England v Sri Lanka, 6th Match, Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026
Sri Lanka vs England 6th Match: Ben Duckett’s 167 Powers England to 55-Run Win
England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 29 October 2026, posting 386 for 5 and then bowling Sri Lanka out for 331 in 45.1 overs. Ben Duckett made 167 from 132 balls and was named Player of the Match. Liam Dawson took 4 for 49.
It was a dead rubber — England had already been eliminated from the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series and Sri Lanka had already qualified for the final — and it was also comfortably the best cricket England played all tournament. Sri Lanka, two days from a final, conceded 386 and then came within 56 runs of chasing it down anyway.
SL vs ENG Match Summary
| Match | Sri Lanka vs England, 6th Match |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 |
| Date | 29 October 2026 (day/night) |
| Venue | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| Toss | Sri Lanka won and chose to field |
| England score | 386/5 in 50 overs |
| Sri Lanka score | 331 all out in 45.1 overs |
| Result | England won by 55 runs |
| Player of the Match | Ben Duckett |
Ben Duckett’s 167 Leads England’s Batting Charge
Duckett faced 132 balls and hit 24 fours and not a single six. That is the detail that explains the innings. He did not clear the rope once in nearly three and a half hours at the crease, and he still scored at 126 per hundred balls.
The method was placement rather than power — working the ball into gaps square of the wicket, running hard, and taking the boundary when it was offered rather than manufacturing one. On a surface that had already produced a 430-run chase in this tournament, he simply never gave Sri Lanka the chance at a false shot that a big hitter eventually does.
He was finally caught by Asitha Fernando off Eshan Malinga in the 42nd over, with England 301 for 3. By then the match was decided. It was Duckett’s second hundred in two innings at this ground — he had made 105 from 111 balls against Pakistan four days earlier, in a match England lost.
Tom Banton and England Build a Huge Total
The platform came first. Duckett and Tom Banton put on 163 for the opening wicket before Banton was bowled by Dasun Shanaka in the 25th over for 74 from 75 balls, with eight fours and two sixes.
That is a half-century stand built at better than six an over without either batter taking a risk, and it is the reason the back half of England’s innings could be as aggressive as it was. Harry Brook came in and added 107 with Duckett at close to eight an over, making 44 from 34 before Asitha Fernando held a return catch.
From there England accelerated in short bursts rather than one long assault. Will Jacks made 30 from 21, Jordan Cox 43 from 27, and Sam Curran finished unbeaten on 21 from 12. Cox was dismissed off the very last ball of the innings, by which point England had added 85 from the 8.2 overs after Duckett’s departure.
Sri Lanka’s bowling card makes uncomfortable reading two days before a final. Eshan Malinga conceded 101 runs from his ten overs for one wicket. Dilshan Madushanka, who had taken a career-best 5 for 34 against Pakistan two days before, went for 64. Only Asitha Fernando, with 2 for 63, kept his economy under 6.50.
Sri Lanka Fight Back Through Pavan Rathnayake
Chasing 387, Sri Lanka lost Kamindu Mendis for 4 inside four overs and then played, for a long stretch, as though the target were reachable. It very nearly was.
Kusal Mendis made 89 from 71 balls with eight fours and five sixes, taking Sri Lanka from 13 for 1 to 177 for 3 and treating the chase as a problem of rate rather than survival. Avishka Fernando’s 48 from 50 was the supporting half of an 84-run second-wicket stand.
Then came Pavan Rathnayake’s 118 from 77 balls, with fifteen fours and a six — the innings that kept Sri Lanka alive for twenty overs after the chase should have ended. He arrived at 97 for 2 and was still there at 329 for 7, batting through six consecutive partnerships: 80 with Kusal Mendis, 72 with Janith Liyanage, 57 with Sahan Arachchige, and three smaller ones in between.
At 315 for 6 in the 43rd over, Sri Lanka needed 72 from 45 balls with Rathnayake set. That is not a likely position. It is an entirely live one.
Liam Dawson’s Four-Wicket Spell Changes the Game
Dawson finished with 4 for 49 from his ten overs, an economy rate of 4.90. To see what that is worth, look at the rest of England’s card: Gus Atkinson went at 7.00, Sonny Baker at 8.33, Sam Curran at 6.13, Henry Crocombe at 9.00, Will Jacks at 12.00 and Joe Root at 8.75. Dawson was the only bowler on either side, across 95.1 overs of cricket, to concede under six an over.
His wickets came at the right ends of the innings. He removed Avishka Fernando to break the second-wicket stand, trapped Dasun Shanaka lbw, and then — with Sri Lanka 329 for 7 and still in it — had Rathnayake caught by Baker. He finished the innings off by having Asitha Fernando caught at 331.
Joe Root’s contribution deserves a line of its own. His part-time off-breaks accounted for Kusal Mendis, caught behind by Cox, which ended the stand that had been winning the match.
Key Turning Points
- The opening stand of 163. Duckett and Banton batted 25 overs together, which let England treat the last 25 as a free hit.
- Duckett’s hundred. 167 from 132 balls without a six — 43 per cent of England’s total from one batter who never left the ground.
- Root removing Kusal Mendis at 177 for 3. Sri Lanka’s most dangerous batter, taken out by England’s seventh bowling option.
- Dawson dismissing Rathnayake at 329 for 8. The chase needed 58 from 34 balls with its centurion in. One ball ended both.
- The collapse. Sri Lanka went from 315 for 6 to 331 all out — four wickets for 16 runs in 16 balls.
Sri Lanka vs England Scorecard
England 386/5 (50 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | 167 | 132 | 24 | 0 |
| Tom Banton | 74 | 75 | 8 | 2 |
| Harry Brook (c) | 44 | 34 | 3 | 2 |
| Jordan Cox (wk) | 43 | 27 | 3 | 1 |
| Will Jacks | 30 | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| Sam Curran | 21* | 12 | 1 | 1 |
Sri Lanka bowling: Asitha Fernando 2/63 (10) · Dasun Shanaka 1/49 (7) · Dilshan Madushanka 1/64 (9) · Eshan Malinga 1/101 (10) · Dunith Wellalage 0/75 (10).
Sri Lanka 331 all out (45.1 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavan Rathnayake | 118 | 77 | 15 | 1 |
| Kusal Mendis (c, wk) | 89 | 71 | 8 | 5 |
| Avishka Fernando | 48 | 50 | 8 | 1 |
| Sahan Arachchige | 30 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| Janith Liyanage | 27 | 17 | 1 | 3 |
England bowling: Liam Dawson 4/49 (10) · Sonny Baker 2/75 (9) · Sam Curran 1/44 (7.1) · Henry Crocombe 1/27 (3) · Joe Root 1/35 (4) · Gus Atkinson 0/63 (9) · Will Jacks 0/36 (3). Dunith Wellalage was run out by Root and Curran.
Officials: Umpires Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula; TV umpire Wayne Knights; match referee Jeff Crowe.
What the Result Means for the Tournament
Nothing, in the narrow sense, and quite a lot in the wider one.
England finished the round robin with one win from four and two points, bottom of a three-team table. They had been eliminated two days earlier, when Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets and bowled the hosts out for 110. This was their only victory of the tournament, and it came after three straight defeats.
| Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
For Sri Lanka the result carries a warning rather than a cost. Their place in the final was already secure, but they conceded 386 and watched a frontline attack that had bowled Pakistan out for 110 two days earlier go at better than seven an over. The final against Pakistan is scheduled for Saturday 31 October at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore — the same ground, the same conditions, and an attack that will need to bowl considerably better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Sri Lanka vs England 6th match?
England won by 55 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 29 October 2026.
What was England’s score against Sri Lanka?
England made 386 for 5 in their 50 overs, scoring at 7.72 an over.
How many runs did Ben Duckett score?
Ben Duckett scored 167 from 132 balls with 24 fours and no sixes, a strike rate of 126.51.
How many runs did Pavan Rathnayake score?
Pavan Rathnayake made 118 from 77 balls with 15 fours and one six before being caught off Liam Dawson at 329 for 8.
How many wickets did Liam Dawson take?
Liam Dawson took 4 for 49 from ten overs — the only spell by any bowler in the match to go at under six an over.
What was Sri Lanka’s final score?
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 331 in 45.1 overs, chasing a target of 387.
Who won Player of the Match?
Ben Duckett, for his 167. It was his second century in two innings at Gaddafi Stadium, after 105 against Pakistan on 25 October.
Where was the match played?
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, as a day/night fixture.
Conclusion
England’s 386 for 5 was built on an opening stand of 163 and an innings of 167 that contained twenty-four fours and no sixes — a reminder that an ODI total of that size can still be assembled by placement rather than power.
Sri Lanka’s reply was better than the margin suggests. Kusal Mendis’s 89 and Pavan Rathnayake’s 118 took them to 315 for 6 with 45 balls remaining and 72 needed, which is a position from which chases are occasionally won.
What ended it was Liam Dawson. His 4 for 49 was the only controlled bowling of a match that produced 717 runs, and his dismissal of Rathnayake in the 45th over removed the one batter who could still have taken Sri Lanka there. Four wickets fell for sixteen runs after that.
