Chris Woakes and Joe Root lead the way as England ease to victory over Sri Lanka in first ODI

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England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first one-day international match in Durham; Chris Woakes reached 150 ODI wickets taking 4-18 as Sri Lanka slipped for 185, before Joe Root scored 79 undefeated in his 150th ODI; Watch the second ODI starting at 12:30 pm, Thursday on Sky Sports Cricket

Chris Woakes played a starring role on the ball before Joe Root went unbeaten to 79 when England scored a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international game in Durham.

Woakes won 4-18 in his 10 overs, the cheapest figures for an England bowler in ODI cricket since Stuart Broad (2-14) against New Zealand in 2008, as Sri Lanka was eliminated by 185 in 42.3 overs .

Captain Kusal Perera (73) and Wanindu Hasaranga (54) posted 99 for the fourth wicket, but that was the only notable association as the tourists, stripped of three of their most experienced hitters, collapsed and lost their last seven wickets for 40 careers. .

Jonny Bairstow (43 of 21 balls) made England a midfielder in the chase before a mini collapse that sent the hosts slide to 80-4, but Root, in his 150th ODI, put 91 with Moeen Ali (28 ) and exceeded 6,000. he runs on a day when he saw the home team on the line with 15.1 overs to spare.

After a 3-0 sweep in the IT20 series, England also got the start they wanted in the over 50 format as Eoin Morgan won the draw, chose to bowl and quickly had Sri Lanka down three.

Joe Root hit with real composure to lead England to victory, finishing 79th of 87 balls.

Pathum Nissanka (5) was the first to go, throwing a slower short ball from Woakes to Ali in midfield before David Willey had Charith Asalanka (0), one of three Sri Lankan debutants, caught in the first slip by Joe Root.

A Woakes beauty represented Dasun Shanaka (1), who went through Bairstow when the ball flew away late.

Perera was scoring freely despite the wickets falling at the other end, but with Hasaranga providing much-needed support, he was calmer in the fold.

The pair gradually managed to get the innings back on track with Hasaranga even beating Adil Rashid, taking the leg turn by three limits in one over, and at 145-3 at the start of the 29th, a competitive total seemed to be in their grasp. .

However, Woakes had been returned to attack and broke the stands with another short ball, taken over by Hasaranga but not timed and Liam Livingstone came running from deep center to catch a good low reception.

Woakes struck again on his next over, Dhananjaya Lakshan (2) pushed out and the edge flew to the left of Root, who took an excellent catch on the slide.

Ramesh Mendis (1) followed, lbw Ali (1-5) in the next over, and when Perera holed to give Willey his second, England were on the tail.

Chamika Karunaratne finished undefeated in the 19th, breaking a big six, as well as being involved in a less than impressive run between the grounds that saw Dushmantha Chameera (7) and Praveen Jayawickrama (4) run over by Sam Billings after Willey (3- 44). ) had bounced off Binura Fernando (2).

Innings were completed within 43 overs and when Bairstow pushed past consecutive limits to start the response, the chances that England would need something like this to eliminate the runs seemed slim.

The starter surpassed six limits and a huge six on his first 17 balls to move to 40 and when Livingstone hit a free throw over the rope in the middle of deep field, the association of fifty increased by 4.3 overs.

Livingstone fell later, however, splicing a Karunaratne delivery in the middle and Bairstow’s scorching blow came to an end courtesy of Fernando (1-50), cutting at the end of the next over.

When Chameera then toppled Eoin Morgan and Billings in successive overs, England had slipped from 54-0 to 80-4, and it could have been worse when Ali passed his first ball back, only for Perera to leave a regulation opportunity on his left. . .

However, Root and Ali managed to stabilize things after that, calmly building up between them before Root was given a life in 36 when Chameera seized a difficult opportunity to beat Karunaratne.

The society of the fifties emerged shortly thereafter and Root moved into his own 58-ball half-century in the 26th, as England approached 50 from victory.

A steady stream of one-two brought it down to 15 before Ali was brought down by Chameera (3-50), leaving Sam Curran to help Root finish the job at 35.

England are up 1-0 in the three-game series and teams are now heading to the Kia Oval for Game 2 on Thursday.

Watch the second one-day international game between England and Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval starting at 12.30pm. M., Thursday at Sky Sports Cricket.

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