A beautiful batting surface and a greased lightning outfield made this second one-day international wildly different from the first 48 hours earlier. Unfortunately for England, on the wrong end of a thriller, the result was wildly different too.
Set 322 to win, and boosted by a rapid-fire 143-run opening stand between Ben Duckett and Tom Banton, England had appeared on course to wrap up the series with a match to spare. But Sri Lanka refused to give up, delivering a famous shutout and profiting from an injury to Jos Buttler to win by 16 runs.
It was agony for Buttler, who had earlier pulled up with a hamstring problem on 66 when the equation was 68 to win off 75 balls. Re-emerging when this became 27 needed off 14, the 36-year-old was unable to run singles, watched Will Jacks hole out for 52, and then eventually perished himself in the final over.
As it is, the series now heads to a decider at the Oval on Sunday that Buttler will miss and where Sri Lanka will be buoyant. Their captain, Kusal Mendis, had delivered a sparkling 121 from 100 balls, before Dunith Wellalage’s three-wicket haul and a fine display of death bowling brought a run of four defeats on tour to a juddering halt.
“It is always disappointing when you lose,” said Harry Brook, having seen England stumble to 305 for nine. “I thought Sri Lanka played exceptionally well, especially the last 10-15 overs. They were electric in the field. They nailed every ball.
“Jos being the player he is, getting injured at that moment isn’t ideal. You can’t dwell on that too much. I don’t think he ever had any doubt in his mind. It was a matter of when we were going to send him out really.
“Tight games are always good games to watch and good games to be a part of. Having the opportunity to play in a decider will only benefit us.”
Headingley may have been bathed in sunshine for much of the day but half-full stands perhaps said something about the appetite for September internationals in this part of the world. Although try telling that to the Sri Lankan supporters, who outnumbered those of Pakistan during the recent Tests and loved every minute.
Their afternoon was lit up by Kusal Mendis and was aided by a string of useful cameos from his teammates. Plenty was loaded in the favour of the batters but the right-hander’s innings was no less thrilling, with 14 fours and three sixes pinging sweetly off the bat to seal his first international century on English soil.
One crucial chance came and went for England, however, when a top-edge off Jamie Overton sent one high into the sky on 17, Gus Atkinson misjudged the ball’s trajectory in the deep and it spilled out of his hands. Had it stuck, England’s task with the bat would probably have been far more straightforward.
Atkinson was the pick of the England bowlers, at least, finishing with two for 55 from his 10 overs and his removal of Kamindu Mendis for 54 – Brook clinical under another high ball – broke a 137-run stand for the second wicket. Rehan Ahmed, who saw his first ball disappear for six, came back well to pick up two for 48 from eight overs.
It was tough going in the main, however, with hard length the order of the day for the quicks but the margin for error minimal. Overton saw two chances go down off his bowling and Kusal Mendis successfully review a phantom nick behind on 99. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue likewise leaked runs, while Jacks was no doubt yearning for the assistance he had enjoyed 48 hours earlier.
Things were no less tricky when it was Sri Lanka’s turn in the field and Duckett and Banton tucked into some wayward new-ball bowling. But the introduction of Wellalage’s left-arm spin flipped the script, inducing a collapse of three for 14 in 23 balls that sent something of a pleasure cruise into far choppier waters.
Duckett was bowled through the gate for 67, Banton was stumped for 73 trying to launch a fourth six, and Brook was pinned lbw for one on review. When Joe Root chipped Sachindu Colombage to cover for 15 – the leg-spinner having otherwise endured a difficult second album following that eye-catching debut on Tuesday – England were suddenly 203 for four in the 29th over.
Buttler responded in incendiary fashion. But when his hamstring popped and was followed by Ahmed gloving behind for a five-ball duck, Sri Lanka believed once more. In the end an excellent display of yorkers from their quicks that starved England’s lower order of boundaries proved the difference.
