Duckett's 167 and Dawson's Four Wickets Give England 55-Run Win Over Sri Lanka

England hold their nerve after another demanding chase

Ben Duckett struck 167 from 132 balls and Liam Dawson took four wickets for 49 as England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, ending their tri-series campaign with a first victory after three consecutive defeats.

England's 386 for five gave Sri Lanka a target of 387, but the match remained competitive deep into the chase. Sri Lanka reached 300 for five after 40 overs, needing another 87 from the final 60 balls, before England dismissed them for 331 in 45.1 overs.

Pavan Rathnayake's 118 from 77 balls and captain Kusal Mendis' 89 from 71 threatened to turn another large England total into a losing score. Dawson's control and wickets helped England finish the job this time, with Sri Lanka leaving 29 deliveries unused.

The result brought England their first victory in a one day international in Pakistan since 2005. It also gave captain Harry Brook a successful finish to a tournament in which his team's batting had repeatedly created opportunities that their bowling struggled to protect.

England had already been eliminated, while Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan had secured their places in the final. The win therefore changed England's closing record rather than the identity of the finalists. For Sri Lanka, the immediate task was to recover from a costly bowling performance before competing for the trophy.

Duckett and Banton build a platform of 163

Sri Lanka captain Mendis won the toss and chose to field. England responded with the highest opening partnership of the tournament, as Duckett and Tom Banton added 163 in 151 balls.

Banton made 74 from 75 deliveries, hitting eight fours and two sixes. His contribution gave Duckett a steady partner and allowed England to build without the early losses that had damaged their previous innings against Pakistan.

Duckett reached 50 from 46 balls, his century from 89 and 150 from 118. Those milestones show how his innings gathered speed: his second 50 took 43 deliveries, while the next took only 29.

His 24 fours supplied 96 of his 167 runs. Without needing a six, Duckett scored at about 126.5 runs per 100 balls and contributed just over 43 percent of England's total. Eshan Malinga eventually dismissed him, but the opening batter had already given England the foundation for another imposing score.

Brook and the middle order keep England moving

Brook joined Duckett at number three, the first time he had occupied that position in his ODI career. Their partnership produced 107 runs from 75 balls, carrying England to 270 for two in the 38th over.

The captain made 44 from 34 deliveries, including three fours and two sixes. He did not repeat his double century from the earlier meeting with Sri Lanka, but his scoring rate helped England sustain the pressure after Banton's dismissal.

Will Jacks followed with 30 from 21 balls, Jordan Cox contributed 43 from 27 and Sam Curran finished unbeaten on 21 from 12. England added 92 in the final 10 overs, finishing at an average of 7.72 runs per over.

The total surpassed the previous Gaddafi Stadium ODI mark of Pakistan's 375 for three against Zimbabwe by 11 runs. England's scoring also came from several partnerships rather than one isolated burst, making it difficult for Sri Lanka to regain control after taking a wicket.

Sri Lanka's bowlers struggle after their previous success

Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka's most successful bowler, taking two for 63 from 10 overs. Dilshan Madushanka, Malinga and Dasun Shanaka claimed one wicket each.

Malinga conceded 101 runs from his 10 overs, while Dunith Wellalage finished without a wicket for 75. Together, their 20 overs cost 176 runs, nearly 46 percent of England's total.

Sri Lanka had bowled Pakistan out for 110 in their previous match at the same venue. England's 386 presented a very different challenge, with the opening partnership forcing Sri Lanka to spend much of the innings trying to contain established batters.

England made one change to their team, bringing Sonny Baker in for Jamie Overton. Baker then supplied an early breakthrough in the chase, bowling Kamindu Mendis for four with Sri Lanka's total at 13 in the fourth over.

Mendis and Rathnayake put the target within reach

Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis repaired the early damage with an 84-run partnership. Avishka struck eight fours and a six in his 48 from 50 balls before Jacks caught him off Dawson, leaving Sri Lanka at 97 for two.

Mendis then added 80 with Rathnayake in only 59 deliveries. The captain's 89 included eight fours and five sixes, worth 62 runs in boundaries. His willingness to attack kept Sri Lanka moving towards a target that required 7.74 runs per over from the start.

Joe Root dismissed Mendis following a successful England review, breaking the partnership at 177 for three. Dawson then removed Shanaka lbw for four after another review, leaving Sri Lanka 186 for four.

Rathnayake continued to attack. His 118 included 15 fours and one six, and came at about 153.2 runs per 100 balls, faster than Duckett's scoring rate. Janith Liyanage contributed 27 from 17 balls and Sahan Arachchige made 30 from 24, helping Sri Lanka carry the chase into its final phase.

Rathnayake reached his third ODI century in his 12th innings, compared with the 21 innings Upul Tharanga needed to reach three. His performance gave Sri Lanka another major individual success even as the match slipped away.

Dawson gives England the decisive wickets

Sri Lanka needed 87 from the final 10 overs with five wickets remaining. That meant scoring at 8.7 runs per over, a demanding rate but a realistic one after the hitting already seen in the tournament.

Dawson helped close the chase by dismissing Rathnayake in the 45th over. He completed his full allocation of 10 overs for 49 runs, conceding 4.9 per over in a match where both teams passed 330.

Baker took two wickets, while Curran, Henry Crocombe and Root claimed one each. Sri Lanka's innings ended at 45.1 overs, cricket notation for 45 completed overs and one additional legal delivery, rather than a decimal fraction of an over.

Dawson finished the tournament with seven wickets at an average of 21.42 runs conceded per wicket. Pakistan's Arafat Minhas had nine at 16.11, giving another example of the success enjoyed by bowlers using left arm spin in the competition.

McCullum backs Brook's leadership under pressure

Brendon McCullum, England's coach for limited overs cricket, said his side had again come under pressure before finding the breakthroughs it needed. He credited Brook with managing that difficult passage.

We were probably behind the game, to be honest, when they were five-down, but Brooky was able to slow it down, make some plays, and obviously we were able to get the wickets we needed.

McCullum's support extended beyond individual decisions about bowling changes or field positions. He praised Brook's standing among the players and his willingness to involve others in decisions.

I can't talk highly enough of his captaincy, not just his tactics, but also his leadership.

England's selection choices also reflected the conditions. Adil Rashid was left out of the final three matches, with Dawson taking the leading spin role. McCullum said legspin had played a limited part across the three teams and described Dawson as experienced and highly competitive.

A difficult tournament ends with something to build on

England's victory followed two striking examples of how individual batting achievements had failed to produce wins. Brook's double century in Rawalpindi on October 22 helped England make 429 for four, but Sri Lanka successfully chased 430, the second highest successful chase in ODI history.

Duckett then supplied 105 during England's collapse against Pakistan in Lahore on October 25, when they were dismissed for 241. His 167 against Sri Lanka made it centuries in consecutive appearances, while Banton finished the tournament with three scores of at least 50.

The campaign's main developments followed a clear sequence:

• October 22: Brook scored 202 in Rawalpindi, but Sri Lanka chased England's target of 430.
• October 25: Duckett made 105 as England were bowled out for 241 against Pakistan in Lahore.
• Monday: Sri Lanka's victory over Pakistan ended England's remaining chance of reaching the final.
• The final league match: Duckett's 167 and Dawson's four wickets secured England's first win.

Pakistan qualified for the final with three victories and Sri Lanka with two. The final was listed for Saturday, October 31, at Gaddafi Stadium, although Sunday was also given as the playing day; the scheduling discrepancy was unresolved.

Australia is England's next examination

England's next assignment is a November tour of Australia featuring three ODIs and five T20 internationals. McCullum also identified a warm-up match against Western Australia before the ODI series.

The coach placed the Pakistan experience within preparations for the World Cup in South Africa, due to begin in about 12 months. England leave with evidence that their batting can produce exceptional totals, alongside repeated examples of the difficulty of defending them.

McCullum acknowledged the disappointment of missing the final while setting out what England wanted to achieve next.

We want to be a team that can challenge seriously for that World Cup in 12 months' time, and we know we need to get better, but we will, and I'm sure we'll learn from these lessons.

Lahore provided a concrete improvement: England took the wickets needed to finish a chase that was again moving towards their total. Australia will give Brook and his bowlers another opportunity to turn that successful finish into a more consistent habit.

Key Points

• England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs after making 386 for five in Lahore.
• Ben Duckett scored 167 from 132 balls and shared an opening stand of 163 with Tom Banton.
• Pavan Rathnayake made 118 and Kusal Mendis 89 as Sri Lanka reached 331.
• Liam Dawson took four for 49, helping England secure their first win after three defeats.
• Pakistan and Sri Lanka had already qualified for the tri-series final.
• England next travel to Australia for three ODIs and five T20 internationals in November.