England finally opened their account in the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026, beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the sixth and final league match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, 29 October 2026. It was a consolation win in the strict sense — England were already eliminated and Sri Lanka had already booked their place in the final — but it was earned in style, built on a career-best innings from Ben Duckett and finished off by a decisive spell from Liam Dawson.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first, backing their bowlers to restrict England as they had done to Pakistan two days earlier. Instead, England posted 386 for 5 in their 50 overs, their biggest total of the tri-series. Sri Lanka’s reply was brave and, for long periods, genuinely threatening: Pavan Rathnayake smashed 118 off just 77 balls and captain Kusal Mendis made 89, taking Sri Lanka past 300 with five wickets still in hand. But England held their nerve at the death, Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for only 16 runs, and the chase ended at 331 all out in 45.1 overs.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
| England | 386/5 | 50 |
| Sri Lanka | 331 all out | 45.1 |
| Result | England won by 55 runs | — |
| Player of the Match | Ben Duckett (167 off 132 balls) | — |
| Toss | Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field | — |
The result does not change the shape of the tournament. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will contest the final on Saturday, 31 October, at the same venue, while England head home with one win from four matches. But after three defeats — two of them desperately close — England finally finished a game on the right side of the scoreline, and they did it against the form team of the tri-series.
England Innings — Duckett’s Career-Best 167
Ben Duckett and Tom Banton gave England the start they had been searching for all tournament. The openers put on 163 for the first wicket, with Banton making 74 off 75 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, before he was bowled by Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka in the 25th over. It was the platform England’s middle order had been denied in their earlier defeats.
Duckett simply kept going. He reached his fifty off 46 balls and his century off 89 balls, and then accelerated without ever needing to clear the ropes — remarkably, his 167 off 132 balls contained 24 fours and not a single six. It was his second consecutive century of the series, after his 105 against Pakistan, and the highest score of his ODI career. Captain Harry Brook added a brisk 44 off 34 balls in a second-wicket stand of 107, and though Asitha Fernando removed Brook and Will Jacks (30 off 21), Duckett had already carried England past 300 by the time he fell in the 42nd over, caught off Eshan Malinga.
Jordan Cox finished the job with a quickfire 43 off 27 balls, and Sam Curran was unbeaten on 21 off 12 as England closed on 386 for 5. Joe Root, notably, was not required to bat. For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 63 from his 10 overs, but Eshan Malinga conceded 101 runs from his 10, and the attack that had bowled Pakistan out for 110 two days earlier could find no way through on a flat Lahore surface.
For more context on how this fixture was set up, read our preview of this match
Sri Lanka Innings — Rathnayake’s 118 in Vain
Sri Lanka’s chase began badly when Kamindu Mendis fell for 4, but Avishka Fernando (48 off 50) and Kusal Mendis steadied the innings, and then Rathnayake took it over. The left-hander, who had already made 130 against England in the record chase at Rawalpindi a week earlier, was even more destructive here: 118 off 77 balls, with 15 fours and one six, at a strike rate above 153.
Kusal Mendis matched him stroke for stroke with 89 off 71 balls, including eight fours and five sixes, and the pair added 161 runs together in a partnership that kept Sri Lanka well ahead of the required rate for long stretches. At 315 for 5, with Rathnayake still at the crease and 72 needed from the last eight overs, another famous Sri Lankan chase looked entirely possible — just as it had been in Rawalpindi.
Then Liam Dawson changed the game. The left-arm spinner, who finished with 4 for 49 from his 10 overs, removed Rathnayake in the 45th over, and Sri Lanka’s lower order collapsed completely. From 315 for 5 they were bowled out for 331, losing their last five wickets for 16 runs. Sonny Baker took 2 for 75, while Sam Curran, Henry Crocombe and Joe Root claimed one wicket each. Sahan Arachchige (30) and Janith Liyanage (27) had kept the chase alive in the middle overs, but once Rathnayake fell, there was no one left to finish it.
Sri Lanka’s earlier tri-series win over Pakistan set up their final place — read our recap of that eight-wicket victory
Key Performances
- Ben Duckett (England) — 167 off 132 balls, 24 fours, Player of the Match; his second straight century of the series and his highest ODI score.
- Pavan Rathnayake (Sri Lanka) — 118 off 77 balls, 15 fours and one six; his second century against England in this tri-series.
- Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka) — 89 off 71 balls, eight fours and five sixes; led the chase from the front as captain.
- Liam Dawson (England) — 4 for 49 from 10 overs, including the match-turning wicket of Rathnayake.
- Tom Banton (England) — 74 off 75 balls in a 163-run opening stand that set up England’s total.
- Asitha Fernando (Sri Lanka) — 2 for 63 from 10 overs, the most economical of Sri Lanka’s bowlers on a batting-friendly day.
The contrast between the two centuries told the story of the match. Duckett’s innings was built on timing and placement, without a single six; Rathnayake’s was built on power and urgency. Duckett’s lasted long enough to take England to an above-par total, while Rathnayake’s ended just when Sri Lanka needed him most — and Dawson made sure of that.
What It Means for the 31 October Final
For Sri Lanka, this defeat should not cause panic, but it does end their winning momentum at exactly the wrong moment. They had won back-to-back matches to reach the final, including bowling Pakistan out for 110 in Lahore, and they will now go into Saturday’s title clash against the hosts on the back of a loss. Their batting, at least, remains in excellent health: Rathnayake has now scored two centuries in the tri-series, Kusal Mendis is in form, and they have twice shown they can chase enormous totals. Their concern will be the bowling — particularly at the death — after conceding 386 on the same ground where the final will be played.
For Pakistan, watching from the sidelines, there were useful clues in both directions: England showed that a big total is possible on this surface, but Sri Lanka also showed that even 387 is chaseable for long stretches if the top order fires. The team that bowls better in the middle and late overs on Saturday will likely lift the trophy.
For England, the win is a parting gift rather than a turning point. They leave Pakistan with one win from four games, but with Duckett in the form of his life, a settled opening pair, and a spinner in Dawson who delivered under pressure, they have something concrete to build on. Their earlier record chase defeat to Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi — read our recap of that remarkable game — will still sting, but this win at least stops the tour ending in a whitewash of defeats.
FAQs
- Who won Sri Lanka vs England 6th ODI? — England won by 55 runs, defending 386/5 by bowling Sri Lanka out for 331 in 45.1 overs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 29 October 2026.
- Who was Player of the Match? — Ben Duckett, for his career-best 167 off 132 balls, including 24 fours.
- What were the top scores? — Ben Duckett 167 and Tom Banton 74 for England; Pavan Rathnayake 118 and Kusal Mendis 89 for Sri Lanka.
- Who took the most wickets? — Liam Dawson took 4 for 49 for England; Asitha Fernando took 2 for 63 for Sri Lanka.
- Does this result change the tri-series final? — No. Pakistan and Sri Lanka had already qualified, so the final on Saturday, 31 October, at Gaddafi Stadium is still Pakistan vs Sri Lanka. England were already eliminated.
Conclusion
England’s 55-run win was the complete performance they had been promising all tournament: a huge opening stand, a career-best century, a total their bowlers could defend, and a spinner who struck at exactly the right moment. Sri Lanka will be disappointed to lose their momentum before the final, but Rathnayake’s second century of the series and Kusal Mendis’s form mean they will still walk into Saturday’s final believing they can beat anyone.
The tri-series now has its perfect ending in sight: hosts Pakistan against an in-form Sri Lanka, at the same Lahore ground, for the trophy. England, meanwhile, leave with pride restored and one memorable innings from Ben Duckett to remember the tour by.
full ESPNcricinfo scorecard for this match
