Wellalage joins the Mendis pair to hand Sri Lanka their first win
ThePapareNews article
Backed by fighting innings from Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis, along with Dunith Wellalage's attacking bowling, Sri Lanka managed to secure a 16-run win over hosts England in the 2nd One Day International.
With that, Sri Lanka levelled the three-match ODI series against England 1-1.
The match was played as a day/night fixture at the Headingley ground in Leeds on the 24th.
Notably, this is the first time in 7 years that Sri Lanka have beaten an England side in an ODI in England, their last such victory coming at this very ground in 2019.
Accordingly, in the 24 years that have passed since 2002, Sri Lanka have not had the chance to beat an England side at this ground.
Winning the toss, the touring Sri Lankans batted first and posted 321 for 6, and in reply England could manage only 305 for 9.
Sri Lanka went into this match with one change. Eshan Malinga was brought in for Dushmantha Chameera, who played the previous match. England fielded the same side as before.
Sri Lanka squad
Kusal Mendis (captain and wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Sachindu Colombage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.
England squad
Harry Brook (captain), Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.
Batting first, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis put together a successful, if slow-moving, partnership for Sri Lanka. The pair added 45 runs in 55 balls for the 1st wicket.
That stand was broken by the dismissal of Pathum Nissanka. He departed having made 25 runs off 33 balls with 3 fours and a six.
Captain Kusal Mendis then joined the middle. Together with former vice-captain Kamindu Mendis he added a century stand for the 2nd wicket in 91 balls. By then both batters had recorded their half-centuries.
That partnership, worth 137 runs off 120 balls, ended with the dismissal of Kamindu Mendis. He left having scored 54 runs off 65 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes. It was his fourth half-century in ODI cricket.
After his dismissal, Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake added 40 runs in 40 balls for the 3rd wicket before the stand was broken on the so-called nervous score of 222.
Captain Kusal Mendis was the man to fall. He departed having made 121 runs off 100 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes. Notably, Kusal Mendis, who reached the 7th century of his ODI career off the 82nd ball he faced, achieved the feat after a gap of 10 innings.
What is more, Kusal Mendis's century is the first by a Sri Lankan batter against England in England in 11 years. The last Sri Lankan to score a hundred against England in England was Kumar Sangakkara in 2015.
After his dismissal, Charith Asalanka fell for the 4th wicket having made 11 runs off 28 balls with 2 fours, while Pavan Rathnayake was run out as the innings' 5th wicket, having made 48 runs off 39 balls with 2 fours and a six.
By then Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage had also added a 46-run stand in 30 balls for that wicket. Janith Liyanage then became the last batter dismissed in the innings. He fell with 10 balls still left in the innings, having made 32 runs off 26 balls with 4 fours. He had also added 30 runs in 22 balls with Dunith Wellalage for that wicket.
At the end of Sri Lanka's allotted overs, Dunith Wellalage was unbeaten on 16 off 15 balls with a four, and Sachindu Colombage was unbeaten on 3 off 4 balls.
With the ball, Rehan Ahmed and Gus Atkinson claimed two wickets apiece, while Jofra Archer also took a wicket.
Needing a required rate of about 6.44 runs per over, the England openers finished their first 10 overs without losing a wicket, maintaining a rate of 8.2 runs.
Tom Banton and Ben Duckett together terrorised the Sri Lankan bowlers in that first-wicket stand worth 143 runs off 118 balls.
That partnership ended when a ball from Dunith Wellalage, bowling the 20th over of the innings, struck the stumps directly to dismiss Ben Duckett. By then he had made 67 runs off 63 balls with 9 fours. It was his 10th half-century in ODI cricket.
After his dismissal, the other opener Tom Banton also fell on the last ball of the next over bowled by Dunith Wellalage. With Kusal Mendis breaking the stumps from behind, his innings ended on 73 runs off 62 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes.
It became his best ODI innings and was the 2nd half-century he has recorded.
Dunith Wellalage then also ended the innings of captain Harry Brook (1), who came in after those two, in the following over. These 3 wickets taken by Dunith Wellalage in 3 successive overs disrupted England's scoring rate.
After those dismissals, Jos Buttler and Joe Root once again brought terror to the Sri Lankan bowlers. The pair added a stand of 46 runs in 28 balls for the 4th wicket. That threat too ended when Joe Root was dismissed for 15 off 17 balls with a four.
But Jos Buttler and Will Jacks once again enriched England's scoreboard. While the pair were adding a stand of 51 runs in 56 balls for the 5th wicket, Jos Buttler had to leave the field with an injury, and Sri Lanka regained control of the match.
Of the batters who came in from then on, only Gus Atkinson (16) reached double figures, and the Sri Lankan bowlers did not allow any other batter to pass that mark.
Will Jacks fell as the innings' 8th wicket having made 52 runs off 61 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes, while Jos Buttler returned to the crease and fell as the 9th wicket having made 69 runs off 49 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes.
With the ball, Dunith Wellalage recorded the best bowling of the innings with 3 wickets for 49 runs, while Eshan Malinga and Dilshan Madushanka took two wickets apiece and Sachindu Colombage and Asitha Fernando one each.
Match scorecard in brief
- Sri Lanka – 321 for 6 (50.0) Pathum Nissanka 25, Kamindu Mendis 54, Kusal Mendis 121, Pavan Rathnayake 48, Janith Liyanage 32, Dunith Wellalage 16 not out, Gus Atkinson 2/55, Rehan Ahmed 2/48
- England – 305 for 9 (50.0) Tom Banton 73, Ben Duckett 67, Jos Buttler 69, Will Jacks 52, Dilshan Madushanka 2/54, Eshan Malinga 2/50, Dunith Wellalage 3/49
Sri Lanka won by 16 runs.
Player of the Match – Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
The 3rd and final ODI between the two nations is scheduled to be played as a day/night match on the 29th of this month at the Kennington Oval in London.
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Based on ThePapare reporting