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And that\u2019s a wrap from Colombo. England end their dismal losing streak away from home, another fifty for Joe Root and a studied, if low voltage, innings from Brook on a tricky pitch. It will be interesting to see if England\u2019s comments on the pitch cause any ructions in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
Many thanks for all your comments today, join us for the decider on Tuesday \u2013 bye!<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n More harsh words for the surface from England captain Harry Brook. \u201cThe pitch is probably the worst pitch I\u2019ve ever played on.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Player of the match Joe Root “I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a great wicket for ODI cricket if I\u2019m honest.”<\/p>\n Root gets a shiny looking trophy for his 75. He looks a bit miserable and has harsh words for the surface.<\/p>\n \u201c I always love coming to Sri Lanka, it\u2019s a great country, I always feel extremely welcome and it is nice to get a win on an extremely difficult surface. [The key is] to take the ball as late as possible, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a great wicket for ODI cricket if I\u2019m honest.<\/p>\n [on how to play the surface after different pitches during the Ashes] \u201cI think just use experience really, I\u2019ve played a lot of cricket here, know the different nature of the turn. You have to be precise with your footwork.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A win \u2013 more relief than joy on the players\u2019s faces to be honest \u2013 that levels the series at 1-1. England\u2019s spinners restricted Sri Lanka to a below par score, and then Joe Root, backed up by Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, ensured England wouldn\u2019t slip up.<\/p>\n A handy stat comes to me courtesy of Tim de Lisle \u2013 Harry Brook\u2019s score of 42 off 75 balls was his slowest 40 in an ODI, by a long way \u2013 a strike rate 56 per 100 balls, when his previous slowest was 87.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>England win by five wickets!<\/p>\n 46.1 overs: England 223-5 (Buttler 33, Jacks 8 ) And that\u2019s the win that England have been long waiting for \u2013 a first away ODI victory for 12 games courtesy of a shorn headed Will Jacks\u2019 flick through long on.<\/p>\n England’s Jos Buttler and Will Jacks (left) shake hands with Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis (right) following their win in the second ODI match. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.18 EST<\/p>\n 46th over: England 217-5 (Buttler 33, Jacks 2 ) P Rathnayake comes on for his first over, with England nearly there. And they\u2019re even closer by the end of it as he\u2019s tonked for 12 \u2013 a handful of ones and twos before Buttler frying pans him into, or maybe over, the sightscreen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45th over: England 205-5 (Buttler 22, Jacks 1 )The tricksy Vandersay\u2019s final over. Lots of oohs, lots of ahhs, a googly into Jacks\u2019 pads, but Buttler gets a four away and England are close.<\/p>\n \u201cGreetings from a rather drab and cloudy Naples.\u201d And greetings to you from an already dusky Manchester. Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.49 EST<\/p>\n 44th over: England 200-5 (Buttler 17, Jacks 1 ) Buttler picks up a crucial boundary early, flicking Asitha over midwicket for four. And another, aerial but safe, flying to the rope. Lovely smooth flow of the bat. He digs out a yorker, Jacks survives the last, and that\u2019s the over. Just 20 needed now..<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43rd over: England 191-5 (Buttler 8, Jacks 1 ) Vandersay with a crucial breakthrough, though there were still five runs from the over, which is more than enough. In the dugout, Sri Lankan sub fielders chat, one looks exactly like victorious Stephen from Traitors.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Brook lbw Vandersay 42 (England 189-5)<\/p>\n Drops, sweeps, misses.<\/p>\n Sri Lanka’s Jeffrey Vandersay (centre) celebrates with teammate Kusal Mendis after taking the wicket of England’s captain Harry Brook (left). Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.20 EST<\/p>\n 42nd over: England 186-4 (Brook 41, Buttler 4) Wallalage\u2019s last over, neat and tidy, four singles from it \u2013 finishes with 0-50 from his ten. He pulls on his hat and walks briskly away. The trumpets and drums continue to play merrily away but we are surely almost home.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 41st over: England 182-4 (Brook 38, Buttler 3) Sri Lanka pocket the big wicket, but with only 38 needed, from nine overs, surely too late.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Root lbw Asitha 75 (England 178-4)<\/p>\n It looks very out, as the ball creeps under the bat to hit Root\u2019s front boot, and nearly tips him over, but Root reviews. Ooof , it\u2019s close, but umpire\u2019s call. Root drags himself off the pitch \u2013 time for a quick rewrite?<\/p>\n England’s Joe Root stumbles as he is dismissed lbw. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APAsitha Fernando celebrates. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.55 EST<\/p>\n 40th over: England 178-3 ( Root 75, Brook 38) Vandersay puts his head in his hands as Brook goes forward but doesn\u2019t quite reach the pitch of the ball and ends up squeezing a leading edge.<\/p>\n Hello there Abhishek Chopra. \u201cA lot of batters these days, especially the new ones on the block, don\u2019t have the rhythm of batting in ODI chases in their bones. Not true for Joseph Edward Root, who is playing a Kohliesque knock here.\u201d<\/p>\n I loved that Kohli was such a big fan of Test cricket, but is it fair to say that his fire burnt brighter in ODI cricket?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39th over: England 172-3 ( Root 72, Brook 35) Frustration for Sri Lanka after that miserly over from Asitha is followed by a leg side wide from Wellalage which rolls away for four.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38th over: England 164-3 ( Root 71, Brook 33) The dog offers me her snout as Asitha bowls three dots which is enough for Brook to try and fail to scoop him for four. He\u2019s unimpressed when a fifth isn\u2019t called wide, gets a single from the sixth.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37th over: England 163-3 ( Root 71, Brook 32) But, ah, Wellalage has safely returned, quickly enough to whistle through an over that goes for four. Root\u2019s calm seems to have manifested itself into Brook \u2013 who is batting completely without that frantic urgency that we saw in Australia.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36th over: England 159-3 ( Root 68, Brook 31) During drinks, Wellalage went off the field with some kind of injury \u2013 he\u2019s bowled seven overs of his spell. Five from Asalanka\u2019s over as the target drops into the low sixties.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35th over: England 154-3 ( Root 66, Brook 28) Jayasuriya and Lasitha Malinga, now in coaching roles, look on from the sidelines, unimpressed. They take DRINKS with England looking favourites to stroll to victory.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34th over: England 150-3 ( Root 64, Brook 26) Root is frustrated after missing a reverse sweep \u2013 these are not conditions where you want to waste any energy. Each Yorkshireman\u2019s face is shiny with sweat. A couple of singles off Asalanka\u2019s seventh over<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33rd over: England 148-3 ( Root 63, Brook 25) A cracking bit of fielding denies Brook a boundary from a reverse sweep off the excellent Vandersay.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32nd over: England 146-3 ( Root 62, Brook 24) That\u2019s what we were waiting for! Brook gambols up the pitch, feet perfectly to the pitch and, with wristy abandon, drives the ball through extra-cover to the rope. In the commentary box, David Gower purrs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.02 EST<\/p>\n 31st over: England 141-3 ( Root 62, Brook 19) Yet suddenly, there\u2019s some fizz as Vandersay gets one to rip off the pitch and past Brook\u2019s outside edge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.02 EST<\/p>\n 30th over: England 140-3 ( Root 62, Brook 17) There\u2019s not huge energy out there in the middle \u2013 England quietly weeding the garden, while Sri Lanka bowl around them . England need 80 off 120 balls to win.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29th over: England 135-3 ( Root 60, Brook 15) Four more runs in the bag without too much exertion needed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28th over: England 131-3 ( Root 59, Brook 13) England should cruise this, the target is very gettable, Root is in gorgeous touch, the others just need to stick around. The conditions are tough though, Root is breathing heavily.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27th over: England 124-3 ( Root 53, Brook 11) A stat flashes up on the television \u2013 Root has the highest average of non-Asian batters in Sri Lanka (69.44) \u2013 followed by Brian Lara. I presume that\u2019s just in ODIs but I\u2019ll try and check when I have a moment. Tip, tap, a trio of singles from Asalanka.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Fifty for Joe Root!<\/p>\n 26th over: England 121-3 ( Root 51, Brook 10) A pushed single brings Root his fifty, which he acknowledges with a gentle nod of the head and quick raise of the bat. Wellalage, shirt sharply tucked into his trousers, is parsimonous until the last when Brook cuts him to the rope for four.<\/p>\n England’s Joe Root thwacks the ball on the way to his half-century. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.12 EST<\/p>\n 25th over: England 114-3 ( Root 49, Brook 5) A single from the last ball of the previous over leaves Brook to face once more. Manages a single from the third ball, but just two from Asalanka\u2019s over. Luckily England have money in the run-bank.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 24th over: England 112-3 ( Root 48, Brook 4) Brook isn\u2019t finding this easy. Lovely bowling by Wellalage with his young man\u2019s shadow moustache, Brook almost chops on, saved, I think, by his boot.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.37 EST<\/p>\n 23rd over: England 111-3 ( Root 48, Brook 3) Root reverse sweeps, with no risk, for four. Vandersay wheels in off four paces, swinging arms from his follow through. His last ball is a ripper that beats the forward defending Root.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.36 EST<\/p>\n 22nd over: England 104-3 ( Root 42, Brook 2) Root\u2019s face is shiny with sweat, he\u2019s wearing thick navy blue wrist bands on both wrists. Just a couple off the returning Wellalage\u2019s over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21st over: England 102-3 ( Root 41, Brook 1) Vandersay keeps it tight.<\/p>\n \u201cRe your framing of the Baz decision,\u201d taps Gary Naylor, \u201cI fear you\u2019re selling Brutus when the crowd have already bought Mark Antony.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20th over: England 101-3 ( Root 40, Brook 1) A familiar middle-innings wobble settles into place. Root, though, looks in perky form \u2013 pockets three from a sweep that brushes all along the ground.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.25 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Bethell c Asalanka b Dhananjaya 6 (England 97-3)<\/p>\n Bethell gets through the shot a hand early and chips straight to cover.<\/p>\n Dhanjaya De Silva (centre) of Sri Lanka celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England\u2019s Jacob Bethell. Photograph: Sameera Peiris\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.08 EST<\/p>\n 19th over: England 96-2 ( Root 37, Bethell 4) A gentle shuffle of the strike ticking over.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh dear, from a position of unusual Root-inspired calm, Vandersay has his word and bamboozles Brook. Dare I vandersay it but England are in a spot of bother with two new batters in.
\u201dBut hopefully we can make it over the line! At least this time.\u201d<\/p>\n