England will aim to clinch the summer's final ODI series against Sri Lanka in the second match at Headingley on September 24th.
It's been a memorable summer for the Three Lions. Key players retiring and new coaching setup at the helm hasn't deterred the limited-overs team, as Harry Brook's charges dispatched India in both T20s and ODIs, and more recently, have outplayed Sri Lanka.
They won the first T20I by 119 runs, and then chased down modest totals with 47 and 62 balls to spare, respectively, in subsequence internationals.
There was no respite for the tourists in the opening ODI either, as they were bowled out for 176 in 37 overs chasing 265, courtesy of Will Jacks recording the second-best figures for an English spinner in men's ODIs (5-22).
The latest England vs Sri Lanka ODI odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Options aplenty for all-round England
When the teams walked back to the shed with 265 runs scored in the first innings, it certainly looked like Sri Lanka were in the game.
But Brook's side is blessed with a dearth of options by design. The Lankan Lions had started positively, negotiating Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson's new ball foray.
The opening stand was finally broken by Josh Tongue, before back-to-back wickets from Jamie Overton and Jacks in the 20th and 21st over cracked the game open. That's what England possess - disruptors in the middle overs in the name of Overton, Rehan Ahmed, and Jacks himself.
And with Atkinson - who has a Test century at Lord's against this very opponent - batting at seven-down, England can relentlessly follow their hard-hitting approach, which has proven too hot to handle for Sri Lanka on this tour.
Also read: South Africa vs Australia 1st ODI: Injury-hit Proteas welcome Aussies in high-stakes series
Basics the key factor to Sri Lanka's revival chances
Unlike the T20I series, Sri Lanka were in the game at key junctures in Durham. Debutant Sachindu Colombage (3-44) and Asitha Fernando (3-53) were particularly impressive, while skipper Kusal Mendis and Dunith Wellalage contributed with a pair of 40s in the run chase.
They failed to stifle Brook's counter-attack, but what led them down the most was the staggering 186 dot balls they chewed up in pursuit of the total.
Therefore, their chances will depend heavily on executing the basics, such as rotating the strike effectively against spinners like Jacks and Ahmed during the middle overs.
Century Scored (both teams combined): No
The Headingley track has seen substantial mileage this summer, with matches taking place in the Hundred and in the Test match against Pakistan.
The average first innings score on the surface is 226. None of the last three ODIs on this ground have seen a century scored from either side. To add to that, Sri Lanka's batting has been largely underwhelming.
So, it looks unlikely for a century to be scored in the second ODI.
Recommended Bet: Century Scored (both teams combined): No
Player's Total Runs - Over 39.5: Joe Root
Root completed 23,000 runs in international cricket across formats, and his record on home turf is outstanding.
The batting maestro has four 50+ scores from seven ODI innings in Leeds, with two centuries at an astronomical average of 72.50.
He arguably understands the ground better than anybody else and is expected to cap off a productive summer with another big score.
Recommended Bet: Player's Total Runs - Over 39.5: Joe Root
