Will Jacks leads England to 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in first ODI

England secured an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first One Day International (ODI) at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. All-rounder Will Jacks delivered a standout performance, scoring an unbeaten 46 runs and taking career-best figures of 5 for 22 to dismantle the Sri Lankan lineup.

England posted a total of 265 runs, supported by captain Harry Brook’s 67 and Joe Root’s 44. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 176 in the 37th over. Jacks’s bowling figures represent the second-best by an England spinner in ODI history. For Sri Lanka, Sachindu Colombage claimed 3 for 44 on his ODI debut.

Jacks noted that he is still rebuilding his bowling confidence following an unexpected appendectomy last month. Despite the recent surgery, his performance helped England take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Additionally, Joe Root reached a milestone during the match, accumulating 23,000 international runs across all formats.