Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Sri Lanka Beat England By 16 Runs At Headingley After Mendis 121
Kusal Mendis scored 121 as Sri Lanka posted 321-6 at Headingley. Dunith Wellalage took three wickets to help Sri Lanka win by 16 runs.
Buttler injury described as torn muscle vs generic hamstring.
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Buttler injury derails chase
Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs in the second one-day international at Headingley after Kusal Mendis scored 121 and Dunith Wellalage took three wickets. England chased 322 but finished on 305-9 in 50 overs, with Tom Banton scoring 73 and Jos Buttler making 69 before retiring hurt with a hamstring injury on 67. England needed 68 from 75 balls when Buttler retired hurt, and England later needed 19 from the final over as Will Jacks fell for 52.
Wellalage’s spell included dismissing Ben Duckett for 67 and stumping Banton for 73, and the left-arm spinner finished with figures of 3-49. The series decider was set for The Oval after Sri Lanka leveled the three-match ODI series at 1-1.
Brook and Mendis react
Harry Brook said, "It is always disappointing when you lose," after England were restricted to 305 for nine. Brook added that "Sri Lanka played exceptionally well, especially the last 10-15 overs," as the visitors used reverse swing to deny England’s lower order. Kusal Mendis backed Sri Lanka’s performance by saying, "I'm so happy winning and getting the hundred," after his 121 at Headingley.
The match swung after Buttler pulled up with what a team spokesman later described as a "left hamstring twinge" and retired hurt with England still needing 68 off 75 balls. Dunith Wellalage’s three-wicket burst reduced England to 157-3, and the chase ended when Buttler was caught at deep mid-wicket for 69.
Decider at The Oval
Sri Lanka’s win set up a series decider at The Oval, with England set to regroup after a chase that ended at 305-9. England’s momentum was halted as Buttler’s injury derailed the hosts’ attempt to seal the Metro Bank One-Day Series at Headingley. Sky Sports said the series would now be decided on Sunday September 27 at The Kia Oval, with first ball at 10.30am.
“Having the opportunity to play in a decider will only benefit us.”
The AFP report described the result as a last-over thriller, with Wellalage and Mendis starring as Sri Lanka leveled the series at 1-1. England’s next match was framed as a chance for pressure situations ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup, with Brook saying, "Having the opportunity to play in a decider will only benefit us."