England meet Sri Lanka in Durham opener after T20 sweep and Wood farewell
England meet Sri Lanka in the first men's one-day international at Durham on 22 September 2026, with the first ball due at 12.30pm BST. The Guardian
The game at Banks Homes Riverside, Durham — listed as Chester-le-Street on tour schedules — opens a three-match ODI series. ECB An ODI gives each side 50 overs, with six balls in each over, to bat. It sits between the short, sharp T20 game of 20 overs a side and the long grind of a five-day Test.
Sri Lanka arrived in England for a white-ball tour of three T20 internationals and three ODIs. Sri Lanka Cricket The T20 leg went badly for the visitors. England won the opener by 119 runs, then by six wickets with 47 balls to spare, then by eight wickets with 62 balls to spare to complete a 3-0 sweep. The Guardian
That scoreline sets a simple challenge for the 50-over leg. England will want to carry their hitting form across. Sri Lanka need early wickets and a steadier start with the bat to stay in the contest for longer.
England entered the series with two recent ODI series wins behind them. They won away in Sri Lanka at the start of 2026 and then beat India at home. The Guardian The January trip to Sri Lanka finished with centuries for Joe Root and Harry Brook in the decider and, days later, a hat-trick for Sam Curran in an 11-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis method for rain-affected games. Reuters
Brook arrives in touch. He struck his second T20 international century in England's first T20 against Sri Lanka in September 2026, after making his other hundred against Pakistan in Sri Lanka during the World Cup earlier in 2026. The Guardian
There was also a farewell in the build-up in Durham. Fast bowler Mark Wood had called it a day at the highest level, according to the morning's live coverage. The Guardian Wood was part of two World Cup-winning squads. He took 18 wickets when England won the 50-over World Cup in 2019, then nine wickets at an average of 12 when England won the T20 World Cup in 2022.
What makes this stand out for fans is the contrast. England look settled in white-ball cricket, with batters scoring heavily and recent series wins on the board. Sri Lanka have youth and fresh faces in their touring squads, but must find a way to slow England down and hold their catches and lines for a full 50 overs.
For casual viewers, watch the first 10 overs of each innings. In ODIs only two fielders are allowed outside the inner ring at that stage, so batters attack. If Sri Lanka get through it without heavy damage, the middle overs become a slower chess match of spin, singles and pressure.
