England v Sri Lanka: first men’s one-day cricket international - live

Key events

2nd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Nissanka 6, Kamindu Mendis 10) Gus Atkinson shares the new ball, as he did in the final match of England’s series win against India earlier in the summer. A good first over, full and straight, is tarnished with Mendis clips another stylish boundary through midwicket. There wasn’t much wrong with that delivery; it was slightly too straight, no more than that, and Mendis punished him.

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1st over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Nissanka 5, Kamindu Mendis 6) Pathum Nissanka square-drives Archer’s first ball for a tone-setting four. He’s such a good player; there aren’t many modern openers who average over 40 in Tests and ODIs and over 30 in T20Is.

Archer’s first over is a double-figures job. Kamindu Mendis, who has been given a new role in the ODI team, is beaten by a lifter but then clips his first boundary between midwicket and mid-on. Nice shot.

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Jofra Archer will open the bowling for England. Sri Lanka will surely go hard against the new ball; batting looked more awkward as the England innings progressed.

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“Nobody, even an England fan, wants to see their team win matches against a feeble opponent, so welcome to the Sri Lankans’ cricket so far today,” says John Starbuck. “We’d like to see a tough struggle, England lose this game, just squeak a win in the second one, and all-to-play-for in the last. This opinion may be subject to discussion. Also, how about an OBO tribute to Mark Wood’s horse?”

I’m writing a 10,000 word feature to be published next week.

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Something for the innings break

There are a gazillion reasons to love Mark Wood, who has announced his retirement from international cricket. What’s your favourite memory? The one that makes it drizzle on my face is Headingley 2023. That Ashes series became the greatest in this country since 2005; without Wood’s volcanic bowling – and his violently defiant batting – it would have been the most crushing anticlimax imaginable.

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Thanks Taha, hello everyone. Be careful what you wish for, part 7,418,291. England fans craved a contest after a painfully one-sided T20 series; they’ve got one at Chester-le-Street, where Sri Lanka restricted England to 265 all out in the first ODI. The legspinner Sachindu Colombage, making his international debut at the age of 28, bowled beautifully and finished with 3 for 44.

I still think England are slight favourites on what looks a slightly awkward pitch, but there’s no Adil Rashid so the spin will come from Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks and maybe Joe Root. Our algorithmic friends, the ones who share the name W. Predictor, reckon Sri Lanka are favourites.

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Right, enough from me. Rob Smyth will take over for the second half.

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The best cricket magazine in the world (I used to work there) is up on the honours board.

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England all out for 265

Fernando fires in another yorker to wrap things up! It’s another one that tails into the right-hander and the No 11 doesn’t stand much of a chance. This is still a decent score on a tricky pitch … but Sri Lanka have a real chance at winning their first game on this tour.

WICKET! Tongue b Fernando 0 (England 265 all out)

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Updated at 11.45 EDT

48th over: England 265-9 (Tongue 0, Jacks 46) Jacks gladly accepts a rare gift: a full toss from Chameera that is sent down the ground for four. The quick lands the next delivery but he’s too full as Jacks drives for another boundary. And then a third four in a row! Jacks punches a slower ball through cover and these are precious late runs. It’s been a responsible hand from Jacks at No 6 … and he makes it four successive boundaries with a pull!

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WICKET! Archer b Fernando 2 (England 247-9)

It’s surely time for England to give it a real hoo-ha … but you can’t hit that! Fernando nails his yorker and Archer is sent on his way.

47th over: England 247-9 (Tongue 0, Atkinson 14)

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Updated at 11.44 EDT

46th over: England 244-8 (Archer 1, Jacks 26) Madushanka greets Jofra Archer with a yorker before sliding one down the leg-side. He’s bowled quite a few wides today but has still impressed and closes his final over with figures of one for 45.

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WICKET! Atkinson b Madushanka 14 (England 241-8)

Atkinson tries to attack … and perishes. It’s a cutter from Madushanka, from around the wicket, knocking back the stumps.

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Updated at 11.42 EDT

45th over: England 241-7 (Atkinson 14, Jacks 25) Jacks finally beats the field, punching Wellalage off the back foot for his first boundary.

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44th over: England 233-7 (Atkinson 12, Jacks 19) It’s another run-out chance for Sri Lanka – been a fair few this innings – as Atkinson nabs a quick single. The boundaries have disappeared … but a release arrives when Madushanka goes short and Atkinson just about shovels it around the corner for four.

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43rd over: England 225-7 (Atkinson 7, Jacks 16) Wellalage returns for some stump-to-stump action, giving Jacks and Atkinson little room to swing big.

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42nd over: England 221-7 (Atkinson 5, Jacks 14) Chameera begins with a dangerous, inswinging yorker … Atkinson digs it out in time. Sri Lanka decide to review, hoping there was a bit of pad on it – and it’s a colossal waste of time.

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41st over: England 217-7 (Atkinson 3, Jacks 12) Colombage is in for his final over, really looping it up now. Atkinson doesn’t take the bait, prodding forward to defend. The debutant finishes with excellent figures of three for 44.

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40th over: England 214-7 (Atkinson 1, Jacks 11) Rehan Ahmed had a rubbish time with the bat … but, on this surface, he’s got a big role to play in the second half. Gus Atkinson shows off his forward defence against Asitha Fernando.

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39th over: England 211-7 (Atkinson 0, Jacks 10) England were 182 for three.

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WICKET! Overton b Colombage 8 (England 211-7)

Colombage is back, with a leading edge off Jacks nearly creating a caught-and-bowled. Overton doesn’t survive though: the leggie tosses it up and the right-hander plays around one that doesn’t turn, the stumps rattled. Oh, this new guy’s loads of fun.

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Updated at 11.00 EDT

38th over: England 210-6 (Overton 8, Jacks 9) The impressive Madushanka thunders in from around the wicket to Overton … and the ball keeps low again outside off. Runs suddenly look very hard to come by … ignore me: Overton middles a drive down the ground for four.

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Updated at 10.44 EDT

37th over: England 203-6 (Overton 2, Jacks 9) Wellalage is back – slightly bemusing to not continue with Colombage after his wicket-taking over.

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WICKET! Ahmed run out Asalanka 2 (England 199-6)

Three hours into this innings and we’ve still got 14 overs to go! Get a move on, lads. Rehan Ahmed edges off Madushanka … but the low bounce means the ball doesn’t carry to Mendis. And then a run out! What was Ahmed doing? He hits the ball straight to cover, decides on a single that Jacks isn’t having, and Charith Asalanka takes down the stumps with his throw. England are imploding!

36th over: England 199-6 (Overton 0, Jacks 7)

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Updated at 10.58 EDT

35th over: England 196-5 (Ahmed 0, Jacks 6) Colombage follows up his wicket with three dots. It’s been a strong debut.

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WICKET! Buttler lbw Colombage 31 (England 196-5)

Oh, that’s got to be out. Colombage hits Buttler in front but the umpire says no. The only explanation is that there’s some bat on it … Sri Lanka go upstairs and there’s nothing on UltraEdge. That’s knocking over middle and leg and Colombage has his second! The leggie’s done it with a similar delivery to the one that got Root: forcing the batter back and getting just enough turn.

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Updated at 10.43 EDT

34th over: England 193-4 (Buttler 31, Jacks 3) Chameera bowls a slower ball and it looks to have flummoxed Buttler, who swings and lets go of one hand … but he’s got such power that he’s knocked it over mid-on for four.

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33rd over: England 185-4 (Buttler 24, Jacks 2) Colombage is back as Jacks tries to settle – there’s a slip in for the leg-spinner. And he’s on the spot, testing out the forward defence. And then one spins big and stays low, very nearly taking Jacks’ off-stump. Just two off the over and Sri Lanka are starting to build a bit of pressure.

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32nd over: England 183-4 (Buttler 23, Jacks 1) It’s Will Jacks, not Rehan Ahmed, at six.

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WICKET! Brook c Madushanka b Chameera 67 (England 182-4)

Ooops. Brook comes down the track to swing at Chameera … and he’s got his placement wrong, finding the man at deep cover. A wicket out of nowhere, really.

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Updated at 10.43 EDT

31st over: England 182-3 (Brook 67, Buttler 23) Brook continues to play spin well off the back foot, his hands rapid when he wants to rock back for a single.

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30th over: England 175-3 (Buttler 22, Brook 61) Brook skips down the pitch against Chameera … and slashes the Durham air. He runs hard for two moments later.

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29th over: England 172-3 (Buttler 22, Brook 58) Buttler looks in danger for a moment with a reverse-sweep, the ball looping up, but he nicks a couple. Wellalage is knocked around for ones and twos. Time for drinks.

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28th over: England 164-3 (Buttler 17, Brook 55) Buttler skips down the crease to clip Asitha Fernando for three and is looking pretty settled.

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27th over: England 160-3 (Buttler 14, Brook 54) Oh man, what’s happened here? Has Buttler been run out at the non-striker’s end … no, replays show he’s comfortably home after running through on a Sri Lanka misfield. Buttler closes Wellalage’s latest over with a thump down the ground for four.

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26th over: England 154-3 (Buttler 9, Brook 53) Plenty of empty seats at Chester-le-Street, with tickets still available on Durham’s website.

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Harry Brook reaches 50!

25th over: England 147-3 (Brook 51, Buttler 4) Brook knocks one off Colombage and that’s his half-century. He’s probably the best all-format batter in international cricket right now.

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Updated at 09.50 EDT

24th over: England 139-3 (Brook 45, Buttler 2) Another decent over from Madushanka, Sri Lanka’s most economical bowler today.

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23rd over: England 136-3 (Brook 44, Buttler 1) Root’s ODI batting average this year drops to … 180. Just have a look at these numbers.

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WICKET! Root b Colombage 44 (England 135-3)

The leggie strikes! His first wicket is one of the greats, and he’s bowled him, too. Colombage forces Root back into the crease, and gets a hint of turn to knock back off-stump. Mark Wood’s on commentary for it; one career closes and another begins.

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Updated at 09.49 EDT

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