CHESTER-LE-STREET, United Kingdom: Will Jacks starred with both bat and ball as England overwhelmed Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
His quickfire 46 not out helped guide England to a competitive 265 all out after they lost momentum following the exit of captain Harry Brook for 67.
Off-spinner Jacks then took a fine 5-22 in seven overs, including three dismissals in what became the final over.
Sri Lanka were dismissed for 176 with 13 overs to spare as England went 1-0 up in this three-match series
Jacks’s figures, his maiden five-wicket haul at this level, were the second-best by an England spinner in ODI cricket, surpassed only by Vic Marks’s 5-20 against New Zealand in Wellington back in 1984.
“I think I am getting used to this role now. It is more about playing the situation and playing what is out there,” said player-of-the-match Jacks after a win which followed seventh-placed England’s 2-1 series success at home to top-ranked India in July.
Brook, meanwhile was heartened by another encouraging performance ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.
“It wasn’t the easiest of surfaces, but we want to be a team that can adapt to conditions as well as possible and manufacture wins where the conditions aren’t quite in our favor,” said Brook.
“I think we did that well today.”
‘Awesome’ Jacks
Turning to the “outstanding” Jacks, he said: “The way he’s come in in this middle order and played this role in the middle order, taking a heavy part of the bowling on; he has been an awesome player to have in the side.”
Sri Lanka made a positive start to their pursuit of a target of 266.
But after Josh Tongue had Pathum Nissanka caught behind for 27 to leave Sri Lanka 48-2, the innings stalled, with Pavan Rathnayake taking 23 balls for his 13.
And 84-3 then became 85-4 when Jacks had Charith Asalanka lbw missing a sweep.
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis fell in similar fashion when he too was lbw attempting to sweep Jacks for 42 off 60 balls, with his side faltering at 105-6.
Jacks’s treble strike then ended the match.
Dunith Wellalage tried to revive the innings with 45 until he skyed Jacks to mid-on.
Two balls later, Jacks dismissed Asitha Fernando for nought before clean bowling No 11 Dilshan Madushanka for a golden duck with a classic off-break.
“I think our middle order is struggling with their batting,” said Kusal Mendis. “Their batters started really well, and that is how they got their score…We needed more boundaries and earlier.”
One consolation for the tourists came with leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage taking an impressive 3-44 on his Sri Lanka debut, including the prize wickets of Joe Root and Jos Buttler.
England, despite a tricky pitch on which the ball was not coming onto the bat, were on course for a large total at 182-3 in the 32nd over after Brook won the toss.
Sri Lanka, however, then took three quick wickets to reduce them to 199-6.
But Jacks’s 47-ball innings, featuring four consecutive fours off Dushmantha Chameera, bolstered the total.
Test skipper Root had previously been dismissed for the first time in five ODI innings — a sequence spanning 404 runs — when he was bowled playing back for 44 to Colombage to end a stand of 68 with Brook.
Brook continued his fine form from the T20 series with a 49-ball fifty including six fours before he carved seamer Chameera straight to deep cover.
The second game of the series takes place at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday.
