Dunith Wellalage And Kusal Mendis Star As Sri Lanka Beat England In 2nd ODI

Sri Lanka defeated England by 16 runs at Headingley as Kusal Mendis smashed 121 and Dunith Wellalage took three wickets to level the three-match ODI series.

Dunith Wellalage And Kusal Mendis Star As Sri Lanka Level England Series In Thriller (Sri Lanka Beat England by 16 Runs in Headingley Thriller, Level ODI Series)

Dunith Wellalage took three wickets after captain Kusal Mendis hit a fine century as Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs at Headingley on Thursday in a last-over thriller to level a three-match one-day international series.

"I'm so happy winning and getting the hundred," said player-of-the-match Kusal. "The overall performance was very good."

England were cruising to a target of 322 while Tom Banton (73) and Ben Duckett (67) shared a first-wicket stand of 143.

Sri Lanka had been hammered 3-0 in a preceding T20 campaign but Wellalage dragged them back into this match. He removed both openers and home captain Harry Brook to reduce England to 157-3. The left-arm spinner finished with figures of 3-49.

"Wellalage bowled really well, the whole team, after the powerplay," said Mendis

Jos Buttler then threatened to win the game with a barrage of boundaries.

But on 64 he pulled up with what a team spokesman said was a "left hamstring twinge" and retired hurt, with England still requiring 68 off 75 balls for victory.

Rehan Ahmed immediately fell for a duck, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Mendis off Dilshan Madushanka.

The runs dried up as Sri Lanka's previously wayward quicks gained reverse swing with the old ball and a target of 19 off the last over proved beyond England.

When Jamie Overton fell, a hobbling Buttler resumed his innings with England 295-7.

Will Jacks drove Asitha Fernando for six to complete a fifty following his unbeaten 46 during England's 89-run win in Tuesday's series opener at Chester-le-Street.

But Jacks then skyed Eshan Malinga to long-on.

Buttler, on strike at the start of the last over, connected well off Madushanka but the ball flew straight to deep midwicket and the 36-year-old, one of the outstanding white-ball batsmen of his generation, was gone for good on 69.

Kamindu Mendis saved what seemed a certain six by Jofra Archer to leave England needing an improbable 17 off three balls.

The teams now head to London for a series-decider at the Oval on Sunday.

- 'Outsanding game' -

An upbeat Brook said: "It was an outstanding game...To restrict them to 320 (321) and have the chance to chase that down was a hell of an effort. The lads got the chase off to a flyer. You couldn't really ask for much more.

Brook insisted a series decider was just what England needed ahead of next year's 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.

"We've got a great opportunity now to try and win this series, and a great opportunity for 12 months' time," he said. "In pressure situations, like the one that awaits us at the Oval, it will be great to see where we are as a team."

Thursday's game would not have gone the distance without Wellalage.

He bowled Duckett with a sharply turning delivery and had Banton stumped by Mendis.

Wellalage then pinned the in-form Brook lbw for just one.

Mendis's decision to persist with the expensive Sachindu Colombage, appearing in just his second ODI, was rewarded when the leg-spinner had Joe Root caught at short cover for just 15.

Buttler completed a 36-ball fifty with a flicked six off Colombage, whose six overs cost 55 runs, and struck the next delivery high over long-off for another six.

Earlier, Mendis led from the front with a superb 121 in Sri Lanka's 321-6.

With Kamindu Mendis (54), he shared a second-wicket partnership of 137 after winning the toss.

Kusal had a reprieve on 17 when Gus Atkinson dropped a two-handed catch in a swirling breeze at fine leg.

Kusal reached his seventh ODI century in style when he cover-drove Overton to the boundary for an 82-ball hundred, including 12 fours and three sixes, before he holed out to leg-spinner Ahmed.