England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI saw Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs at Headingley after Kusal Mendis scored 121, leveling the 2026 ODI series 1-1.
Sri Lanka have a chance to come back into the game on Sunday, after their poor showing of the tour. Also will “Jose” (Harry Brook) be fit for that game? As we saw tonight, things don’t look good for Buttler. We’ll wait and see on that one. The series decider is on the 27th and we will be in attendance.
Then, when, and until, I will be wondering why Brook calls Buttler “Jose”. Watched this series a few times. Bye bye for now….
July 2025 – is when the ICC changed the rule in ODIs to allow a team to choose one ball to bowl from the 34th over of an innings and we have seen the benefit of that tonight.
The ball reversed and Sri Lanka won a game which previously under the old rules would’ve been so so difficult to. Well done ICC for reviving the fun of reverse swing in the ODIs and bringing us back to the 90s/early 2000s when the death overs wasn’t just slambang cricket. The series is level and that makes for a nice decider on the 27th of this month at the Oval.
Kusal Mendis | Player of the Match & Sri Lanka captain: It’s the individual and team performance. Honestly, I’m very happy. My inning, got a hundred and overall performance very well today. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Kamindu did a really good batting, he was supporting me and Pathum started well and the middle order did a really good batting. That’s why we can more than 300 putting the scoreboard.
Of course, with Kamindu, Yeah, Yeah. I’m very happy when I’m in the middle, he talking too much… the gameplan, and we batted, we have our own game, nothing special, and basic cricket. I think we had a goal of 350 in mind, but we’re pretty happy with 320. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Talking about over 300, this was our desired pitch and we scored over 300. Yeah after the powerplay and Wellalage’s bowling, the whole inning,
Wella bowled really well, Wellalage bowled really well in the powerplay. Fast bowling combination did a fantastic job after death overs. In today game guys do their best. I’m very happy. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Yeah, of course, that’s the same fight and character I would take on Sunday. Now game is over, then we have to concentrate on the next game, basic, very good cricket we have to play.
Brook 2/2:
The lads started off in an absolute flying manner and what he would have changed if he could on the start of the run chase. The way that Bants and Ducky played was an outstanding start. Well, really you couldn’t ask for anything more. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, This is the middle area period again when we may have faltered a little and lost a couple of wickets too.
The battle we demonstrated and how Jose [Jos] came out to give it an effort there was a lot of effort from all of us. Yeah, sure, when I went there and the series was on. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, You want to play in close games, and close games are always exciting; and we have a great opportunity right there to try and win this series. And it’s not just a good opportunity for us now, but it’s a great opportunity for 12 months’ time as well.
In pressure situations like we’re going to find ourselves at the Oval, it’s great to see where we’ll be as a team. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI.
Harry Brook | England captain (1/2): To be honest, it’s been a fantastic game. It was a lot of fun to be involved in and to observe. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI.
There’s so many different areas that you can look back on and dwell on, but that’s not what this team does. Back to the drawing board and out for the oval. Of course, happy to lose the toss and content with the bowling performance in the middle. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI.
I think we did a good job, particularly down the second half of our bowling spell. They obviously got off to a decent start, 180 after 30 overs or so. So to string it back to 320 and have the opportunity to chase that score down was a hell of an effort. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Yeah he bowled very nicely, one thing we’ve asked him to do is keep the stumps in play as much as possible, and he’s done very nicely in the last couple of games.
Stats by Roshan Gede
England’s run-chase
Overs 1-10: 82/0
Overs 11-20: 61/1
Overs 21-30: 66/3
Overs 31-40: 50/1
Overs 41/50: 46/4
Buttler left at 37.3 to see England post 51/5 in 12.3 overs at 4.08 runs per over. In this phase, they were only able to get two hits (one 4, one 6). England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI.
3.5m good length deliveries (3-length) against ENG batters today
Buttler: 29*(12), SR: 241.66
Jacks: 18*(18), SR: 100
Others: 18(37), SR: 48.64 (two dismissals – Duckett and Root) England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI.
Buttler is the third Englishman to achieve the feat in the V against spin in an ODI innings since the 2006 home season, with him hitting five or more sixes in the last three games.
SL vs ENG in ODIs at Headingley. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI
Lost by 9 wickets, CWC 1983
The series-2002 NatWest series was lost by 3 wickets.
Won by 8 wickets, 2006
Won by 69 runs, 2011
Won by 20 runs, CWC 2019
Won by 16 runs, 2026
They have the best win-loss ratio (4-2) in head to head ODI in England, along with the same in their home ground of Lord’s (4-2) in six matches. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI
The four completed ODIs at Headingley, England will be remembered forever.
Lost by 20 runs vs SL, CWC 2019
Lost by 68 runs vs AUS, 2024
Crushed for 7 wickets (175 balls) in front of SA
Lost by 16 runs vs SL, 2026
Prior to this run, they had won six races on the trot here. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI
20:35 Local Time, 19:35 GMT, 01:05 IST: What a performance from Sri Lanka – especially after Buttler went off. Also due to the new ICC rule where only one ball can be played after the 34th over. If there was no rule like this Sri Lanka would have been mostly beaten well within the 50 overs.
The ball got scuffed up and bounced back, Asitha and Eshan Malinga were excellent. From the 37th over till the end of the 50th, England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, they conceded just a four and a six – and that was ultimately the difference between the two sides. Duckett and Banton hit a good first pair and gave the home side a great start. Once the pitch was level, England were in hot chase.
Enter Wellalage – who was superb and his three-wickets gave Sri Lanka hope. Buttler was denied any glimmer by his pulled hammy but Sri Lanka made the best of it. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Jacks lost his timing and Sri Lanka got the yorkers right at the will of the batters.
Excellent captaincy from Kusal Mendis too as he relied on the seamers knowing the reverse-swing, ably helped by the fielding from his side – who took their catches. Sri Lanka got this victory after hanging in there and then taking their chances. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, The win should give a lot of confidence to the Sri Lanka, who did not rush and hung in there, taking their chances. Watch for the post match action….
The England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI at The Oval, Leeds on 24th Sep 2026 was an exciting match in which Sri Lanka put on a great batting party and managed to hold on to the game. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, After the Sri Lanka had won the toss and elected to bat first, they were allowed 50 overs to make 321/6, whereas England were given the same time limit of 50 overs to hit 305/9.
That had meant Sri Lanka had a 16-run win and had taken the first of three ODI tests at 1-1, with England having won the first test. Kusal Mendis was especially impressive with a brilliant 121 off 100 balls and England’s chase included valuable help from Tom Banton, England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks.
Thus, England v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI proved to be one of the key encounters of the 2026 Sri Lanka tour of England and will set the stage for a match at The Oval, which is expected to be a decisive one.
England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Match Overview
The 2nd ODI between England and Sri Lanka took place on Thursday, 24th September 2026 in Leeds, at the Headingley ground. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, Sri Lanka won the match toss and rocked the bowlers with 321/6 in 50 overs, the official match information states.
England had made a serious effort to chase the target and ended up on 305/9 with Sri Lanka 16 runs off the target, but still taking the series leveling victory. England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI, The fixture came as part of England’s home white-ball fixture against Sri Lanka with the ODI series set for September 22, September 24 and September 27.
The England team was previously confirmed by the ICC and included Harry Brook, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ben Duckett and Will Jacks among others who will lead the team in the three ODIs. Date, Venue and Match Result
The essential details for England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI are quite simple: The match was played on September 24, 2026, at Headingley, Leeds, with a local start time of 12:30 PM. The Sri Lankans (321/6) found 16 runs more than sufficient against England (305/9) to make the visitors triumph.
Sri Lanka’s win also altered the nature of the series as England had taken a 1-0 lead on the first ODI, which they won by 89 runs. The second game prevented England from clinching the series and this also put the third ODI in the condition of being the sole deciding game of a series of three. The England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI was then more than just another match; it was the game that brought balance to the game.
Sri Lanka’s fine first innings performance
The best part of Sri Lanka’s victory in the second ODI of England vs Sri Lanka was their batting performance. Sri Lanka’s 50 overs went to 321, scoring at an A-rated rate of 6.42 off the 50 overs, thus setting an ambitious target on a ground where the England bowlers had to consistently pick wickets off them. Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis hit the first 45 runs off the front and Kamindu added 54 runs from 65 balls.
Kusal Mendis then handled the middle order, combining attacking stroke play, placement and timing to produce a solid platform, which then became a big total. The innings was also bolstered by Pavan Rathnayake’s 48 off 39 balls and Janith Liyanage’s 32 off 26 to add some pace to the proceedings towards the end.
Sri Lanka’s 321/6
Batter Runs Balls
Kusal Mendis 121 100
Kamindu Mendis 54 65
Pavan Rathnayake 48 39
Janith Liyanage 32 26
Pathum Nissanka 25 33
Dunith Wellalage 16* 15
England’s 305/9
Batter Runs Balls
Tom Banton 73 62
Ben Duckett 67 63
Jos Buttler 69 49
Will Jacks 52 61
Gus Atkinson 16 28
Joe Root 15 17
The effort was enough to make for an impressive chase in itself, but ultimately England fell 16 runs short. England’s hopes were buoyed by Ben Duckett’s 69 off 49 balls in the middle and late overs, and Tom Banton and Jos Buttler’s early partnership set up another run-up to 200.
Jacks also scored 52 to make another significant contribution when England needed it most. But England found it difficult to keep wickets and score at the required rate at the end of the innings. India’s game against Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI with England was therefore a game of defence as Sri Lanka held on to the remainder of the run despite crossing the 300-run marker.
Best Batting Performances
Both sides’ successes in the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI showcased some players who could determine the course of the series. Banton, Duckett and Buttler all had significant contributions to make for England, while Kusal Mendis’ 121 was undoubtedly the individual star of the day.
Kusal’s century put Sri Lanka in control of the first innings, while the England platform of Banton and Duckett looked to be capable of a successful match-up for a few moments. Buttler’s 69 and Jacks’ 52 kept England in with it till the last over. The games were tight and that is why the final score was just 16 runs.
Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake
The center of gravity of the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI was clearly Kusal Mendis but Pavan Rathnayake did a commendable job as support. Rathnayake hit 14 boundaries and three sixes from 48 runs in 39 balls, while Mendis bagged 14 boundaries and a six in 14 deliveries from 121 runs in 100 balls.
They’d all come in at various points of the innings which meant Sri Lanka could stay on top despite losing its top batter. Rathnayake’s strike rate of over 123 got Sri Lanka off to an early start in the remaining overs as the innings did not lose momentum after Kusal’s fall. A big century and determined lower order support enabled Sri Lanka to cross the 320 mark.
Jos Buttler and Will Jacks
The battle for a draw was hung around the necks of Jos Buttler and Will Jacks, who together scored 121 runs in the second ODI of England vs Sri Lanka. Buttler hit five fours and five sixes from 69 balls and Jacks five fours and two sixes from 52 deliveries.
Buttler’s aggressive play was of particular importance as England were losing wickets and needed to score runs at a high pace. Jacks was more measured in his contribution and did his bit to keep the innings steady before heading home. Their team match-up proved England’s will to play at their peak but Sri Lanka still found a way to pick up wickets at the right time.
Best Bowling Performances
Bowling eventually sealed the win in the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI when both teams scored more than 300. The bowlers of England found some success as Gus Atkinson and Rehan Ahmed picked up two wickets apiece and Sri Lanka’s attack had the bigger breakthroughs in the chase.
Sri Lanka was understandably faced with the task of defending a massive target in a team that had already proved its scoring prowess to England, with the wicket takers playing a special role. The visitors did that with the help of Wellalage, Madushanka and Malinga. Their combined effort saw England miss a chance to make the best of the superb opening stand.
Dunith Wellalage makes a big splash
Dunith Wellalage became one of the most crucial bowlers in Sri Lanka’s 2nd ODI vs England as he picked up three wickets for 49 runs in 10 overs. His victims included two batters that England had to build the chase with: Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.
His economy rate was also helpful in the match as it was a high scoring match. Wellalage played a pivotal role in turning the tide for Sri Lanka when England was in a commanding position, not by stopping them from scoring but by snatching the momentum from their grasp. His display highlighted the importance of the middle order in the game of cricket, particularly when defending a sum in excess of 300.
Toss and Match Conditions
The toss came into play in the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI in a crucial way as Sri Lanka elected to bat first at Headingley. Sri Lanka’s official scorecard shows the toss decision and that they did eventually produce 321/6. England bowlers could take six wickets but Sri Lanka’s batters played at a decent enough rate to set a challenging target.
The conditions of the match also had the test takers to play a balance between aggression and wicket saving which England managed to do at times, but not throughout the innings. The game showed that while the toss decision was of paramount importance, so was the ability to do the job on the ball successfully and preserve wickets.
It was a situation of series after the second ODI.
The England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI had a significant impact on the series. A Headingley victory meant England had the first ODI under control, holding a 1-0 lead going into the second game. The second game saw Sri Lanka respond with a 16-run win which put the score level at 1-1.
That made the third ODI at The Oval the game that would decide the series as neither side had won the series after two matches. The third ODI for the 27 September has been confirmed by the International Cricket Council’s published schedule, at The Oval. Sri Lanka vs England 2nd ODI was therefore a connecting link between the opening game of a England-dominated series and the final game of the series.
The Outcome in the Third ODI
England are now in a series-deciding 2nd ODI against Sri Lanka, after it was revealed in the result of this match that they had achieved exactly this. Sri Lanka can take consolation from holding off England’s opening stand of 143 and England can at least take pride in a stand that never looked back to win their second ODI after the pair fell in the middle overs, reaching 305/9.
The third ODI is to be played on September 27 at The Oval in London, the official series schedule reads. The second match also showcased individual storylines which may play a role in the future, such as Kusal Mendis’ performances, England’s first pairing and Sri Lanka’s proven middle-overs bowling.
England, Sri Lanka 2nd ODI: The highlights of the game.
Several things were evident from the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI. Sri Lanka had proved that they can bounce back after the first ODI loss with a 321-run partnership and holding off a prolific England chase.
Kusal Mendis’ 121 got the job done while Dunith Wellalage’s three wickets completed the task on the field. The England reply was also impressive, especially with Banton, Duckett, Buttler and Jacks, but the wickets were falling at crucial points, and it was not enough. The 16-run win took the two sides to the final ODI class, where they can put up a good show in the concluding match of the three-ODI test series.
Conclusion
The 2nd ODI Sri Lanka vs England was a memorable match, as both the teams played a matchup worthy of winning on another day. Sri Lanka had put the base for their victory with Kusal Mendis’ excellent 121, while England had been able to demonstrate how competitive the chase turned out to be as 305/9.
England’s first 143 partnership between Tom Banton and Ben Duckett was a good beginning, but Sri Lanka bowlers bore down to bring the chase within striking distance of the end, but failed to achieve the final objective.
The third ODI at The Oval was now brewing to be the defining match of the ODI leg of the tour as the series was level at 1-1. The thriller from the Headingley will be a match that will bring balance to the series and a dramatic end to the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI cricket match.
FAQs
When did England play against Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI of the series?
The England v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI took place on September 24th, 2026 at Headingley in Leeds. Sri Lanka scored 321/6 to beat England 16 runs, 305/9, in the match.
- Who won the 2nd ODI between England and Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka took the 2nd ODI of the match against England by a 16-run margin. With England having won the first ODI, the three-match ODI series went to the balance sheet with SABRE leveling it at 1-1.The win levelled the three-match ODI series at 1-1 with England securing the first ODI.
In England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI who scored a century?
Kusal Mendis bowled an amazing 121 from 100 balls in England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI. He scored 24 runs off 14 fours and three sixes.
- The score of England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI?
Sri Lanka made 321/6 in 50 overs and England was 305/9 in 50 overs. Sri Lanka thus won by 16 runs.
3rd ODI after England vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI was played where?
The third ODI was set for September 27, 2026 at the iconic The Oval in London. It is officially scheduled to be the last ODI in the Sri Lanka tour of England.