Ben Duckett smashed a brilliant 167 to help England secure a 55-run victory against Sri Lanka in a high-scoring ODI dead rubber in Lahore on Thursday. Despite a magnificent fighting century from Pavan Rathnayake, Sri Lanka fell short while chasing a daunting target of 387, getting bowled out for 331 in 45.1 overs.
Duckett anchored the English innings by recording his highest ODI score off 132 balls, featuring 24 boundaries. He was well-supported at the top by Tom Banton, who contributed 74 runs in a 163-run opening stand. Later, captain Harry Brook added a brisk 44, while late contributions from Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, and Sam Curran pushed England to a massive total of 386-5 in their fifty overs. Sri Lanka’s bowling attack struggled, with pacer Asitha Fernando claiming two wickets while Eshan Malinga conceded 101 runs.
Match Situation and Chase Highlights
Sri Lanka’s chase was anchored by Rathnayake, who struck 118 runs from 77 balls, hitting 15 boundaries and a six. Captain Kusal Mendis also kept the pressure on England with a fluent 89 off 71 deliveries, which included eight fours and five sixes. Key moments from the contest include:
- Ben Duckett set a new personal best in ODIs with his magnificent 167-run knock.
- Pavan Rathnayake scored his third ODI hundred, hitting 118 runs off just 77 balls.
- Liam Dawson recorded career-best bowling figures of 4-49 for England.
- Kusal Mendis contributed 89 runs to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt during the middle overs.
Late Collapse and Looking Ahead
Sri Lanka looked to repeat their previous heroics when they chased down 430 earlier in the tour, needing 87 runs from the final ten overs. However, the dismissal of Rathnayake, who miscued a sweep off spinner Liam Dawson in the 45th over, triggered a collapse. Dawson finished with impressive figures of 4-49. Despite the defeat, Sri Lanka will take considerable confidence into the upcoming tournament final against Pakistan, while England finish the series with a solitary win.
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