Captain Harry Brook’s blistering 57-ball hundred proved the difference as England romped to a famous 53-run victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday (January 27) to clinch the series and end the hosts’ five-year-long unbeaten ODI home run.
Sri Lanka had gone 12 series unbeaten at home, winning 11 and drawing one, but Brook’s counter-punch knocked them off their perch and swung the momentum decisively England’s way.
“It was a lot better pitch than we expected. It was an awesome effort from everyone involved,” said Brook, the England captain.
“Joe Root in particular was sensational. We are pretty pleased with the way the spinners went about things and that’s a good sign ahead of the World Cup.”
Chasing a daunting 358 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, the
hosts came out all guns blazing, racing to 104 inside ten overs of the Powerplay.
But once the field spread, the boundaries dried up.
In a bid to keep up with the required run-rate, Sri Lanka’s batters took the aerial route and paid the price, as England snapped up catches with sharp work in the deep.
Young Pavan Rathnayake stood tall amid the collapse, unfurling a maiden international hundred that underlined his promise.
He was the last man out for 121 off 115 balls, striking 12 fours and a six, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304 in 46.4 overs.
England, who had stumbled in the opening ODI, found their rhythm as the series wore on, adapting quickly to oppressive heat and turning tracks.
After squaring the contest on Saturday, they delivered a polished all-round display when it mattered most.
The defeat saw Sri Lanka slip one place to sixth in the ICC ODI rankings, with South Africa moving up to fifth.
Brook’s brutal 136 not out off just 66 balls was an exhibition of clean hitting that left the home attack gasping for air and the 4,000-strong English contingent of supporters in raptures as the tourists finished on 357 for three, having opted to bat first.
Brook’s 11 fours and nine sixes was power hitting with a surgeon’s precision, a blend of muscle and timing that gave England the advantage.
Brook had walked into the series under the microscope following revelations that he was fined £30,000 after a nightclub altercation in New Zealand last October.
But he looked to have put the incident behind him in posting his third ODI hundred.
The platform was laid by an unbroken 191-run stand with former skipper Joe Root for the fourth wicket, a partnership that gave England total control.
With 130 runs scored in the last 10 overs, England turned a strong total into a mountainous one.
Root’s own milestone, his 20th ODI hundred, was overshadowed by Brook’s masterclass.
The former captain remained unbeaten on 111, continuing his role as Sri Lanka’s chief tormentor after half centuries in the first two ODIs.
Earlier, a 126 run stand between Root and Jacob Bethell for the third wicket had set the stage for the late innings carnage.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers simply had no answers.
It was England’s highest score against Sri Lanka in ODIs.
It was also the fourth-highest score at the venue, where anything north of 300 is usually a match-winning one.
“Harry Brook just took the game away from us. It was a stunning knock,” said Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.
“But (there were a) lot of positives for us. Pavan Rathnayake has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket and he showcased what he can do today.”
(With inputs from AFP)
