England beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs to win third men’s ODI and series – as it happened
Harry Brook’s first masterpiece of the winter, lost in defeat, seems an age ago,It was in his side’s first one-day international against New Zealand back in October, his 101-ball 135 somehow landing in the middle of nine single-figure England scores,The nightclub bouncer’s punch followed, the Ashes tour went wrong and then came the reveal of the former,A lot has happened, but moments of genius in the middle always lurk close by when it comes to Brook,Here, in their final ODI of the winter, he brought it all together with an unbeaten 136 off 66 balls, taking England to a prized series victory in Sri Lanka, the decider won by 53 runs.
So Brook, after the worst episode of his career, has written a fresh chapter.His 136 not out was the fastest hundred by an England ODI captain on foreign soil, by miles: his strike rate was 206 per hundred balls, when the previous best was 146 by Liam Livingstone in Antigua in 2024.In the last four overs of England’s innings, Brook scored 64 while Root made four.He handled his seven bowlers well too, held three catches and pulled off a run-out.After labouring to 42 off 75 balls in the previous game, he had one of those days when everything suddenly goes right.
His position as captain, so nearly thrown away on a foolish night out in Wellington, is secure for the moment, and so is Brendon McCullum’s as the white-ball coach.We hope you’ll join us for the T20 series between these two sides, which starts on Friday at 1.30pm GMT.For now, as ever, thanks for your company.Asked to comment on the pitch, Brook chuckles knowingly.
“No, it was a decent wicket,” he says.“Ended up being better than we thought!”He accepts the trophy, which is much like the one for the Champions League in football, only even bigger.When the team line up with it, it all but oscures Jamie Overton, which takes some doing.Here’s Harry Brook, bringing some English understatement.“I was working on a few things with Rooty in the nets yesterday,” he says, “and thankfully it paid off.
”Time for the presentations.You’ll never guess who the Player of the Match is … yes, it’s Harry Brook.He collects a trophy and 2,000 US dollars.Player of the Series is almost as straightforward: it’s Joe Root, who today became the first Englishman to make 20 hundreds in ODIs.“More than anything, Root says, “you want to help the team win games… Harry came in and just took the game on – showed his versatility after the way he played the other day.
”And now Root is heading home,“I’m quite looking forward to it, to be honest,”As if it wasn’t enough of a shock to see England win an ODI series, we also have an email,“England’s varied spin attack has been a pleasure to watch,” says Colum Fordham,“Obviously, Rashid leads the pack and I’m relieved he has outfoxed the dangerous Hasaranga, Duckett making amends for his drop off Bethell.
But Dawson, Rehan, Jacks and Bethell have all played their part.Whether they are good enough to trouble the better teams in the T20 World Cup remains to be seen.”True.And you’re right, they all did their bit – Dawson recovering from a bad start to deliver an excellent finish, Jacks taking two wickets, Bethell being economical (5-0-28-0), Rehan emulating him until one big over.The seamers did well too, taking three wickets along with some punishment on a pitch that was a batters’ paradise.
England won by 53 runs,In the book, it won’t even look close, but it was, thanks to a magnificent first hundred from Pavan Rathnayake,He matched Joe Root by motoring along at a run a ball,At the end, he tried to match Harry Brook and briefly threatened to, but Sam Curran’s smarts proved too much for him,For Brook, it’s been the best day he’s had since becoming England’s official white-ball captain.
After starting this series with their customary collapse, they’ve bounced back and won it in style,Brook’s innings was one of the best ever played for England in this format – 136 off just 66 balls, so he faced only 11 of the 50 overs, but used them to make all the difference,I’m not sure who decides the Man of the Match but they’ve got the easiest job in the ground,Curran produces a yorker, and that is that! What a day for Harry Brook,46th over: Sri Lanka 298-9 (Rathnayake 115, Fernando 0) That’s a masterly over from Dawson – one wicket, one run, the required rate suddenly leaping to 15.
But it’s his last one, so now Jacks may have to find four overs from the seamers, Jacks, Bethell and Rehan.Or even Root, who found himself bowling the last over the other day.Dawson has got better and better this evening and now he lures Vandersay into a skyer.Curran, at mid-off, makes no mistake.45th over: Sri Lanka 297-8 (Rathnayake 114, Vandersay 14) The picture on my telly disappears at the wrong moment – just as Rathanayake is hitting his first six! Rehan is bowling and Rathnayake smells blood.
Vandersay comes to the party with a reverse sweep for four.That’s 14 off the over! SL need 61 off the last five.Just possible.44th over: Sri Lanka 283-8 (Rathnayake 106, Vandersay 8) That single came off Rashid, who’s just bowled his final over.He almost takes a wicket with his last ball as Rathnayake lofts a sweep close to Rehan in the deep, but it goes for four.
Rashid finishes with 10-1-61-2, so they’ve played him pretty well,SL need 75 from the last six overs,It’s a huge ask, but while there’s Rathnayake, there’s hope,There it is! A first fine careful hundred for Rathnayake, who is 23, bowls off-breaks, bowls leg-breaks, and bats with great aplomb,He reaches three figures with a dance down the track, an easy single and a big smile.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 271-8 (Rathnayake 99, Vandersay 3) Brook does have two close catchers now, but only for the new batter.Rashid thinks he’s got another wicket as Vandersay misses a sweep and the ball loops up to Brook at slip.The review takes forever when it’s clearly the forearm, not the glove.Rathnayake, undaunted, comes down the track to make a full toss, which he whacks for four.Maybe he’s going to play the role of Brook as well as Root.
Gone! Rashid lures Hasaranga into a chip which just isn’t timed.Duckett takes the catch as if he’d never dropped one a few minutes ago.41st over: Sri Lanka 263-7 (Rathnayake 94, Hasaranga 9) Hasaranga fancies this.Facing Curran, he plays himself in for two balls, then strokes a gorgeous off-drive on the up for four, folowed by a pull for four more.Eleven off the over!40th over: Sri Lanka 252-7 (Rathnayake 92, Hasaranga 0) Meanwhile Rathnayake motors on into the 90s.
He’s done a Root, but now he needs someone to impersonate Brook.Cometh the hour, cometh Hasaranga?Liam Dawson returns, produces a fine over and finishes it with a wicket as he tempts Wellalage with an arm ball outside off.Wellalage swings but can only sky it and Jacks, at backward point, redeems himself with a calm catch.39th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Rathnayake 89, Wellalage 21) Brook takes Rashid off after just one over and goes back to seam.It’s Sam Curran, grunting as he goes, and he does well, restricting the batters to three – and one of those is down to a misfield from Jacks.
The rate required creeps into double figures: 109 needed off 11 overs.They can’t manage that, can they?38th over: Sri Lanka 246-6 (Rathnayake 87, Wellalage 21) Brook persists with Bethell, who’s done pretty well.He nearly does even better as a slog-sweep from Wellalage sails towards Duckett at deep square – but it’s dropped! That’s the first blemish in the field from England today.Wellalage celebrates by hitting the last ball of the over for six over long-off.That’s ten off the over.
37th over: Sri Lanka 236-6 (Rathnayake 86, Wellalage 13) Rashid takes over from Rehan, the master replacing the apprentice,The batters aren’t bothered: they take six singles,SL need 122 from 13 overs at 9,38,36th over: Sri Lanka 230-6 (Rathnayake 83, Wellalage 10) Bethell needs to get through this over without conceding a four, and he does.
That’s drinks, with SL needing another 128 from 84 balls, and Pavan Rathnayake doing his damnedest to stop this being Harry Brook’s finest hour in ODI cricket.35th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (Rathnayake 79, Wellalage 9) Do Sri Lanka still believe? Pavan Rathnayake does! Facuing Rehan, he thumps a full toss for four, then makes a decent ball into another full toss by coming down the track and belting that for four too.Nine off the over – but that’s what they need every over now, so England remain the favourites.34th over: Sri Lanka 216-6 (Rathnayake 70, Wellalage 9) If Morgan was still in charge, England would have had a slip for all these spinners and maybe a short leg too.Brook, who did well to bring a slip in a while ago, has now taken him out again and it costs him as Jacks twice finds the edge of Dunith Wellalage’s bat.
One nick is stopped by short third, the other sneaks away for four,Seven off the over,33rd over: Sri Lanka 209-6 (Rathnayake 68, Wellalage 4) Another decent over from Rehan, another four singles,The rate required has risen to 8,76, which will be too much for the lower order unless somebody launches a blitz.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 205-6 (Rathnayake 66, Wellalage 2) Will Jacks may not look much of a bowler but he has 2-36 off seven overs today, while England’s other four spinners have 1-97 from 18 overs between them,Another catch in the ring! Dhananjaya’s attempted slog goes straight to midwicket, and Brook has his third catch of the day,He may also have his hands on the Player of the Match award,31st over: Sri Lanka 202-5 (Rathnayake 65, Dhananjaya 9) And here comes England’s fifth spinner, Rehan Ahmed,Like Bethell, he’s an exciting cricketer, and he too starts well – four singles.
At this stage of England’s innings, the score was 166-2 and Harry Brook hadn’t faced a ball.30th over: Sri Lanka 198-5 (Rathnayake 63, Dhananjaya 7) Rashid bowls his seventh over and almost picks up a caught-and-bowled as Rathnayake mistimes a shovel off the back foot, but it’s one of those nasty ones that you have to dive forward for.With 20 overs left, Sri Lanka need 160.The arithmetic is straightforward; the task is not.29th over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Rathnayake 61, Dhananjaya 4) Bethell offers his first freebie, straying outside off, and Rathnayake helps himself to a cut for four.
Eight off the over, which is just what SL need.According to CricViz, they have a 6pc chance of managing it.28th over: Sri Lanka 185-5 (Rathnayake 55, Dhananjaya 2) Rathnayake, facing Rashid, glances for two to reach a first fine careful fifty in his fourth one-day international.He will have to make at least another fifty and he’s already on the way, adding four more as a thick edge squirts away to third man.27th over: Sri Lanka 177-5 (Rathnayake 48, Dhananjaya 1) Bethell continues and does well again, going for only two.
The rate required is climbing, to 7,86 now, and SL are still not quite halfway there,26th over: Sri Lanka 174-5 (Rathnayake 46, Dhananjaya 0) Another over from Dawson was unfolding with the odd comfortable single and no alarms,And then Liyanage pushed into the off side, set off for a run – and found Rathnayake stopping half-way,Liyanage turned back but he was doomed as Brook just had to send a half-decent throw into Buttler.
Out of nowhere, a calamity for the Sri Lankans!25th over: Sri Lanka 171-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Brook turns to his fourth spinner.It could be Rehan Ahmed, but instead it’s Jacob Bethell: maybe Brook feels a bit bad about overshadowing his fine 65.Bethell starts well, getting the ball to grip and prompting both batters to mistime it.Only three off the over.24th over: Sri Lanka 168-4 (Rathnayake 43, Liyanage 19) Facing Dawson again, these two do better, taking six off the over
‘Dad never took his customers for granted’: remembering Abdul’s in Sydney’s ‘Little Lebanon’
When Abdul’s Lebanese Restaurant closed earlier this month, it was a shock. A beloved fixture of inner Sydney’s landscape since 1968, the restaurant fed celebrities, broke students and anyone in need of a hearty kebab at the end of a night out.For Hiba Damaa, whose parents Dib and Nizam Ghazal opened the restaurant and named it after her eldest brother Abdul – who eventually ran it with his two brothers – it represented the pioneering spirit of early Lebanese migration.“Abdul’s originated as a Lebanese sweets and pastry shop run by my brother-in-law,” she says. “When he wanted to move on, my parents started selling falafel sandwiches
How to make a clootie dumpling – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
Clootie dumpling is, let’s face it, a much better name than spotted dick, but if you were fond of the latter at school, you’ll probably enjoy this very similar, classic Scottish steamed pudding. Not too sweet and, thanks to the apple and carrot, lighter than it sounds, this is a proper winter dessert and the perfect end to a Burns supper, especially when served with custard or ice-cream.Prep 20 min Cook 3 hr 15 minServes 8-10110g fresh suet, or dried suet or a vegetarian alternative225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp nutmeg 110g soft brown sugar 75g fine fresh breadcrumbs 25g coarse oatmeal, or 25g extra breadcrumbs 200g currants 100g sultanas or raisins – golden ones look especially pretty 1 large green apple 1 carrot Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange or lemon 1 egg, beaten2 tbsp treacle About 60ml milkHalf-fill a large saucepan for which you have a lid with water, then bring to a boil (if you have a pan with handles on the side, so much the better). Soak a clean tea towel (a smooth one, rather than anything fluffy or towel-like) or cheesecloth in water. And have ready some butcher’s string, or similar
Tin Roof Cafe, Maldon, Essex: ‘Come for topsoil, stay for the shortbread’ – review
A tipoff to try the Tin Roof Cafe in Maldon came with prior warning: I wouldn’t get a table easily as this all-day spot serving brunch, lunches and sweet stuff from the in-house bakery is constant, scone-fuelled bedlam. Red brick walls, greenery throughout, alfresco spaces, allotments growing fresh veg and herbs. Capacious, family-run, dog-welcoming, pocket-friendly. There’s bubble and squeak with hand-cut ham, Korean-style chicken burgers and a vegan burger called, rather brilliantly, “Peter Egan” after, I’m guessing, the animal-loving actor who played Paul in Ever Decreasing Circles.Could this place be any more adorable? No, but still, brace yourself
Ignore the snobbery and get into blended whisky
We have Robert Burns to thank for perhaps the greatest poem about any dish ever – a poem so good that it inspires an entire nation to dedicate an evening of each year to eating haggis, even though most people find it kind of gross.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.No? If the “Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race” were that delicious, we’d all be eating it all the time, surely? And yet Burns’ Address to a Haggis is enticing enough to dispel any such doubts just once a year
Helen Goh’s recipe for Breton butter cake with marmalade | The sweet spot
A Breton butter cake is a proud product of Brittany’s butter-rich baking tradition: dense, golden and unapologetically indulgent. True to its origins, my version uses salted butter, with an added pinch of flaky salt to sharpen the flavour. It also takes a small detour from tradition: a slick of marmalade brings a fragrant bitterness, while a handful of ground almonds softens the overall richness and lends a tender crumb. The result is still buttery and luxurious, but with a brighter, more aromatic edge.Brief stints in the freezer help firm up the dough between layers, making it easier to spread the marmalade without disturbing the base
Gordon Ramsay says tax changes will make restaurants ‘lambs to the slaughter’
The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has accused the government of cooking up a kitchen nightmare at restaurants across the country with tax changes that he says will make hospitality businesses “lambs to the slaughter”.Ramsay, whose company operates 34 restaurants in the UK including Bread Street Kitchen, Pétrus and Lucky Cat, said the industry was “facing a bloodbath”. He said restaurants were closing every day as a result of rising business rates, which came on top of higher energy, staffing and ingredient costs and little growth in consumer spending.“I’ve never seen it so bad,” Ramsay told the Standardnews site. “When I look ahead to April, when the budget measures come in, I think those of us in hospitality are lambs to the slaughter
‘She was a bitch in the best possible way’: the life and mysterious death of drag queen Heklina
‘I don’t go around telling people I love the Spice Girls’: Mo Gilligan’s honest playlist
My cultural awakening: A Queen song helped me break free from communist Cuba
The Guide #227: A brain-melting sci-fi movie marathon, curated by Britain’s best cult film-maker
From Saipan to Take That: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Tell us your UK town of culture nomination