Internet Desk: Alex Hales and Jason Roy both smashed blistering tons as England hammered Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, winning the second ODI by 10 wickets.
Setting a target of 255 to win, Hales (131* off 108 balls) and Roy (112* off 95) shared in a record opening partnership for England in ODIs and also set a new record-highest chase for a 10-wicket win.
Leggie Seekuge Prasanna was hit for back-to-back boundaries to go through to a third ODI hundred. Hales then launched the legspinner for three sixes in a row over cow corner in an astonishing display of hitting, while Roy notched his second century in the closing overs.
Sri Lanka, earlier had won the toss and decided to bat first but struggled to get the runs on a flat deck with Adil rashid and Liam Plunkett scalped two each. Sri Lanka went on to score 254/7 in their full quota of 50 overs.
England were equally impressive in the field – Roy affecting two run-outs, the first a fantastic bit of work from backward point to dismiss Kusal Perera (37) with a direct hit.
It was the first of four Sri Lanka wickets to fall for 32 runs, Rashid adding the strike of Prasanna thanks to a terrific diving catch from Willey at long-on, while Chandimal’s 86-ball stay at the crease was ended by another Roy run out.
When Willey bowled Farveez Maharoof, Sri Lanka were in real trouble at 191-7 with just under 10 overs still to play, but a fine fifty from Upal Tharanga (53* off 49) helped the visitors bat out their full 50 overs.
It always looked to be too slim a target for England’s lengthy batting line-up though, and so it proved, the hosts only needing to call on their openers. Hales and Roy smashed all round the park to reach the target with 15.5 overs to spare.