Sri Lanka vs England: England out of tri-series after eight-wicket rout
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- England are out of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. Sri Lanka beat the hosts by eight wickets in Lahore on Tuesday.
- Dilshan Madushanka took 5-34, a career best, as Pakistan fell for 110. Sri Lanka chased the target in 18.1 overs.
- Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final. England face Sri Lanka in a dead rubber today at 1:00 PM PKT.
England's tri-series is over. Sri Lanka thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in Lahore on Tuesday. The result knocked Harry Brook's side out of the final race.
The game everyone is searching for, Sri Lanka vs England, is now a dead rubber. It starts today at Gaddafi Stadium at 1:00 PM PKT. The result cannot change the final line-up.
Pakistan will play Sri Lanka on Saturday.
What happened
Sri Lanka's captain Kusal Mendis won the toss on Tuesday. He chose to field first. It proved the right call.
Pakistan collapsed to 110 all out. Babar Azam top-scored with 29. Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka took five wickets for 34 runs. It was his best return in one-day cricket.
Spinner Sahan Arachchige took two for 24.
Sri Lanka chased the small target in 18.1 overs. They lost only two wickets. Kamindu Mendis hit 62 not out off 60 balls.
It was his fifth one-day fifty. Pavan Rathnayake finished 23 not out.
Pakistan's 110 was their second-lowest one-day total at home. Their only worse score was 75, also against Sri Lanka at this ground in 2009. That is according to Flashscore.
England needed Pakistan to win to stay alive. Brook's side had lost all three of their games. Sri Lanka's win ended their hopes.
Mendis praised his bowlers after the game.
"We executed our plans well and Dilshan bowled superbly, everyone is happy at the team's progress," Mendis said. Pakistan's stand-in captain Shaheen Shah Afridi faced the media too.
"We must forget this match and get ready for the final," Shaheen said. "We will come back in the final and bat stronger."
The week that broke England
England's campaign fell apart in three acts. First, they failed to chase 303. They were well placed at 120 for one. Then they could not defend 430 against Sri Lanka.
Then Pakistan beat them by one wicket on Sunday.
The 430 game was wild. It was played in Rawalpindi on October 22. England made 429 for four. Brook smashed 202. It was the fastest double century in men's one-day cricket, according to NDTV.
Will Jacks hit 66 off 30 balls.
Sri Lanka chased it down with one ball to spare. They finished on 430 for eight in 49.5 overs. Rathnayake scored 130 off 106 balls.
Dasun Shanaka made 97 off 50. Janith Liyanage hit 61 not out off 27. It was the second-highest successful chase in one-day history.
On Sunday, Pakistan chased 242 to beat England by one wicket. England had reduced Pakistan to 154 for nine. Jamie Overton took three wickets in a fine ten-over spell.
But the last-wicket stand of 89 won the game. Ben Duckett's 105 was the bright spot for England with the bat.
Why it matters
This exit hurts England. They had started to rebuild this year. They won a one-day series away in Sri Lanka.
They beat India and Sri Lanka at home too.
That progress followed dark years. England defended the 2023 World Cup badly. They left last year's Champions Trophy without a single win.
The next World Cup is in southern Africa next year. Tours like this one were meant to build toward it.
England's core problem was balance. Their batting and bowling never clicked in the same game. Brook's side produced fine individual displays.
They could not turn good positions into wins. That is according to PK Revenue.
For Sri Lanka, the win showed bounce-back ability. They lost the tournament opener to Pakistan by 37 runs. Then they hunted down 430. Then they bowled Pakistan out for 110. Two very different wins in a week.
The points table tells the story. Pakistan finished with six points from three wins. Sri Lanka took four points.
England finished with none.
What happens next
Today's game is a dead rubber. That means the result changes nothing. England cannot reach the final.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are already through.
Sri Lanka will use it as a warm-up for Saturday's final. England will play for pride. They want to end a bad tour on a high.
The match starts at 1:00 PM PKT in Lahore. The toss is at 12:30 PM PKT.
Saturday's final is Pakistan vs Sri Lanka. It is at Gaddafi Stadium too. Pakistan won the first meeting between the sides by 37 runs.
Sri Lanka won the second by eight wickets. The final is the decider.
England fly to Australia next. They play three one-day games and five T20s. The tour starts on November 13. They play a warm-up against a Western Australia XI on November 7 in Perth.
History says Sri Lanka vs England is always close. The sides have met 89 times in one-day cricket. England have 42 wins.
Sri Lanka have 40. One game was tied. Six had no result. Today adds chapter 90.
Related stories
Why Is Altitude Sickness Worse for Some People?
Altitude sickness hits some people harder because of genetics, ascent speed, and prior history, not fitness level. Here is what raises risk
Why Do You Get Blisters When Hiking and How to Prevent Them
Friction plus moisture plus heat equals a blister. Learn why hiking breeds all three, and the boots, socks, and tape system that keeps
How to choose hiking boots for beginners: fit, features, and break-in
Beginners should buy for fit first: snug everywhere, tight nowhere, with a thumb's width at the toes. Here is how to size, test,