Sri Lanka Spinners Dominate as England Fall 19 Runs Short in First ODI

Sri Lanka’s spinners exploited home conditions to perfection as the hosts defeated England by 19 runs in the opening match of the three-game ODI series on Thursday. On a slow, turning pitch, Sri Lanka defended a competitive total of 271 for six, bowling England out for 252 to take a 1–0 lead in the series.

With star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga rested, Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage stepped up with disciplined spells. Vandersay returned figures of 2 for 39, while left-arm spinner Wellalage claimed 2 for 41, consistently extracting grip and turn to restrict England’s scoring. The spinners’ control ensured that England were never fully comfortable during the chase.

England showed brief resistance through Ben Duckett and Joe Root, who added 117 runs for the third wicket. Duckett scored 62 and Root made 61, but Sri Lanka tightened the screws by operating spinners from both ends. Vandersay broke the stand when Duckett was trapped lbw attempting a reverse sweep, and Root was later dismissed lbw by Dhananjaya de Silva. Captain Charith Asalanka chipped in with a wicket as England slipped into trouble.

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Wellalage then struck twice in successive overs, removing Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran, reducing England to 165 for six. Although Jamie Overton and Rehan Ahmed counterattacked to briefly revive hopes, fast bowler Pramod Madushan’s clever variations and Vandersay’s late strike sealed the outcome for Sri Lanka.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s innings was anchored by Kusal Mendis, who remained unbeaten on 93 off 117 balls, striking 11 boundaries. After a steady opening stand, Mendis rebuilt the innings following early setbacks and found support from Janith Liyanage, who contributed 46 in an 88-run partnership.

Late acceleration from Wellalage, who smashed an unbeaten 25 off 12 balls, pushed Sri Lanka past the 270 mark. The all-round effort with both bat and ball gave the hosts a deserved victory and early momentum in the ODI series against England.

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