England lost another wicket late in their innings as Gus Atkinson was bowled by Dilshan Madushanka for 14 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Atkinson’s dismissal left England on 241 for eight, increasing the pressure on the hosts as Sri Lanka continued to make inroads during the closing stages of the innings.
England had earlier built a strong platform through contributions from Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler. Brook was particularly influential, making 67 before his dismissal, while Root added 44.
However, Sri Lanka fought back strongly after England reached 182 for three, with wickets disrupting the home side’s progress and preventing a late acceleration.
Madushanka’s dismissal of Atkinson added to Sri Lanka’s efforts to restrict England’s total, with the visitors seeking to finish the innings strongly and set up a manageable chase.
The match is the first of a three-game ODI series, following England’s 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka in the preceding T20 series.
England are seeking to carry their recent white-ball form into the 50-over format, while Sri Lanka are looking to respond after a difficult T20 campaign.
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