Match Abandoned | England vs Sri Lanka, Highlights And Cricket Score 1st ODI Match - Commentary

All we could manage today is 15 overs. England got off to a good start but lost two quick wickets. Root and Morgan then steadied the ship and were on song. But when the players went in for Drinks, the rain came out. It started to pour down heavily and then stopped, but caused enough damage to prevent any further play. So, the first match of the series is washed out but the good news is that we have four more games left. However, the bad news is that the second game is at this same venue and the forecast isn't too great for that one either. The next one will be played on Saturday, 13th October. That game will begin at 1000 local (0430 GMT). Hopefully the rain stays away for that one. Though, there is a reserve day set for this one, and that is Sunday. Till then, goodbye!

2020 local (1450 GMT) - The umpires have had a word with the captains and they have decided to CALL THE GAME OFF! The rain has stopped but the conditions are not deemed fit to play any more cricket. I think both the skippers will agree on that.

2000 local (1430 GMT) - We should have had the inspection by now but it is postponed by 15 minutes. For those concerned, it has not rained for a long time and the covers are completely off. Hopefully, we start play soon after the inspection. Also, Morgan and Buttler are out in the middle to check the outfield. Both don't look pleased with the conditions. Morgan is seen pressing the mud near the boundary line. What's next? The crowd's have been waiting in anticipation...

1900 local (1330 GMT) - Each part of the covers are coming off slowly. Still a lot of water on the outfield. If it doesn't rain anymore there will be an inspection at 2000 local time. We hope the next update is a good one.

1845 local (1315 GMT) - She's gone! Look mom, we have made it! The rain has stopped for now. The covers are coming off. The groundsmen are trying their best to get the outfield dry quickly. Should take about 60-90 minutes to do so.

1804 local (1234 GMT) - No good news to report. It's quite dark out there with the rain still quite persistent. Not sure what will happen, but the officials will have to take a call soon.

1710 local (1140 GMT) - Better news! We have got her to go away. Only a little. The rain has started to ease out and bright light can been seen behind the main stand in Dambulla. Hopefully, we get some cricket soon...

1700 local (1130 GMT) - More gossip! It's been more than an hour and we are now thinking of ideas to get rid of her. We are losing overs and topics to talk about.

1630 local (1100 GMT) - More bad news! The lady just won't go. She insists on having food. Hopefully, she doesn't ask for a sleep over. It's raining heavily now, stay with us for further updates.

Not what the doctor ordered. Not what anyone ordered. Rain is here. Unwanted guest. Not heavy but it is quite breezy out there. The covers have come out and are covering almost the entire ground. Let's hope she's just come for a visit and not to give gossip. Meanwhile, you can switch tabs and check out the score updates between Australia and Pakistan.

Drinks! A mixed session of play so far. After a good opening start England lost two quick wickets. Root and Morgan have now started to find rhythm and are playing free-flowing cricket.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Joe flicks it away with a wristy shot. The batsmen have run through for a single.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Quicker one on off, played with a straight bat.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Loopy ball outside off, Root has played that off the front foot and into the ground.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. A bit short on off, Root punches the ball off his back foot to the off side.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Opens his body up and drives this through covers. The batsmen change ends.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Tossed up on off, Morgan gets forward and blocks it.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. FOUR! Goes short again and this time Root pulls it with disdain. Picks up the length early and pulls it behind square for a boundary.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Played through mid-wicket by JR.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Back of a length ball around off, Root stays back and pushes it to mid off.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Wide. An attempted bouncer which was well over head height. The umpire has signalled a wide.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Pushed to the cover region by the batsman.

A bit of a worry for us fans. It has started to get dark here in Dambulla and the groundsmen are getting ready to bring in the covers when needed.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Good stop from Akila in the deep. Full and on the legs of Root who flicks it away with a wristy shot. Dananjaya runs to his right and makes a good stop to keep it at two.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Length on off, defended off the back foot.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. SIX! Morgan had his heart in his mouth for a few seconds but will breathe a sigh of relief. Floated ball on middle and leg, Morgan gets on one knee and swipes this over square leg. Malinga at the ropes thinks he has it covered but it sails over him.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Driven towards the mid on region. The batsmen have run through for a single.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Guided to third man to rotate strike.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Gets it past that man this time. Flicked wide of the man towards mid on for a single.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Fuller this time on leg, flicked towards mid on.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. FOUR! Runs have started to flow again for England. Short ball around off, Root rocks back and firmly punches the ball through covers. The fielder hares behind the ball but can only come second best.

Lasith Malinga to Eoin Morgan. FOUR! Another boundary. Once again Malinga strays down the leg side. Morgan flicks it away fine and the ball races to the fine leg fence. Great over for the tourists.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Short ball down leg, Root pulls it fine towards fine leg. They cross.

Lasith Malinga to Eoin Morgan. Driven through the covers by Morgan. The batsmen have run through for a single.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Edge but too far from the fielder at first slip. Length ball around off, edged past first slip for a run.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. FOUR! Errs in the line down the leg side. All Root has to do is get bat on it and he just helps it on its way to the fine leg fence. Boundary.

Lasith Malinga to Joe Root. Back of a length ball around off, punched off the back foot.

Lasith Malinga has been brought on for another spell.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. From around the wicket to Morgan, shorter outside off, the wrong 'un again, Morgan goes back and mistimes it back to the bowler.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Flicks this through square leg and one run is taken.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. The googly, on middle and leg, worked away past short leg.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Spinning in on leg from over the wicket, goes off Root's pads and down the leg side. A couple of leg byes are collected.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Drifting in from around the wicket, full on the stumps, eased away towards mid off for a single.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. On the pads, Morgan works it away on the leg side.

Powerplay 2 has been signaled. 5 fielders can now stay outside the circle till the 40th over.

A decent Powerplay 1 for both sides. Will be interesting to see how the next phase of play pans out.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Was there an edge? There's a definite noise, not sure of what though? Maybe the thigh pad? Pradeep brings this one in and Root is taken by surprise by the heavy movement. Plays away from his body, leaving a big gap between bat and pad. There's a noise as the ball goes past the batsman and Dickwella appeals, but umpire Aleem Dar is unmoved. Probably the thigh pad, then.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Tight line. Root doesn't have much room to do much. He can only defend it in front of point.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Short of a length on off, Joe is on his toes as he defends it down on the track beside him.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Edged and FOUR! Width offered outside off, moving away, Root reaches out to it and gets a fat edge. It flies past the diving wide slip fielder and runs away to the third man fence.

Nuwan Pradeep to Joe Root. Full in length on off, angling in, Root gets big on the ball and drives it back to Pradeep.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Full and outside off, driven to the man at cover. End of a successful over for the home side.

Akila Dananjaya to Eoin Morgan. Beaten! From around the wicket, Akila flights it outside off, it spins away slightly and beats the hanging bat of Eoin Morgan's bat.

The English skipper, Eoin Morgan, is the next batsman in. Two of England's most experienced batsmen out in the middle now.

Akila Dananjaya to Jason Roy. OUT! Roy is gone! This is huge for Sri Lanka. Two wickets in two overs for them. The introduction of spin has worked. Dananjaya floats it up on off and Roy is deceived in the flight. He slogs too early and gets a top edge which skies towards mid off. Sadeera (sub) at mid off backtracks, settles under the ball and takes it well. Both openers are back in the dressing room now.

Akila Dananjaya to Jason Roy. Loopy full toss, Roy stays leg side and smacks it off the toe end to the man at mid off.

Akila Dananjaya to Joe Root. Root gets off the mark without wasting any time. He comes forward and wrists it through to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Akila Dananjaya to Jason Roy. Spinning in on middle and leg, flicked off the front foot in front of square leg. Single taken.

Joe Root walks in at no.3.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. OUT! Yes, it's a clean catch, without a shadow of a doubt. First breakthrough for Sri Lanka and it couldn't have come sooner. Length delivery just outside off, it holds its line, Bairstow looks to tamely push this away on the off side but gets a feather behind. Dickwella catches, celebrates but the umpire takes it upstairs to see if the keeper took it cleanly. Replays show he did and Bairstow is out of here.

Jonny Bairstow has been caught behind, but the umpire just wants to make sure if it's a clean catch or not.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads. One run added to the total.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Back of a length outside off, punched away into the off side.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Is that out? Dickwella seems to think so. Short ball banged in and it's angling down, Roy looks to pull this away and as soon as the keeper catches, he appeals. Sri Lanka think about the review, but then decide against it. Replays show that's te right call, as there's no spike on Snicko.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Full in length and around off, pushed away towards mid off.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Good effort from Thisara Perera. Pradeep fires it full and angles it in on middle, Roy drives it with a straight bat down the ground. If not for Thisara's excellent diving effort to his left, that would have been a boundary.

Akila Dananjaya to Jonny Bairstow. FOUR! 11 off the over, not a good start from Akila. Bairstow hangs back to this short ball outside off and cuts it through point for a boundary.

Akila Dananjaya to Jonny Bairstow. SIX! Aggression from Bairstow against spin. Tossed up and in the slot, Bairstow plants his front foot forward, picks his spot and launches it over wide long on for the first maximum of the series.

Akila Dananjaya to Jonny Bairstow. Stays behind to this one and pushes it away on the off side.

Akila Dananjaya to Jonny Bairstow. Full toss on leg, Bairstow clears his front leg and whips it straight to mid-wicket.

Akila Dananjaya to Jonny Bairstow. Quicker and shorter close to off, Bairstow punches it off the back foot back to the bowler.

Akila Dananjaya to Jason Roy. The off spinner this time, short and flat on middle and off, Roy off the back foot punches it down to long on for one.

Akila Dananjaya into the attack now. Spin quite early for Sri Lanka.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Flicked off the pads again, square on the leg side.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Cutting back in, worked off the inner edge towards mid-wicket.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Fraction straight in line, flicked through square leg for a run.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Full outside off, driven past the left of the bowler for a brisk single.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Direct hit but he's well in. Roy flicks it to mid-wicket but the fielder can't stop it cleanly with a tumble to his left. Thisara runs from mid on to pick up the loose ball and scores a direct hit at the striker's end. No trouble for Bairstow though, he makes his ground with no problem.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. FOUR! Full in length, too full and it's too straight too which entices Roy to go over the top. He comes ahead and lofts it cleanly over mid on for another boundary.

Lasith Malinga to Jonny Bairstow. Leans ahead to this full ball and drives it to mid on.

Lasith Malinga to Jonny Bairstow. Outside off, played square to point for nothing.

Lasith Malinga to Jonny Bairstow. FOUR! Excellent. Fine placement from Jonny Bairstow. It's on the shorter side of things, he goes on his toes and crunches this through the gap in the covers again. Making full use of the Powerplay here. Sends it away to the boundary line.

Lasith Malinga to Jonny Bairstow. Short of a length outside off, kept out from the back foot.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Good length delivery in the off stump channel, run down to third man comfortably for a single.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Seaming in from a good length, on middle and leg, played from the inner half to mid-wicket.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Full on middle and leg, driven to mid on. Another good over for England, 8 from it.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. FOUR! Oh shot. That's beautiful. Can't give him even an inch. Slightly wide outside off, fuller in length, Bairstow leans into the drive and caresses it through the gap in the cover region. Boundary.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. A defensive push this time. YJB places it to the cover fielder.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Pradeep brings this one back in, Jonny is rock solid in defense. Watches the ball closely and meets it with a straight blade.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. FOUR! In the gap this time. Superb shot. Slightly wider of off than on the previous ball and he's put it away. Drives it on the up through the covers and finds the fence.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Shot. Good timing, but just not in the gap. Full ball outside off, Bairstow drives but straight to cover.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. FOUR! Oh, that's well played. Really well played. Dipping full toss on middle and leg, Roy has difficulty in playing it but still manages to get it away after adjusting in time. Works it across the fine leg fence for consecutive boundaries.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. FOUR! That's hit with disdain! Shortish in length and around off, Roy, like the previous delivery, is expecting this one so positions himself early. Stays back and muscles the heave over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Slow dipping yorker on off, Roy brings his bat down expecting that and blocks it out. Picked it up well.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Wide! Down the leg side on this occasion, wide called by the umpire.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Touch short and a bit straight in line, nudged away to man at mid-wicket.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Strays it on the leg stump line, Roy looks to tickle it fine down the leg side, but misses and it goes off his thigh pad behind to the keeper.

Lasith Malinga to Jonny Bairstow. Good running. Bairstow taps this down behind on the off side and both batsmen take off. They're quick, so finish the run with ease.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Nicely done. Rising off the deck, on a back of a length, Roy gets on top of the bounce and punches it on the up past point for a couple of runs.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jason Roy. Straightening up a shade as it lands on a length on off, Jason takes a step forward before pushing away.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. He's off the mark as well. Cuts this length delivery late down to third man and gets to the other end.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Fails to find the gap. Has some width on offer so Bairstow crunches the drive to the covers. Can't get it past the fielder there.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Brings it in closer, on off this time, Bairstow defensively punches it down in front of covers.

Nuwan Pradeep to Jonny Bairstow. Good carry on that. Pradeep serves it on a length outside off and it keeps rising, Bairstow raises his bat and lets it through.

Nuwan Pradeep to bowl from the other end with the second new ball. He has two slips in place as well.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. This length ball is wristed straight to mid-wicket. Dot ball to end a decent over from Malinga.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Rising off the deck on a length, it's played down on the leg side.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. FOUR! First runs of the afternoon and it's come off the bat of Jason Roy. This is a superb shot. Touch fuller, slower in pace, Roy leans ahead and punches this through the right of mid on. Just a firm punch, that's it, and it travels across the boundary line.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Good length delivery in the channel outside off, Roy hangs back and defends it in front of covers.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Fullish in length again on middle and off, Roy once again positions himself behind the line and confidently blocks it down the track.

Lasith Malinga to Jason Roy. Good ball and well played. Little bit of shape on that as Malinga bowls this full on middle. It comes in and shapes away late, Jason Roy stays right behind the line and presents a straight bat in defense.

We are ready to begin now. Lasith Malinga is seen being handed the new ball and he will look to strike early. Jason Roy, who is taking strike, is partnered by Jonny Bairstow as the two open for England. A couple of slips in place. Here we go...

Both teams are out for their respective national anthems. England's will be played first, followed by Sri Lanka's.

Pitch Report - Russel Arnold out in the middle says the wind blowing here usually plays a part in the decision as to what is to be done, but today there's just a slight breeze. Adds it's a dry one, with a few cracks which won't really come into play. Continues saying it's on the slower side and it will hold up more than usual. Ends by saying 258 is the average first innings score here.

Eoin Morgan, England skipper, says that he would have opted to bowl as well. Says the pitch looks good and it won't change much during the game. Says he has a balanced team. On debutant Olly Stone, suggests that he is a like-for-like replacement for Liam Plunkett who can swing the ball. Ends by saying that Sri Lanka has been a tough tour in the past and they have to play well to get the better of them.

Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka skipper, says that it's a good wicket and will bowl first because of the moisture on the pitch and due to the showers expected any time. He adds that they had a disappointing last series and want to improve on their fielding. Reckons England are the no.1 ODI side and they want to compete against them. Continues saying that they have two mystery spinners which should be a threat to the English side. Ends saying that this series should be a turning point for the World Cup.

TOSS - Sri Lanka win the toss and opt to field.

Unlike their opposition, Sri Lanka have more than one issue. Their poor showing in the recently concluded Asia Cup saw Angelo Mathews ousted from the ODI set-up, with Dinesh Chandimal now back at the helm. The return of their veteran Lasith Malinga didn't aid them much as the Lankans crashed out of the competition without a single win. The hosts are always tough at home, but they are up against it versus a prolific English side. Will be interesting to witness this contest. Stay tuned for the toss and other updates...

Before we begin, THE SKIES ARE CLEAR AND THE SUN IS OUT.... for the time being at least. So a reason to temporarily smile, if anything. Welcome, folks, for England's long tour of the Island nation. The last time England came here, things were rather different. But ever since, Eoin Morgan has taken charge, the identity of the team has changed and England are the no.1 ODI side in the world now. All games now will have one eye on the upcoming World Cup, so will be interesting to see who features. Much to be positive about for them though.