Jacks stars with bat and ball as England beat Sri Lanka in first ODI
Will Jacks took five wickets and hit an unbeaten 46 as England beat Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street on 22 September 2026.
England made 265 all out in 48.1 overs before bowling Sri Lanka out for 176. The win gave England a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second match scheduled at Headingley on Thursday The Guardian.
England won the toss and chose to bat at Banks Homes Riverside, where play was due to start at 12:30pm local time ECB. They reached 61 for one after the 10-over powerplay, the fielding-restricted opening overs, with Tom Banton bowled by Asitha Fernando.
Captain Harry Brook top-scored with 67. Jacks then lifted the late innings with an unbeaten 46, including 18 runs off the 48th over. Debutant Sachindu Colombage took three for 44 for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka never settled in reply. Dunith Wellalage top-scored with 45 before falling to Jacks. Jamie Overton supported with two wickets bowling cross-seamers, deliveries gripped across the seam to chase uneven bounce.
Jacks finished with five for 22 from seven overs, a career-best return Straits Times. Only Vic Marks, with five for 20 against New Zealand in Wellington in 1984, has better ODI figures by an England spinner.
The performance came with Adil Rashid absent from the series with a hand injury. It was Brook's 11th victory as England's ODI captain, against 10 defeats. England also defended a total under 300 for the first time since 2022.
What makes this stand out is the completeness of Jacks's contribution. He shaped both innings without dominating the early headlines. For fans, this means England head north with momentum and a clearer picture of their spin options.
