England’s dominance over Sri Lanka flows on to the one-dayers. Sri Lanka batting inconsistency continues in worrying fashion-by Trevine Rodrigo
Kusal Mendis’s return to the Sri Lanka squad was welcome but it mattered little as England heaped more pain on the tourists with an 89-run win in the first of three one-dayers at Chester-le-Street in Durham.
Mendis made 42 off 60 balls in his valuable innings but Sri Lanka’s batting collapsed once again and could only muster 176 off 37 overs which was uncompetitive, chasing 265 for victory.
Sri Lanka’s batters fell to the guiles of spinner Will Jacks who spun a web around them and the sorry story of over exuberance and failure in the middle order saw them crash well within the allotted 50 overs.
Jacks turned in a memorable performance claiming 5 for 22 off 7 overs and with Jamie Overton 2 for 21 and Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Rehan Ahmed one each, demolished an unenterprising Sri Lanka batting line-up.
What was most disappointing was that Sri Lanka’s bowlers did well to contain England’s strong batting to 265 all out in 48.1 overs.
But the now established batting failures showed that they are nowhere close to the evolving skills required for the modern one-day game.
After a drubbing in the T20 series, Sri Lanka were expected to lift with a new squad that saw Wannindu Hasarsnga and Dasun Shanaka benched after little contribution in the shorter format.
It made little difference apart from the unearthing of another gem in Sachindu Colombage who announced his debut with a superb effort with the ball claiming 3 for 44 with his leg spin, and then going on to make 14 runs off 14 balls with the bat.
England won the toss and batted first.
They lost 1 for 16 when consistent Asitha Fernando made an early breakthrough bowling Tom Banton for 10 and then Ben Duckett departed with the score at 64, trapped in front by Dinuth Wellalage.
But Joe Root and skipper Harry Brooks, 67 off 69, stemmed the rot and carried the total to 3 for 135 before Root was dismissed for a well compiled 44 off 52 balls.
Brooks, Jos Buttler 31 off 33 and Will Jacks, 46 off 47 balls, accelerated the total as England made a competitive 265 all out.
Asitha Fernando, 3 for 53 and debutante Sachindu Colombage 3 for 44 were the successful Sri Lanka bowlers with Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera and Dunith Wellalage claiming a wicket apiece.
Sri Lanka’s batting procession then followed, as just four batters reached double figures.
It would have looked a lot worse if not for a defiant 45 off 36 balls from young all-rounder Dinuth Wellalage who showed the seniors in the team how it should be done. Wellalage heaved 2 sixers and struck 5 fours in an entertaining knock.
Sri Lanka’s coaching panel need to come up with quick solution’s to their batting woes which doesn’t seem to have answers in all formats when they return from this tour with forgettable memories.
Kusal Mendis’s return to the fold however, has reignited a better mindset within the team but what’s concerning is there’s more to be extracted from a squad is not devoid of talent, but lack the proper temperament and application to the different formats.
Bouncing back and winning this series is important to Sri Lanka’s image going forward. Lesser teams have troubled England recently.
