Colombo: Batting legend Joe Root and skipper Harry Brooke scored blistering centuries as England cruised to a resounding 53-run victory in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
Electing to bat first, the tour team posted a mammoth total of 357/3 in their 50 overs with a mammoth 166-run partnership between the two centurions.
England had a mixed start to their innings as they were 40/2 in 10.3 overs after openers Rehan Ahmed and Ben Duckett were dismissed for 24 and 7 respectively.
Following an early stutter, Jacob Bethel joined Root in the middle and both batted smartly to stabilize the innings, adding 126 for the third wicket, falling to Geoffrey Vandersay on the first delivery of the 32nd over.
Bethel scored 65 off 72 balls with the help of 8 fours and was a significant contributor to England’s total with a half-century.
Brought out to bat with the scoreboard reading 166/3 in 31.1 overs, Brooke guided England to a commanding position with a belligerent attack, eventually scoring a 57-ball century.
He scored 136 runs off 66 balls with 11 fours and nine sixes and was adjudged man of the match.
On the other hand, Root scored an unbeaten 111 off 108 balls with 9 fours and a six.
Dhananjaya De Silva, Vanindu Hazaranga and Wanderse can take one wicket each for the Sri Lankan side.
Chasing a tough target of 358 runs, they managed to amass 304 runs in 46.4 overs despite Pawan Ratnayake’s century and Pathum Nissanga’s half-century.
The home side got off to a flamboyant start as they reached 94/2 in nine overs.
Nissanga fell to Jamie Overton after scoring 50 off 25 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes.
Following his dismissal, Ratnayake took control of Sri Lanka’s continuity but lost support from the other end.
He was eventually dismissed by Sam Curran off the fourth ball of the 47th ball and his dismissal marked the end of Sri Lanka’s innings. The right-handed batsman departed again after top-scoring with 121 off 115 balls with 12 fours and a six.
For England, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson and Overton took 2 wickets each and Curran took a decisive scalp.