Harry Brook turned a tricky series on its head with a blistering 136 not out, his third – and largest – one-day hundred, steering England to a 2-1 win in Colombo and their first ODI series success abroad since early 2023.
Key facts first. England, asked to bat on what locals expected to be a slow Khettarama surface, piled up 357 for 3 – comfortably the highest total of the three-match contest. Brook’s 66-ball assault contained 11 fours and nine sixes and overshadowed Joe Root’s measured 111* from 108 deliveries. The pair added an unbroken 191 in 18.3 overs, wiping away memories of 11 straight overseas defeats in the format.
“That was a decent wicket,” Brook said afterwards, grinning at the contrast with game two, which he had labelled “the worst pitch” he had encountered. “I was happy with it. It ended up being better than we thought.”
Root, player of the series with 247 runs at 123.50, shrugged off personal praise but enjoyed the view from the non-striker’s end. “More than anything, you just want to win games and contribute to winning games. My role in this team is pretty obvious, and it’s nice to try and help the younger guys come through now, I’ve got a bit older.”
The day had begun more sedately. When Jacob Bethell nicked his second ball past slip it summed up England’s tentative start. Yet Bethell grew into a composed 65 from 72, sharing 126 with Root for the third wicket. Root moved to three figures from exactly 100 balls, ticking over in familiar fashion – work to leg, late dab behind point, repeat. Then came the handover.
Brook walked out in the 32nd over, England 166 for 3, and immediately flicked his first ball to the rope. By the end he had monopolised strike so completely that Root faced only seven deliveries in the final five overs. “It was great out there,” Root said. “The way that Beth played, then Harry came in and just took the game on in that manner. It was fantastic. It shows his versatility, with the way he played the other night, compared to today.”
Sri Lanka, chasing a record target, never threatened – bowled out for 274 despite a fluent 92 from Charith Asalanka. Gus Atkinson’s opening burst (3 for 38) scotched any early charge and Liam Livingstone mopped up the tail. A routine defence, but valuable after recent scars.
“It was an awesome effort from everybody involved,” Brook said. “Rooty is just exceptional. To have him in the side just helps every day. That was an exceptional performance by the lads. I was working on a few things with Rooty in the nets yesterday, and luckily it paid off today.”
Root, mindful of broader horizons, looked ahead: “It shows what we are capable of as a 50-over team. It’s a really good step forward for this group after a tough little period, especially away from home. So there’s a lot to build on.”
England’s focus now shifts to the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean next month, but this ODI turnaround – built on a blend of Root’s calm and Brook’s firepower – offers a timely reminder of their depth. It will not erase the frustrations of the last two years, yet it places a marker: when conditions allow, and confidence flickers back, England’s white-ball batting remains a formidable sight.
