Sri Lanka kicked off their home ODI series against England with a bang, defeating the visitors by 19 runs in the opener at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. Kusal Mendis’ near-century propelled the Lankans to a defendable 271, giving them a 1-0 advantage in the three-game series.

Captain Charith Asalanka’s decision to bat first after winning the toss paid dividends. The innings began brightly with openers Pathum Nissanka (21) and Kusal Mendis (27) putting on 50 runs in 10.3 overs. Early setbacks saw Sri Lanka slip to 54 for 2, but Mendis rebuilt with Dhananjaya de Silva (10) and later Asalanka (17).

The turning point came with Mendis’ masterful unbeaten 93 off 117 balls, including 11 fours, in a match-defining 88-run stand with Janith Liyanage (46). This effort lifted Sri Lanka to 271 for 6. Adil Rashid claimed 3 wickets for England, with others picking up one apiece.

England’s chase started shakily, losing Jack Crawley for 6. Ben Duckett (62 off 76) and Joe Root (61 off 90) then added 117 runs, keeping hopes alive. However, the middle order collapsed post-partnership, with Jamie Overton (34) and Rehan Ahmed (27) unable to finish the job. England folded at 252 in 49.2 overs.

Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling and fielding sealed the deal, marking a strong series opener. Fans are already buzzing about the next encounter, where England will look to bounce back.