Harry Brook's blistering 57-ball hundred proved the difference as England romped to a famous 53-run victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday to clinch the series and end the hosts' five-year-long unbeaten ODI home run.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka had gone 12 series unbeaten at home, winning 11 and drawing one, but Brook's counter-punch knocked them off their perch and swung the momentum decisively England's way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It was a lot better pitch than we expected. It was an awesome effort from everyone involved," said Brook, the England captain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Joe Root in particular was sensational. We are pretty pleased with the way the spinners went about things and that's a good sign ahead of the World Cup."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chasing a daunting 358 at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium, the hosts came out all guns blazing, racing to 104 inside ten overs of the Powerplay.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But once the field spread, the boundaries dried up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In a bid to keep up with the required run-rate, Sri Lanka's batters took the aerial route and paid the price, as England snapped up catches with sharp work in the deep.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Young Pavan Rathnayake stood tall amid the collapse, unfurling a maiden international hundred that underlined his promise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He was the last man out for 121 off 115 balls, striking 12 fours and a six, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304 in 46.4 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
England, who had stumbled in the opening ODI, found their rhythm as the series wore on, adapting quickly to oppressive heat and turning tracks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After squaring the contest on Saturday, they delivered a polished all-round display when it mattered most.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- 'A stunning knock' -<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The defeat saw Sri Lanka slip one place to sixth in the ICC ODI rankings, with South Africa moving up to fifth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Brook's brutal 136 not out off just 66 balls was an exhibition of clean hitting that left the home attack gasping for air and the 4,000-strong English contingent of supporters in raptures as the tourists finished on 357 for three, having opted to bat first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Brook's 11 fours and nine sixes was power hitting with a surgeon's precision, a blend of muscle and timing that gave England the advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Brook had walked into the series under the microscope following revelations that he was fined £30,000 after a nightclub altercation in New Zealand last October.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But he looked to have put the incident behind him in posting his third ODI hundred.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The platform was laid by an unbroken 191-run stand with former skipper Joe Root for the fourth wicket, a partnership that gave England total control.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With 130 runs scored in the last 10 overs, England turned a strong total into a mountainous one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Root's own milestone, his 20th ODI hundred, was overshadowed by Brook's masterclass.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former captain remained unbeaten on 111, continuing his role as Sri Lanka's chief tormentor after half centuries in the first two ODIs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Earlier, a 126 run stand between Root and Jacob Bethell for the third wicket had set the stage for the late innings carnage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka's bowlers simply had no answers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was England's highest score against Sri Lanka in ODIs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was also the fourth-highest score at the venue, where anything north of 300 is usually a match-winning one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Harry Brook just took the game away from us. It was a stunning knock," said Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"But (there were a) lot of positives for us. Pavan Rathnayake has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket and he showcased what he can do today."<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Harry-brook-century-eng-vs-sl-2026.jpeg", "alt_img": "Harry Brook", "alt_title": "England tour of Sri Lanka 2026 3rd ODI", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Harry Brook\u2019s 57-Ball Century Powers England to Historic ODI Series Win in Sri Lanka On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Harry Brook smashed a blistering 57-ball hundred as England beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs in Colombo, clinching the ODI series and ending the hosts\u2019 five-year unbeaten home run.", "seo_keywords": "England Tour Sri Lanka 2026, Harry Brook, England Vs Sri Lanka, Joe Root", "tag": null, "tagging": "England Tour Sri Lanka 2026,Harry Brook,England Vs Sri Lanka,Joe Root,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "harry-brooks-57-ball-century-powers-england-to-historic-odi-series-win-in-sri-lanka", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "889", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2026-01-28 08:48:34", "updated": "2026-01-28 08:48:34", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "England Tour Sri Lanka 2026, Harry Brook, England Vs Sri Lanka, Joe Root", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "1", "posted_by": "19", "jio_date": "2026-01-28 08:48:34", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "england_cricket": "0", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/harry-brooks-57-ball-century-powers-england-to-historic-odi-series-win-in-sri-lanka-187012" }