Ahead of Sri Lanka's three-match series against England, which begins in Durham on Tuesday, visiting captain Kusal Perera might have ruefully acknowledged that if you want a job doing then you might as well do it yourself.
A 3-0 thumping in the T20I leg of the tour meant Sri Lanka's preparations were already far from ideal before Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka breached the squad's bio-secure bubble on Sunday and were send home immediately.
It means Perera is now likely to open the batting in Gunathilaka's absence and take the wicketkeeping gloves with Dickwella unavailable.
Avishka Fernando is out with a quadriceps injury and there could be a debut in the middle order for Charith Asalanka.
The hosts will begin as strong favourites and might even have their eye on a quick victory before the prospect of crowds drifting away to watch the England v Germany last-16 encounter at Euro 2020, which kicks off at 17:00 local time.
England's previous 50-over match against Sri Lanka on home soil ended in a surprise defeat at Headingley during the group stage of their ultimately triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign.
That meant what was in effect a quarter-final at Chester-Le-Street, where a home side flushed with local talent were roared to victory over New Zealand.
Ben Stokes is still working his way back to full fitness following a broken finger and Liam Plunkett has been cast aside at international level, but Durham's own Mark Wood remains a figurehead of England's white-ball attack and in fine form.
The quality of an England seam department boasting Wood's fellow World Cup hero Chris Woakes looks likely to be far too much for Sri Lanka, although Jason Roy (hamstring) being a doubt for an England batting order lacking Jos Buttler (calf) may give them the tiniest morsels of encouragement ahead of what might become an ordeal.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
England – Dawid Malan
Malan finished the T20I series as an opener after Buttler was laid low and the world's number one batsman in the shortest international format is likely to get his chance to impress alongside Jonny Bairstow as Roy recuperates. In three previous ODI innings, he has 90 runs and a top score of 50. If Malan impresses over longer periods in the middle a clamour for him to be restored to England's faltering Test line-up might in turn increase.
Sri Lanka – Dushmantha Chameera
Malan and Bairstow could face a stern examination from pace bowler Chameera, whose 4-17 in the final T20I at the Ageas Bowl followed an ODI career-best of 5-16 against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month. In 28 50-over internationals, the 29-year-old has 30 wickets at 33.36 and his slingy, slippery action could be particularly problematic during this gloomy period of the English summer.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- England have lost five of their past seven ODIs (W2), including a three-wicket defeat in their most recent match at home against Australia last September.
- Sri Lanka have just one win from their previous six ODI matches (L5), however, that win was their most recent game against Bangladesh.
- Joe Root needs 38 runs to reach 6,000 in ODI cricket. He is the second highest run scorer for England in the format after captain Eoin Morgan (6,876).
- Woakes needs one wicket to reach 150 in ODIs. He would be the sixth man to achieve the feat for England and the fourth fastest (105 matches) to do so if he manages it at Chester-Le-Street after Stuart Broad (95), Darren Gough (97) and Adil Rashid (102).
- Perera needs 11 runs to reach 3,000 in ODIs. He would be the joint-third fastest to the milestone out of 17 overall if he does so in his 100th innings after Upul Tharanga (93), Marvan Atapattu (94) and alongside Lahiru Thirimanne (100).
Jayden Seales’ sensational 4-for-5 puts West Indies in control against Bangladesh
Jayden Seales delivered a spell for the ages as the West Indies took command of the second Test against Bangladesh at Sabina Park on Sunday. Seales returned remarkable figures of 15.5-10-5-4, the most economical spell in Test cricket since 1977 (minimum 60 balls), to help bowl out Bangladesh for 164. By stumps, the West Indies had reached 70 for 1, trailing by just 94 runs with Kraigg Brathwaite unbeaten on 33.
The day began with Bangladesh at 69 for 2, but a spectacular collapse triggered by Shamar Joseph and capped by Seales’ precision left the visitors reeling. Shamar's fiery spell tore through the middle order, claiming 3 for 49 in a 34-ball blitz that reduced Bangladesh to 98 for 6.
Shamar first broke a patient 73-run stand between Shadman Islam (64) and Shahadat Hossain (22), clean-bowling Shahadat. He then removed Jaker Ali with a well-directed short ball, inducing a top edge that was safely caught by Joshua Da Silva behind the stumps. Shamar followed that by finding the edge of Shadman’s bat, giving Da Silva his fourth catch of the innings.
Brathwaite is unbeaten on 33 at stumps
Seales struck immediately after, dismissing Litton Das (1) at first slip to keep the pressure on. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (36) and Taijul Islam (10) briefly resisted with a stubborn partnership of 41, frustrating the West Indies bowlers with their defiance over 116 balls.
After the stand was broken by Alzarri Joseph, Seales cleaned up the tail clinically. He removed Taskin Ahmed, whose attempted pull lobbed to Alick Athanaze at second slip via a deflection off Da Silva. Mehidy then top-edged a hook to fine leg, and Seales wrapped up the innings by uprooting Nahid Rana's leg stump.
The West Indies’ reply began cautiously, with the Bangladeshi seamers maintaining tight lines. Mikyle Louis fell early to Nahid Rana for 12, but Brathwaite and Keacy Carty (21)* steadied the innings. Taijul Islam bowled seven maidens in his ten overs, extracting turn and bounce from the surface, but the West Indies openers remained resolute until bad light forced early stumps for the second day in a row.
Seales’ brilliant display has given the West Indies the upper hand as they aim to build a significant first-innings lead on day three. With Brathwaite and Carty well-set, the hosts will look to press home their advantage and secure a commanding position in the match.
Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe: Bellingham and Mbappe on target as Los Blancos apply pressure on Barca
Real Madrid closed the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to a single point following a 2-0 victory over Getafe on Sunday.
Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were on target in the first half for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have a game in hand on the Blaugrana.
Following Barca's 2-1 defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday, Los Blancos broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark at Santiago Bernabeu.
With Mbappe having failed from 12 yards against Liverpool in midweek, Bellingham made no mistake after Allan Nyom was penalised for a foul on Antonio Rudiger.
Bellingham then turned provider as Madrid doubled their lead eight minutes later by finding the France captain, who whipped the ball home from outside the box for his 10th goal of the season.
While Madrid, who recorded three straight clean sheets for the first time this term, maintain the pressure on Barca at the LaLiga summit, Getafe have slipped to 17th place with only goal difference keeping them outside the relegation zone.
Data Debrief: Mbappe enjoys home comforts
Madrid have now won each of their last 16 home LaLiga matches against Getafe. It is their joint-most successive such victories over a single opponent in the division.
Bellingham got the ball rolling from the penalty spot, where he boasts a 100% record (four from four) in the big five European leagues.
Mbappe gave Los Blancos breathing space with his fifth home league goal of the campaign, with only Osasuna's Ante Budimir (six) bettering that tally.
Junior Sinclair joins Guyana Amazon Warriors as temporary replacement for Keemo Paul
The Guyana Amazon Warriors have announced that Junior Sinclair will join their squad as a temporary replacement for Keemo Paul in the ongoing Global Super League. Paul will be unavailable due to personal reasons but is expected to rejoin the team in time for their match against the Rangpur Riders on Wednesday, December 4.
Sinclair, a familiar face within the Amazon Warriors setup, has been part of the franchise since 2022. Over the past three seasons of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he has featured in 17 matches, showcasing his value as a versatile player. His addition provides continuity and depth to the squad as they navigate this temporary absence.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will look to maintain their momentum in the league with Sinclair stepping in, while fans eagerly await Paul’s return to bolster the team’s lineup for the crucial matches ahead.
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