England slipped to a 19-run defeat against Sri Lanka in the opening ODI on Thursday.
Sri Lanka capitalised on home conditions and superior bowling to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Captain Harry Brook admitted his side were second best on the day, praising Sri Lanka’s performance while acknowledging that losing the toss played a key role.
England’s spinners performed strongly through the middle overs, but their batting failed to build on a promising start in the chase of 272.
It was a frustrating result for a side eager to set the tone early in the three-match series.
Harry Brook’s reaction after England’s ODI defeat
Speaking after the loss, Brook was quick to credit Sri Lanka for a complete performance, while pointing out that batting second had made life difficult on a turning pitch.
“It [the toss] was very crucial at the end, but Sri Lanka played a very good game there and deserved to take the victory,” the England captain said, via Sky Sports.
Brook praised the way his bowlers performed through the middle stages, particularly his spinners, who managed to keep the hosts in check until Jamie Overton’s expensive final over.
“I thought we bowled really well through the middle – the spinners bowled exceptionally well. Obviously, they got hold of us in the last over, but that’s part of white-ball cricket,” he added.
England were undone by Sri Lanka’s spin attack when it came to their chase, and Brook admitted his side struggled to find answers against the variation of the home bowlers.
“They’re a very good side, they’ve got some extremely good spinners as well. They were getting enough out of the surface to be able to get us to miss the ball,” Brook concluded.
Sri Lanka seize early series advantage vs England
Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka posted 271 for 6 from their 50 overs, with Kusal Mendis anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 93 off 117 balls.
Janith Liyanage added 46 and Kamil Mishara contributed 27 as the hosts built a solid total.
England’s spinners impressed: Adil Rashid took 3 for 44, while Liam Dawson kept things tight with figures of 1 for 31.
However, a late flourish in the final overs lifted Sri Lanka to a competitive score.
In reply, England were bowled out for 252 in 49.2 overs, despite promising knocks from Ben Duckett (62 off 76) and Joe Root (61 off 90).
Overton offered late resistance with a quick-fire 34 from 17 balls, but it wasn’t enough to see his side over the line.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Pramod Madushan (3-39), Jeffrey Vandersay (2-39), and Dunith Wellalage (2-41), kept England’s middle order quiet.
The result leaves England trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, with Brook urging his team to respond quickly and show greater resolve in the second ODI.
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