Chester-Le-Street (England), Sep 22 (AP) Harry Brook top-scored with 67 as England posted 265 all out on Tuesday in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, whose debutant leg spinner Sachindu Colombage claimed the wickets of star batters Joe Root and Jos Buttler in an impressive first international cricket match.
After winning the toss at Chester-le-Street, England — fresh off a 3-0 win over the Sri Lankans in their T20 series last week — raced along at nearly six runs per over for the first half of its innings, with opener Ben Duckett (32), Root (44) and Buttler (31) contributing along with Brook.
Sri Lanka dragged England back mainly thanks to Colombage, a 28-year-old spinner with an unusual action and plenty of drift in his deliveries.
Colombage (3-44) bowled Root — who become the eighth batter to pass 23,000 runs in international cricket — for a notable first wicket in internationals and later got rid of another dangerman by trapping Buttler lbw.
Will Jacks provided crucial late-innings runs for England with 46 not out — including four boundaries in a row off the third-to-last over — but the hosts failed to bat out their overs, getting dismissed with 11 balls remaining.
England was without spinner Adil Rashid because of an injury to his bowling hand that will lead to him missing the entire series. Tom Banton opened the batting in the absence of Jacob Bethell for just his second ODI in six years, and made 10.
(PTI News)
