with the kind of control that has come to define his one-day batting in recent years.
Root found a willing partner in Jacob Bethell, and together they negotiated Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy attack with patience rather than power. Bethell’s 65 was built on sound judgement and sharp running, while Root accumulated with minimal fuss, reaching his half-century off 54 balls with only occasional boundary-hitting. By the time Bethell fell, England were well placed, but the innings was still some distance from the carnage that followed.
That changed dramatically with the arrival of Harry Brook. From his first boundary, steered behind square, Brook injected a sense of inevitability into England’s acceleration. What followed was a sustained assault of rare ferocity. Root reached his 20th ODI hundred off 100 balls and then played the perfect supporting role as Brook took centre stage.
The Root–Brook partnership was worth a staggering 191 runs from just 113 deliveries. Brook’s 136 not out came from only 65 balls and featured nine sixes and 11 fours, with the final overs leaving Sri Lanka reeling. England plundered 88 runs from the last five overs, including 40 from the final two, as Brook dismantled both spin and seam with extraordinary clean hitting. England finished on a daunting 357 for 3, a total that always felt beyond reach.
Sri Lanka’s reply began with intent. Pathum Nissanka tore into the new ball, racing to 50 off just 25 deliveries to briefly tilt the chase in the hosts’ favour. But his dismissal in the 10th over triggered a familiar slide. Wickets fell with damaging regularity, and despite flashes of resistance, Sri Lanka were soon forced into a repair job rather than a pursuit.
Pavan Rathnayake, batting at No. 4, supplied the innings with much-needed substance. Playing only his fourth ODI, he crafted a superb maiden international century, striking 121 from 115 balls with 12 fours and a six. Confident against spin and decisive when advancing down the track, Rathnayake kept Sri Lanka mathematically alive deep into the chase, even as partners departed around him.
England’s bowlers shared the workload efficiently through the middle overs. Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton and Will Jacks all claimed two wickets, ensuring Sri Lanka never built the kind of sustained momentum required for such a chase. Rathnayake refused to shut shop, continuing to attack even as the required rate climbed beyond 12, but his dismissal to Sam Curran in the 47th over effectively ended the contest. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304.
The result hands England their first away ODI series win since March 2023 and inflicts Sri Lanka’s first home bilateral ODI series defeat since 2021. On a decisive night in Colombo, England’s batting might proved simply overwhelming.
