Jacks stars with bat and ball as England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs
Will Jacks did a bit of everything as England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street.
England made 265 all out in 48.1 overs and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 176 in 37 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, BBC Sport reported. A one-day international gives each side 50 overs to bat, so England used almost all of theirs and Sri Lanka fell well short.
England won the toss and batted first on 22 September at Banks Homes Riverside. Captain Harry Brook top-scored with 67 off 69 balls. Joe Root added 44. Jacks finished 46 not out off 47 balls to lift the total late on.
It was hard work. England hit no sixes in the innings. That is the first time since 2019 they have batted first in a one-day international without clearing the rope.
Debutant Sachindu Colombage was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers with 3 for 44. His spell helped keep England to a score that looked chaseable. Sri Lanka needed 266 to win.
They never got close. Dunith Wellalage made a quick 45 off 36 balls, but the rest of the batting fell away. Jacks, bowling off-spin, took 5 for 22 to run through the middle order.
Those are career-best bowling figures for Jacks. They are also the best figures by an England spinner since Vic Marks in 1984. His key wickets included Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka’s captain.
England were without Adil Rashid, who missed the series with a hand injury. His fellow spinner Rehan Ahmed had a difficult day, run out for two and then conceding 46 runs in seven wicketless overs. The seamers steadied things, with Jamie Overton taking 2 for 21 in five overs and Gus Atkinson taking 1 for 25 in seven.
What makes this stand out is how England defended a modest score. Their 265 was the lowest total they have defended in a full one-day international since July 2022. It also stretched their run to 10 white-ball wins in a row against Sri Lanka in 2026.
For fans new to this England rebuild, Jacks is the story. He is known mainly as a batting all-rounder, someone who bowls part-time spin alongside his batting. Here he shaped the game in both halves.
The series moves quickly. The second one-day international is scheduled for Thursday at Headingley, with the third on Sunday at The Oval.
