Victory in the third ODI match to England, who defeated Sri Lanka

The touring England team managed to record a 53-run victory over Sri Lanka in the decisive third One-Day International (ODI) cricket match held today at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, thereby also winning the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the England team posted a massive total of 357 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets at the end of their allotted 50 overs, with Joe Root and Harry Brook strengthening the innings by recording valuable centuries. Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 111 runs, and Harry Brook, who scored an explosive 136 runs off 66 balls with 11 fours and 9 sixes, built a 191-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 113 balls. In addition to them, Jacob Bethell contributed 65 runs, adding strength to the innings.

Chasing a difficult target of 358 runs, the Sri Lankan team was all out for just 304 runs in 46.4 overs. Pawan Ratnayake played an excellent innings of 121 runs for Sri Lanka, and opening batsman Pathum Nissanka contributed with a half-century, but due to the failure of the other batsmen, they did not get an opportunity to reach victory.

For England, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson bowled with excellent control, taking 2 wickets for 48 runs, while three other bowlers also contributed to dismantling the Sri Lankan innings by taking 2 wickets each. Harry Brook was awarded the Player of the Match, and Joe Root was crowned Player of the Series for his performance, accumulating 247 runs throughout the series.

The first match of the three-match T20 series between the two countries is scheduled to be held on the upcoming Friday, January 30th, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.