Sports 24 September, 2026 2 min read
13 outlets compared Where the coverage agrees
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Kusal Mendis scored 121 as Sri Lanka posted 321-6 at Headingley. Dunith Wellalage took three wickets to help Sri Lanka win by 16 runs.
Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs in the second one-day international at Headingley after Kusal Mendis scored 121 and Dunith Wellalage took three wickets. England chased 322 but finished on 305-9 in 50 overs, with Tom Banton scoring 73 and Jos Buttler making 69 before retiring hurt with a hamstring injury on 67. England needed 68 from 75 balls when Buttler retired hurt, and England later needed 19 from the final over as Will Jacks fell for 52.
Wellalage’s spell included dismissing Ben Duckett for 67 and stumping Banton for 73, and the left-arm spinner finished with figures of 3-49. The series decider was set for The Oval after Sri Lanka leveled the three-match ODI series at 1-1.
Top-edge catch missed: Atkinson misjudged at 17
Harry Brook said, "It is always disappointing when you lose," after England were restricted to 305 for nine. Brook added that "Sri Lanka played exceptionally well, especially the last 10-15 overs," as the visitors used reverse swing to deny England’s lower order. Kusal Mendis backed Sri Lanka’s performance by saying, "I'm so happy winning and getting the hundred," after his 121 at Headingley.
The match swung after Buttler pulled up with what a team spokesman later described as a "left hamstring twinge" and retired hurt with England still needing 68 off 75 balls. Dunith Wellalage’s three-wicket burst reduced England to 157-3, and the chase ended when Buttler was caught at deep mid-wicket for 69.
Sri Lanka’s win set up a series decider at The Oval, with England set to regroup after a chase that ended at 305-9. England’s momentum was halted as Buttler’s injury derailed the hosts’ attempt to seal the Metro Bank One-Day Series at Headingley. Sky Sports said the series would now be decided on Sunday September 27 at The Kia Oval, with first ball at 10.30am.
The AFP report described the result as a last-over thriller, with Wellalage and Mendis starring as Sri Lanka leveled the series at 1-1. England’s next match was framed as a chance for pressure situations ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup, with Brook saying, "Having the opportunity to play in a decider will only benefit us."
Buttler injury described as torn muscle vs generic hamstring
Most outlets agree on the 16-run win and who swung it; they differ only on the exact wording of Buttler’s hamstring injury.
Buttler injury halts England as Sri Lanka level series
Sri Lanka beats England by 16 runs after 121 by captain Mendis to take ODI series to a decider
Sri Lanka steal dramatic win over England to level ODI series
Wellalage and Mendis star as Sri Lanka level England series in thriller
Jos Buttler injury scuppers England hopes as they lose second ODI to Sri Lanka
Kusal Mendis hits 121 to propel Sri Lanka to 321-6 in 2nd ODI against England
Sri Lanka level the One-Day International series against England at Headingley
Wellalage and Mendis star as Sri Lanka level England ODI series
England vs Sri Lanka: Visitors pull off shock 16-run victory to level ODI series after Jos Buttler injury derails hosts’ chase
Jos Buttler injury and Kusal Mendis century derail England as Sri Lanka level ODI series
Sri Lanka grab dramatic win over England to square series
Cricket betting tips: England vs Sri Lanka – second ODI
England v Sri Lanka at Leeds, 2nd ODI, 24 Sep 2026
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