England defeated Sri Lanka in the first One Day International, with Will Jacks playing a key role in both batting and bowling. Jacks scored an unbeaten 46 runs and took five wickets, finishing with figures of five for 22 in the match. His performance helped England post a total of 265, which proved enough to beat Sri Lanka’s 176.
Jacks was visibly surprised after bowling the final wicket that sealed England’s victory. He has evolved from a top-order batsman into a middle-order contributor who can also bowl effectively. Reuters reported that Jacks mostly batted in the top three when he first entered England’s ODI side in 2023. He has more recently been used at No. 6 or No. 7.
Harry Brook praised Jacks for his all-round abilities and said he had embraced his changing role. Brook said the way Jacks had moved into the middle order and contributed with the ball had been “awesome.”
Brook noted that England adapted well to the dry and slow pitch conditions during the match. He had also said before the match that batting consultant Kevin Pietersen was helping England improve against spin. Pietersen led a session focused on reading length and rotating the strike ahead of the ODI series.
England struggled in the middle overs and were stretched during their batting innings. Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Brook all had chances to build larger scores but couldn’t convert them.
Root made 44 from 52 balls before debutant leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage bowled him. Brook top-scored for England with 67 from 69 balls before being caught at deep cover off Dushmantha Chameera.
Jacks stepped up late in the innings. He hit four consecutive fours off Chameera in the 48th over. The burst helped England push beyond 250 and gave the innings valuable late momentum.
Jos Buttler made 31 before Colombage trapped him lbw. Rehan Ahmed was later run out for two. Colombage finished with figures of three for 44 from his 10 overs on his ODI debut.
Sachindu Colombage bowled with accuracy and turn on a slow surface. His spell helped Sri Lanka slow England after Brook and Root had rebuilt the innings.
Sri Lanka had a promising start with Pathum Nissanka scoring runs during the powerplay. However, their batting faltered in the middle overs as England’s bowlers took control. Nissanka was dismissed for 27 with Sri Lanka on 48 for two.
Jamie Overton and Will Jacks were effective against the Sri Lankan middle order. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis made 42 runs but his team couldn’t build enough strong partnerships. Reuters reported that Mendis faced 60 balls before being dismissed.
Dunith Wellalage provided some late resistance with 45 from 36 balls. He hit five fours and two sixes but could not prevent Sri Lanka from being bowled out.
Jacks took three wickets in one over near the end of the match. He finished the victory by bowling Dilshan Madushanka through the gate. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 176 in 37 overs.
The five-wicket haul was Jacks’ first in ODI cricket and his best bowling figures in the format. He previously took six for 161 on his Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in December 2022.
The match was played at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on September 22, 2026. England won by 89 runs after choosing to bat first.
England’s ODI form had been slipping in recent years following the success of the Eoin Morgan era. The team is now trying to rebuild ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Reuters reported that England have won five of their last six ODI matches.
Jacks’ changing role could become important as England prepare for that tournament. In his first 15 ODIs he averaged 31.20 with the bat and 45.00 with the ball. Since moving lower in the batting order, Reuters reported that his batting average has risen to 42.83 while his bowling average has improved to 34.60.
The second ODI will be played in Leeds on Thursday. The three-match series will end at The Oval on Sunday.
IMAGE: The Riverside Ground The original uploader was Ngb CC1