Sports22 September, 20262 min read
Will Jacks Takes Career-Best 5-22 as England Beat Sri Lanka by 89 Runs
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Will Jacks took 5-22 and scored an unbeaten 46. England posted 265 all out and won by 89 runs.
Jacks and Brook lead
England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street, with Harry Brook making 67 and Will Jacks taking career-best 5-22. England posted 265 all out in 48.1 overs after electing to bat, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 176 in 37 overs on a slow, low pitch. Jacks scored an unbeaten 46, and Reuters said the innings was guided by Brook’s 67 from 69 balls before Brook was holed out at deep cover.
Sri Lanka struggled to form partnerships as the home side’s bowlers limited their scoring and took regular wickets. The second match in the series will be played in Leeds on Thursday, before a final clash at The Oval on Sunday.
Captain and spinner praise
Harry Brook told Sky Sports that, "It wasn’t the easiest of surfaces but we want to be a team that can adapt to conditions and get a win when they are not in our favour and I thought we did that very well today." Brook added, "Jacks is an outstanding player and has been for many years now," describing how Jacks came into the middle order role and played his part with the ball. Jacks wrapped up the tail for career-best figures of 5-22 after taking the big wickets of Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka.
England can seal a third ODI series win in a row with a game to spare on Thursday at Headingley. Kusal Mendis scored 42 from 60 balls, but Sri Lanka could not stem the flow of wickets and were all out for 176.
Series context and next steps
England entered the ODI series after winning the T20 series between the countries 3-0 last week, and the first ODI victory extended their white-ball dominance over Sri Lanka. England have now won 10 white-ball matches in a row against Sri Lanka this year, and the win was framed as part of a quiet revival in white-ball cricket. England extended their white-ball dominance by winning the first one-day international by 89 runs on the back of a 67 by captain Harry Brook and a five-wicket haul by part-time spinner Will Jacks.
England’s good recent run in the format continued ahead of next year’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kusal Mendis said, "We have to try and create something more special in the middle order and had to score more boundaries earlier (in the innings)" after England restricted Sri Lanka to 176 all out.