England v Sri Lanka: Watch Alex Hales smash 26 off one over

June 24 An England record opening partnership of 256 between Alex Hales and Jason Roy led their side to a crushing 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day global in Birmingham on Friday.

Injured Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews faces a race against time in order to be declared fit for the second ODI in Birmingham.

Finishing on 0-256, Hales and Roy put together the highest partnership for England in ODIs and the fifth-highest opening stand by any team in a one-day global. He is joining Joe Root as the only other batsman who is picked for England in all three formats, a feat in itself.

Mercifully for Sri Lanka, if alarmingly too, the battering was complete 15.5 overs early – Roy having reached his hundred too with his fourth six to add to six fours, from one ball more than his partner, as England surged to an early and highly emphatic win.

“He has said he wants to play red-ball cricket, and while consistent runs are what will get you noticed, also the management like looking at people who have the right attitude – a love and hunger for global cricket”.

First Kusal Perara was run out when Chandimal called him through for a quick single only to see Jason Roy, at backward point, swoop on the ball, pick it up left-handed, transfer it to his right and throwing down the stumps with a direct hit.

– New English record for highest ever ODI partnership (256).

27 Number of runs conceded by Seekkuge Prasanna in the 29th over of the innings, which is the joint second-most by a bowler against England.

England’s total was also the highest scored by any side winning an ODI by 10 wickets, topping the 236 scored by New Zealand against Zimbabwe at Harare a year ago.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews remains a significant doubt for the second Royal London one-day global, after proving himself only “70 per cent” fit during practice at Edgbaston.

Mathews, playing despite an injury that forced him off at Trent Bridge after he had top-scored in Sri Lanka’s innings with 73 and then taken two wickets with his medium pace, kept England at bay. This is now the highest first-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in ODIs and third-highest for any wicket.

Liam PLunkett, who finished with impressive figures of 2 for 39 from this ten-over spell, claimed both of the first two wickets, as he also had Kusal Mendis LBW for a duck.

England’s vice-captain believes the current side’s reputation in white-ball cricket – series wins over New Zealand and Pakistan; final-game defeats to Australia and South Africa; and a World T20 final – is built on taking aggressive, positive options on the field and that will not change. ‘We played poorly as a team but individuals did well enough to make sure we emerged unscathed from the first game.

But an unbroken stand of 63 between Upul Tharanga (53 not out) and Suraj Randiv (26 not out) gave their bowlers some runs to play with.

“They put on a (batting) clinic for the crowd here and everybody at home watching”.