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38th over: Sri Lanka 246-6 (Rathnayake 87, Wellalage 21) Brook persists with Bethell, who’s done pretty well. He nearly does even better as a slog-sweep from Wellalage sails towards Duckett at deep square – but it’s dropped! That’s the first blemish in the field from England today. Wellalage celebrates by hitting the last ball of the over for six over long-off. That’s ten off the over.
37th over: Sri Lanka 236-6 (Rathnayake 86, Wellalage 13) Rashid takes over from Rehan, the master replacing the apprentice. The batters aren’t bothered: they take six singles. SL need 122 from 13 overs at 9.38.
Updated at 10.43 EST
Drinks: SL’s hopes rest on Rathnayake
36th over: Sri Lanka 230-6 (Rathnayake 83, Wellalage 10) Bethell needs to get through this over without conceding a four, and he does. That’s drinks, with SL needing another 128 from 84 balls, and Pavan Rathnayake doing his damnedest to stop this being Harry Brook’s finest hour in ODI cricket.
Updated at 10.32 EST
35th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (Rathnayake 79, Wellalage 9) Do Sri Lanka still believe? Pavan Rathnayake does! Facuing Rehan, he thumps a full toss for four, then makes a decent ball into another full toss by coming down the track and belting that for four too. Nine off the over – but that’s what they need every over now, so England remain the favourites.
34th over: Sri Lanka 216-6 (Rathnayake 70, Wellalage 9) If Morgan was still in charge, England would have had a slip for all these spinners and maybe a short leg too. Brook, who did well to bring a slip in a while ago, has now taken him out again and it costs him as Jacks twice finds the edge of Dunith Wellalage’s bat. One nick is stopped by short third, the other sneaks away for four. Seven off the over.
Updated at 10.28 EST
33rd over: Sri Lanka 209-6 (Rathnayake 68, Wellalage 4) Another decent over from Rehan, another four singles. The rate required has risen to 8.76, which will be too much for the lower order unless somebody launches a blitz.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 205-6 (Rathnayake 66, Wellalage 2) Will Jacks may not look much of a bowler but he has 2-36 off seven overs today, while England’s other four spinners have 1-97 from 18 overs between them.
ShareWICKET! Dhananjaya c Brook b Jacks 9 (Sri Lanka 202-6)
Another catch in the ring! Dhananjaya’s attempted slog goes straight to midwicket, and Brook has his third catch of the day. He may also have his hands on the Player of the Match award.
England’s Will Jacks celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/APShare
Updated at 10.40 EST
31st over: Sri Lanka 202-5 (Rathnayake 65, Dhananjaya 9) And here comes England’s fifth spinner, Rehan Ahmed. Like Bethell, he’s an exciting cricketer, and he too starts well – four singles.
At this stage of England’s innings, the score was 166-2 and Harry Brook hadn’t faced a ball.
30th over: Sri Lanka 198-5 (Rathnayake 63, Dhananjaya 7) Rashid bowls his seventh over and almost picks up a caught-and-bowled as Rathnayake mistimes a shovel off the back foot, but it’s one of those nasty ones that you have to dive forward for. With 20 overs left, Sri Lanka need 160. The arithmetic is straightforward; the task is not.
29th over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Rathnayake 61, Dhananjaya 4) Bethell offers his first freebie, straying outside off, and Rathnayake helps himself to a cut for four. Eight off the over, which is just what SL need. According to CricViz, they have a 6pc chance of managing it.
28th over: Sri Lanka 185-5 (Rathnayake 55, Dhananjaya 2) Rathnayake, facing Rashid, glances for two to reach a first fine careful fifty in his fourth one-day international. He will have to make at least another fifty and he’s already on the way, adding four more as a thick edge squirts away to third man.
Updated at 10.02 EST
27th over: Sri Lanka 177-5 (Rathnayake 48, Dhananjaya 1) Bethell continues and does well again, going for only two. The rate required is climbing, to 7.86 now, and SL are still not quite halfway there.
26th over: Sri Lanka 174-5 (Rathnayake 46, Dhananjaya 0) Another over from Dawson was unfolding with the odd comfortable single and no alarms. And then Liyanage pushed into the off side, set off for a run – and found Rathnayake stopping half-way. Liyanage turned back but he was doomed as Brook just had to send a half-decent throw into Buttler.
ShareWICKET! Liyanage run out 22 (Sri Lanka 174-5)
Out of nowhere, a calamity for the Sri Lankans!
Janith Liyanage of Sri Lanka shows his disappointment after been run out. Photograph: Sameera Peiris/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 10.41 EST
25th over: Sri Lanka 171-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Brook turns to his fourth spinner. It could be Rehan Ahmed, but instead it’s Jacob Bethell: maybe Brook feels a bit bad about overshadowing his fine 65. Bethell starts well, getting the ball to grip and prompting both batters to mistime it. Only three off the over.
24th over: Sri Lanka 168-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Facing Dawson again, these two do better, taking six off the over. There’s a minor scare as England review for LBW, but Liyanage got some glove on his attempted sweep and it goes into the book as three more to the batter. Sri Lanka need 190 off 26 overs at 7.3.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 162-4 (Rathnayake 42, Liyanage 14) Brook keeps Jacks on. He may be regretting it after the first ball – Rathnayake dancing down the track and cover-driving for four – but Jacks recovers to allow only two singles. For all the carnage today, there have been hundreds of dot balls.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 156-4 (Rathnayake 37, Liyanage 13) Liam Dawson is in the groove now, a sight that Hampshire fans have relished since time immemorial. He finds turn, and some uneven bounce, and goes for just a single off the over. The rate required (7.21) has finally nudged above the rate achieved so far (7.09).
21st over: Sri Lanka 155-4 (Rathnayake 33, Liyanage 12) Brook decides to keep five overs of Rashid up his sleeve. Back comes Jacks and the batters show more intent with their shots – a reverse sweep for two from Liyanage, an orthodox sweep for three from Rathnayake. With their running, they’re more lackadaisical, whereas that three comes about because Dawson busts a gut to get a boot to the ball, just inside the rope at fine leg. And Sri Lanka did drop Brook earlier in the day ….
20th over: Sri Lanka 148-4 (Rathnayake 32, Liyanage 10) Another four off Dawson’s over. Even on a day like this, which has already yielded 500 runs, he dull middle overs refuse to die.
19th over: Sri Lanka 144-4 (Rathnayake 31, Liyanage 7) Brook has worked out that it’s all about wickets: as Rashid continues, he brings himself in to slip. But maybe the Sri Lankans have worked out that it’s all about staying there. They work the ball into the gaps and help themselves to four singles, which is good enough against Rashid. They’ve seen off half his overs now.
18th over: Sri Lanka 140-4 (Rathnayake 29, Liyanage 5) Brook decides the time is right to rehabilitate Dawson, who was treated like a seamer by the Sri Lankan top order. He does better now, conceding only four off the over.
ShareDrinks: SL getting lots of runs, but losing too many wickets
17th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Rathnayake 28, Liyanage 2) Another over from Rashid goes for just three singles. And that’s drinks with England on top, even though the Sri Lankans got off to a wonderful start. Overton, Curran and Dawson went for 94 off nine overs between them, but Rashid and Jacks have restored order with combined figures of 8-0-42-2.
SL need 222 off 33 overs; England need six wickets.
16th over: Sri Lanka 133-4 (Rathnayake 27, Liyanage 0) Brook keeps Jacks on, quite reasonably, and he whisks through a nice tight over – five dots and a paddle for two from Rathnayake. But even after this quiet spell, the rate required is still only 6.61. It’s all about the wickets.
15th over: Sri Lanka 131-4 (Rathnayake 25, Liyanage 0) So Rashid strikes, as he always does. And a calm has descended on Colombo after that frantic start.
ShareWICKET! Asalanka c Brook b Rashid 13 (Sri Lanka 131-4)
Another promising knock ends with a catch in the ring! It was a poor ball from Rashid, short and straight, and Asalanka, who had just had an escape with a leading edge, couldn’t decide whether to pull it up or down.
England’s captain Harry Brook takes a catch to dismiss his Sri Lankan counterpart Charith Asalanka. Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 10.41 EST
14th over: Sri Lanka 124-3 (Rathnayake 18, Asalanka 13) Jacks continues, strays down the leg side and Jos Buttler thinks he’s got a stumping, but Rathnayake did well to get his bat down. As the decision goes upstairs, the on-field umpire forgets to call a wide. Good over, though: just three off it, and Jacks finishes by beating the left-handed Asalanka all ends up.
Updated at 09.16 EST
13th over: Sri Lanka 121-3 (Rathnayake 16, Asalanka 12) Rashid, drawing on his immense experience, gets through an over without a boundary.
12th over: Sri Lanka 117-3 (Rathnayake 15, Asalanka 9) Brook, like these batters, is nothing if not fearless. He brings back Jacks, a show of faith after that flaky first over. And it works out quite well – only one run off the first five balls, before Rathnayake finds another of those artful dabs and gets four. Still, in a minor triumph for England, the run rate achieved so far has fallen below ten an over. Rate required: a mere 6.34. All the Sri Lankans have to do to win this now is not to be bowled out. All England have to do is to take seven wickets.
11th over: Sri Lanka 112-3 (Rathnayake 11, Asalanka 8) With the powerplay done, here’s Adil Rashid. The batters are suddenly watchful – but only for two balls. After a couple of dots, Rathnayake plays a deft leg glance for four and Asalanka dabs for two. Eight off the over.
At this stage, England were 45-2. Overton alone has conceded more than that – 48 off his four overs. Almost every bad ball has been punished, the exception being the stinking long hop from Jacks that somehow defeated Mishara.
10th over: Sri Lanka 104-3 (Rathnayake 6, Asalanka 5) So, two new batters at the crease: surely SL will go into their shell? It seems not. Charith Asalanka drives his first ball for four, and then Pavan Rathanayake plays a classy dab for four more. Ten off the over! A ton off the powerplay!
ShareWICKET! Nissanka c sub (Banton) b Overton 50 (Sri Lanka 94-3)
But now he’s gone! Befuddled by a slow bouncer from Overton, Nissanka can only chip it to deep midwicket.
England’s Jamie Overton celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/APShare
Updated at 10.42 EST
9th over: Sri Lanka 94-2 (Nissanka 50, Rathnayake 1) Brook reverts to seam at both ends. Not sure about that … Nissanka welcomes Curran back with a pull for six, then cruises to his fifty off only 24 balls. He’s been superb: now he just needs to make a hundred more.
Updated at 08.52 EST
8th over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Nissanka 42, Rathnayake 0) After seeing his spinners go for 32 off three overs, Brook turned back to Overton. It looked like a blunder as Mendis went berserk with a bludgeon for four, a pull for six and a ramp for four. But then came the breakthrough. Still, Mendis made 20 off nine balls, whereas, at much the same stage of England’s innings, Ben Duckett managed only seven off 17.
ShareWICKET! Mendis c Brook b Overton 20 (Sri Lanka 85-2)
A goal against the run of play! Mendis plays a loose drive and picks out Brook at mid-off.
England’s Jamie Overton celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/APShare
Updated at 09.01 EST
7th over: Sri Lanka 70-1 (Nissanka 42, Mendis 6) Dawson continues and again gets it wrong with his first ball as Nissanka pulls for four. The mnidle of the over is fine, but the last ball is launched for six as Nissanka dances down the track.
At this stage, England were 20-1.
6th over: Sri Lanka 58-1 (Nissanka 31, Mendis 5) Jacks likes that long hop so much, he bowls it again, and again. Nissanka and Kusal Mendis give it what it deserves – a slap. Well done Jacks getting the wicket, but that may be the last we see of him for a while.
ShareWICKET! Mishara c Rehan b Jacks 22 (Sri Lanka 48-1)
Harry Brook’s magic day continues! He gambles by bringing on Will Jacks, who starts with a rank long hop – and Mishara flaps it straight to Rehan Ahmed at backward point.
5th over: Sri Lanka 48-0 (Nissanka 26, Mishara 22) Yes, here’s Liam Dawson. He’s not easy to batter – but nobody told these openers, both of them cut him for four. England are still favourites, through sheer weight of runs, but Sri Lanka have made a glorious start.
4th over: Sri Lanka 38-0 (Nissanka 21, Mishara 17) Now it’s Curran’s turn to get a hammering. When he goes full, Mishara drives the ball back past him for four. When he goes straight, Nissanka flicks him past fine leg, who is up in the ring. When he slips in his celebrated slower ball, Mishara waits for it and late-cuts for four. Time for one of England’s six spinners!
3rd over: Sri Lanka 24-0 (Nissanka 16, Mishara 8) Overton continues, tightens up his line and manages half a maiden – but then all hell breaks loose. Nissanka lofts a half-volley for six, straight-drives for four and dabs for two. Sri Lanka are ahead of the rate!
2nd over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Nissanka 4, Mishara 8) Sam Curran makes a strong start, five dots and a single. Sri Lanka are behind the rate! But they’ve still started with more intent than England, who crept to 20-1 off their first seven overs.
1st over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Nissanka 3, Mishara 8) So how are the Sri Lankans going to approach this mammoth target? Fearlessly! Jamie Overton’s first over isn’t bad, as he has Pathum Nissanka technically dropped at midwicket by Ben Duckett, beats the bat of Kamil Mishara and then draws an edge that flies away for four. But there’s also a genuine four, a square drive from Mishara. Sri Lanka are ahead of the rate!
Updated at 08.20 EST
Thanks Rob and afternoon everyone. You don’t have to be a Sri Lankan bowler to be feeling a little dazed right now. Harry Brook has just played one of the greatest innings you’ll ever see. He gave Joe Root a 65-run head start – and ended up with 25 more than him, even though Root is in princely form. Off the last four overs of England’s innings, Brook hit 64 from 20 balls, while Root made four from four.
Remember when Brook hit a blistering 135 in New Zealand, four months and half a lifetime ago? This innings was 50 per cent faster than that one. Of the 29 ODI hundreds ever made by England captains, it was the second-fastest, just behind Eoin Morgan’s blitz against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup. But that was at home – at Old Trafford, with the boundaries close enough to allow a batter to hit 17 sixes. This was in Colombo, at a ground where Brook had inched to 42 off 75 balls at the weekend. Today, he faced fewer balls than that (66) and made three times as many runs. Staggering stuff.
ShareSri Lanka need 358 to win
No team has chased more than 320 to win an ODI in Sri Lanka, so England should have enough runs. Thanks for your company and emails; the great Tim de Lisle will be here for the runchase.
Updated at 07.46 EST
50th over: England 357-3 (Root 111, Brook 136) Root hooks Fernando for a single to get Brook back on strike. I mean, it makes sense because Brook is hitting almost every ball to the boundary. He makes room to hit Fernando inside-out for his eighth six, then makes even more room to carve four over backward point.
One ball remaining… and Brook drives it lazily over extra cover for another six. With that, he reaches his highest ODI score. That was a helluvan innings: 136 from 66 balls with 11 fours and nine sixes. It included – and you’ll like this – 90 from his final 27 deliveries. Madon.
Oh, and Joe Root scored 111 at more than a run a ball as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Updated at 07.43 EST
Brook blasts a 57-ball hundred!
49th over: England 339-3 (Root 110, Brook 120) Brook clatters Vandersay to the cover boundary to reach a coruscating century, his third in ODIs: 57 balls, eight fours, six sixes. The second fifty took just 17 balls.
He celebrates by smashing the next two delliveries for six and four, then smears a pull shot high in the air. Vandersay tries to take the catch running back but only clasps fresh air.
Brook smashes a pull towards deep midwicket, where Dhananjaya does incredibly well to save the six. He caught the ball as he swooped over the boundary, then threw it back onto the field while in mid air. The big screen flashes up ‘Not out’, as if they were checking the catch. Brook completes a huge over, 22 from it, by smoking the last ball to the cover boundary.
“May I be the 4,097th reader to note that, given his performance today, presumably, ahem, last night Brook dreamt of Vandersay again,” writes Gareth Wilson.