Final result
Sri Lanka won by 19 runs
Player of the match: DN Wellalage
Result · One-Day Internationals
Sri Lanka vs England
Result · One-Day Internationals
Venue par · 189Chase success · 48%POTM · DN Wellalage
Match preview & overview
Sri Lanka end England's five-match winning run with a 19-run victory in Colombo
Sri Lanka Cricket beat England Cricket by 19 runs at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on 22 January 2026. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Sri Lanka posted 271/6 from their 50 overs. England were dismissed for 252 in response. The match ended a run of five consecutive ODI victories England had recorded against Sri Lanka, including a 53-run win at this very ground earlier in the same period. DN Wellalage was named Player of the Match.
Sri Lanka's innings was built in the middle overs, where they scored 142 runs for the loss of four wickets across overs 11 to 40. The death overs (41 to 50) produced 80 more runs at the cost of just two wickets, pushing the total well clear of the venue's average first-innings score of 189. England's reply was competitive in patches but never convincing across all 50 overs.
England's chase started cautiously, with 41 runs and one wicket in the powerplay. The middle phase yielded 127 runs but five wickets, and by the time the death overs arrived England needed too many off too few. They scored 84 in the final 10 overs but lost four wickets in the process, running out of recognised batters before they could reach the target.
Pitch report & venue insights
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo — 176-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2005–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
176
T20 matches hosted
189
Avg 1st-innings score
161
Avg 2nd-innings score
48%
Chase success rate
45
Avg powerplay runs
34%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Sri Lanka's 271/6 well above venue average
The R. Premadasa Stadium's average first-innings score across 176 ODIs is 189. Sri Lanka's 271/6 cleared that by 82 runs, with 80 runs coming in the death overs alone. England's target was always going to be a demanding ask at this ground.
Angle 02
Wellalage takes Player of the Match honours
Angle 03
England's chase fell short despite a fighting finish
Angle 04
Sri Lanka chose to bat and controlled the toss advantage
Angle 05
England's head-to-head lead makes this result a notable turnaround
Key players
Players who decided it
Sri Lanka Cricket
DN Wellalage
Sri Lanka Cricket
PWH de Silva
Sri Lanka Cricket
AD Mathews
Sri Lanka Cricket
KC Sangakkara
England Cricket
SR Tendulkar
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top batter markets may offer more value than outright result lines given how close the two sides' scoring rates were in the middle overs (Sri Lanka 142 in the middle phase, England 127).
- Spinner-based markets could be of interest given the track record of de Silva and Wellalage at Colombo venues, where slow bowlers historically operate effectively.
- England's batting order markets are worth considering given four wickets fell in the death overs; their ability to bat deep under pressure has been inconsistent across recent matches.
- First-innings total lines may suit cautious analysis: with an average first-innings score of 189 at Premadasa, any team posting 250-plus is historically in a strong position.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Sri Lanka vs England
Who won the Sri Lanka vs England ODI on 22 January 2026?
Sri Lanka Cricket won by 19 runs at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Sri Lanka posted 271/6 from their 50 overs and then dismissed England for 252.
Who was Player of the Match in Sri Lanka vs England on 22 January 2026?
DN Wellalage was named Player of the Match. He contributed with both bat and ball and was the standout individual performer across the two innings.
What is the head-to-head record between Sri Lanka and England in ODIs?
England lead the all-time head-to-head 49 wins to 37 across 97 completed ODI meetings, with 10 no-results. Before this match, England had won the last five consecutive ODIs between the two sides.
Where to watch Sri Lanka vs England ODI matches in the UK?
Sri Lanka vs England ODI series matches are typically broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket in the United Kingdom, with live streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV. Check your television listings for exact start times.
What is the R. Premadasa Stadium's average score in ODIs?
Across 176 ODIs at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the average first-innings score is 189 and the average second-innings score is 161. Sri Lanka's 271/6 in this match was comfortably above that average, which helps explain why England's chase proved so difficult.
Did the toss matter in this Sri Lanka vs England ODI?
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat. The chase success rate at Premadasa is 48 per cent across 176 matches, meaning teams batting first have a structural advantage. Sri Lanka built on that by posting a total well above the venue's historical average.
Photo credits (4)
- Wanindu Hasaranga — photo by 04 ATM 04, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Angelo Mathews — photo by paddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
- Kumar Sangakkara — photo by Sangakkara.jpg: TonyPatterson derivative work: Chamal N (talk), CC BY 2.0 · source
- Sachin Tendulkar — photo by Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0 · source