LEEDS, England: Kusal Mendis hit 121 and Dunith Wellalage took three top-order wickets as Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs in the second ODI on Thursday to finally claim a win on their white-ball cricket tour.
The series will go to a decider at The Oval on Sunday — and England will likely be without star batter Jos Buttler, who injured his left hamstring midway through his team’s unsuccessful chase of 322.
Buttler had to leave the field when 67 not out and with England going well on 254-4 in the 38th over, and it proved a momentum-swinger at Headingley.
The hosts, who at one stage needed 63 off the last 10 overs, were restricted to 305-9. Buttler hobbled back out into the middle for the final overs but was eventually dismissed for 69.
Mendis, the Sri Lanka captain, won the toss under a sunny sky and hit 14 fours and three sixes in his seventh ODI century, helping the tourists post 321-6.
He put on a 137-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Kamindu Mendis (54), while Pavan Rathnayake added 48 off 39 balls in the middle order.
Wellalage (3-49) took wickets in consecutive overs to remove openers Ben Duckett (67), Tom Banton (73) and Harry Brook (1) and leave England on 157-3. Banton and Duckett had put on 143 for the first wicket.
England won the first ODI by 89 runs at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
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